If you've only ever asked for 'natural nails', this is your page. At Nails by Ellie Creed on Coinagehall Street in Helston, natural nails means one of two things: BIAB, a builder gel that sits over your own nails to give them strength and shape, or gel polish, glossy colour that lasts for weeks without chipping. No extensions, no fake tips. Just your nails, only better.
BIAB is with Ellie or Cait. Gel polish is with Cait. Both start with the same fussy, careful prep that makes every set a slay.
What is BIAB? Builder In A Bottle, explained
BIAB stands for Builder In A Bottle. It's a soak-off builder gel, brushed over your natural nails and shaped by hand, so you get a stronger nail with a smooth, natural curve instead of a thin, bendy one. Think of it as gel polish with structure. It's the go-to if you're growing your nails, if they keep snapping, or if you're coming off acrylics and want to keep the polished look.
You'll also hear it called builder gel or a BIAB manicure. Same idea. Your first appointment is a BIAB overlay on bare nails. After that you come back for infills: we file back the grown-out gel and rebalance the nail, so it never looks like it's been left to grow out.
BIAB or gel polish: which one is you?
- ✦Choose BIAB if your nails break, peel or won't grow, or you want a little more shape. It gives your own nails strength while they grow underneath.
- ✦Choose gel polish if your nails are already strong and you just want colour that stays glossy for weeks. It's quicker, and it's the lowest price on the menu.
- ✦Still not sure? Book the one that sounds most like you. We'll look at your nails at the start of the appointment and tell you straight.
Natural nail prices in Helston
Some treatments have two prices: Ellie is the senior tech, so her price sits a little higher. Same care either way.
What happens at your BIAB or gel polish appointment
We start with prep: cuticles pushed back and tidied, the shine taken off the nail and the shape filed the way you want it. Your BIAB or gel polish then goes on in thin layers, each one cured under the lamp, before a top coat seals in the shine. Allow about 45 minutes for a BIAB overlay and 30 minutes for gel polish.
Coming from another salon? First appointment with Ellie and wearing another salon's product? Add a removal to your set. The BIAB removal add-on is £18. If you only want your old product taken off, with nothing new going on, book a removal on its own with Cait: BIAB removal £18, gel polