Frequently asked questions
What is Aprés Gel-X?
A soft gel extension system: full-cover tips molded from Aprés's patented soft gel, bonded to the natural nail with Extend Gel and cured under LED. The result is a lightweight, flexible extension that wears 4 or more weeks and soaks off in acetone with no heavy filing. ND carries the tip boxes, Extend Gel in 15, 30, and 45 ml, the pH Bonder and Non-Acidic Gel Primer, the base and non-wipe top, refill bags, and the Gel-X Nail Extension Kit.
How many tips are in a box, and which shape should I start with?
Each box holds 500 tips, 50 of each of 10 sizes. Start with Natural Square and Natural Coffin in Short and Medium for everyday clients, then add Sculpted Coffin and Stiletto in Long and Extra Long. The Natural line has a flatter surface and less C-curve for flatter nail beds; the Sculpted line has a deeper curve and more apex. Refill bags top up the sizes that run out first.
How do I apply Gel-X tips?
Prep and buff the natural nail, apply pH Bonder then Non-Acidic Gel Primer, and size a tip to each nail. Brush a thin layer of Extend Gel onto the nail and a little inside the tip, seat the tip from the cuticle side at a 45-degree angle, press toward the free edge to push out air, flash-cure, then full-cure through the tip. Shape, apply Aprés Gel Couleur with no base coat, and finish with the Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gel Coat.
What is in the Gel-X Nail Extension Kit?
15 ml each of Aprés pH Bonder, Non-Acidic Gel Primer, Soak Off Extend Gel, and Non-Wipe Top Gelcoat, plus the X-Lite LED light, a 100/180 grit emery board, and the Aprés black patent vegan leather case. Add a box of tips in the shape you want and it is a complete first station. The Aprés Base Gel Coat is reformulated to 9 percent HEMA and the top is HEMA-free and TPO-free, both curing in 30 seconds.
Is Gel-X sold at wholesale?
Yes. Every Gel-X tip box, refill bag, Extend Gel, prep, base, top, and kit at ND Nails Supply is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The 45 ml Extend Gel and the 500-tip boxes are the working size for a busy salon. Orders $100+ ship free, and in-stock items ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.
Aprés Gel-X: the soft gel extension system
Gel-X is the system that replaced the acrylic tip for a large share of US salons: a full-cover tip molded from Aprés's patented soft gel, bonded to the natural nail with Extend Gel and cured under LED, giving a lightweight, flexible extension that wears 4 or more weeks and soaks off in acetone with no heavy filing. ND Nails Supply carries the Gel-X range at wholesale: boxes of 500 tips in every shape and length, the Extend Gel in 15, 30, and 45 ml gold bottles, the pH Bonder and Non-Acidic Gel Primer, the Aprés Base Gel Coat and Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gel Coat, refill bags by size, and the Gel-X Nail Extension Kit for a first station.
What is on this page
| Product | Details | Role in the system |
|---|---|---|
| Gel-X tip boxes | 500 tips per box, 50 of each of 10 sizes; Natural and Sculpted lines; Square, Round, Coffin, Almond, Stiletto; Extra Short to Extra Long | The extension itself |
| Gel-X refill bags | Single sizes to top up a box | Replace the sizes that run out first |
| Extend Gel, Gold Bottle Edition | 15, 30, and 45 ml; the signature soak-off soft gel | Bonds the tip to the natural nail |
| pH Bonder and Non-Acidic Gel Primer | 15 ml each | Prep: balances the nail and improves adhesion |
| Base Gel Coat and Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gel Coat | 0.5 oz, single or duo; base 9 percent HEMA, top HEMA-free and TPO-free; 30-second cure | Color base and the final finish |
| Gel-X Nail Extension Kit | pH Bonder, Non-Acidic Gel Primer, Extend Gel, Non-Wipe Top Gelcoat (15 ml each), X-Lite LED light, 100/180 emery board, vegan leather case | Everything but the tips for a first Gel-X station |
Natural vs Sculpted tips: which line?
The Natural line has a flatter surface and less C-curve; it is made for clients with a flatter nail bed and gives a lower-profile extension. The Sculpted line has a deeper C-curve and more apex, for clients with curved nail beds and for the dramatic shapes (Sculpted Coffin Extra Long, Stiletto). Most salons stock Natural Square and Natural Coffin in Short and Medium as the everyday boxes, then add Sculpted Coffin and Stiletto in Long and Extra Long for the clients who ask.
How to apply Gel-X
- Prep. Push back cuticles, remove shine with the 180-grit side of the emery board, dust, and apply pH Bonder, then Non-Acidic Gel Primer.
- Size the tips. Fit a tip to each nail from the 10 sizes in the box; it should sit sidewall to sidewall with no gap. Lightly buff the inside of the tip where it will bond.
- Extend Gel. Brush a thin layer of Extend Gel onto the natural nail, and a small amount inside the well of the tip. Flash-cure the nail if the layer is heavy.
- Seat and cure. Press the tip on at a 45-degree angle from the cuticle down, squeeze out air bubbles, hold, and flash-cure under the LED, then full-cure. Cure through the tip from the top and, if the lamp allows, from the sides.
- Shape and color. File the length and shape, then apply Aprés Gel Couleur straight onto the tip with no base coat, and finish with the Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gel Coat.
Pro tip: a bubble under the tip is a lift waiting to happen. Seat from the cuticle side and press toward the free edge so the gel spreads outward, and check the tip against the light before curing.
Why salons switch to Gel-X
- Speed: a full set in less time than sculpting acrylic, with no monomer.
- Lightweight wear: the soft gel tip is the most comfortable extension on the market and holds 4-plus weeks.
- Gentler removal: Gel-X soaks off in acetone, which cuts the over-filing that damages the natural nail.
- Consistent shape: every tip in a box is molded, so ten nails match without hand sculpting.
- Sensitive clients: the reformulated base is 9 percent HEMA and the top is HEMA-free and TPO-free.
What does a Gel-X station need to reorder?
The tip boxes run out unevenly: the medium sizes in the middle of the box go first on most clients, which is what the refill bags are for. Extend Gel is the consumable that sets the reorder rhythm, since every tip takes a layer on the nail and a layer in the well; the 45 ml gold bottle is the salon size and the 15 ml the mobile size. The pH Bonder and Non-Acidic Gel Primer last far longer than the Extend Gel because they go on as a single thin wipe per nail. Keep one spare Non-Wipe Top on hand, because a station that runs out of top mid-set has no way to finish the client.
Wear, care, and removal
- 4-plus weeks of wear; book a fill or a new set at week 3 to 4, with cuticle oil daily and gloves for cleaning in between.
- Removal: file through the top coat and color, soak in acetone with a foil wrap until the soft gel softens, and push the tip off. No prying, no heavy e-file work.
- Store Extend Gel and the base and top out of sunlight and capped; store tip boxes closed so the sizes stay sorted.
Which tip shape and length to stock first
| Shape | Lengths in the box range | Who asks for it |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Square | Extra Short, Short, Medium, Long | The everyday client and the office client; the box most salons open first |
| Natural Round | Short, Medium | Clients who want the look of their own nail, a little longer |
| Natural Coffin | Short, Medium, Long | The trend shape for medium sets and the client who wants a flat tip with tapered sides |
| Natural Almond | Short, Medium, Long | Clients who want a slimmer finger without a point |
| Natural Stiletto | Short, Medium, Long | The fashion set and the client who shows off cat eye and reflective art |
| Sculpted Coffin, Sculpted Square, Sculpted Almond | Extra Long, Long, Medium, plus the Ombre pre-tinted tips | The long, dramatic set with a built-in apex, and the pre-ombre tip for a French fade without painting |
A first Gel-X station buys Natural Square Medium, Natural Coffin Medium, and Natural Almond, which between them cover most requests, then adds the short lengths for the client who wants strength rather than length and the extra-long Sculpted Coffin as the salon's art work grows. The Natural line is thin and flexible and files to a natural profile; the Sculpted line arrives with a formed apex and more body, for lengths a Natural tip would flex on.
Why a Gel-X set holds, and why it lifts
A soft gel tip is a full-cover tip bonded with a cured gel rather than glued, so the bond is only as good as the surface under it. The lifts that come back within a week trace to three things: shine left on the natural nail, so the pH Bonder and primer had nothing to grip; an air pocket under the tip where the Extend Gel was not pressed out before the flash cure; or a tip a size too small, which pulls at the sidewalls and springs off when the nail flexes. Each has the same fix in the next set: buff every nail matte, seat each tip from the cuticle toward the free edge and check it against the light before the lamp, and size up rather than down. A set applied that way is the four-week enhancement that made Gel-X the alternative to acrylic for salons that want no monomer, no dust from a bead, and a removal that soaks off instead of being filed off.
Salons that already run LAVIS soft gel tips use the same station for Aprés: the LAVIS Soft Gel Tip Adhesive bonds either tip brand, and the ND lamp page carries the 2-in-1 lamps that cure through a tip from the top. The Aprés Gel-X Nail Extension Kit puts the liquids and a lamp in one case for a salon starting from nothing (pH Bonder, primer, Extend Gel, Non-Wipe Top, the X-Lite LED, and an emery board); add a box of tips and the station is complete.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every Gel-X tip box, refill bag, Extend Gel, prep, base, top, and kit ships at wholesale pricing for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The 45 ml Extend Gel and the 500-tip boxes are the working size for a busy salon. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock items ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.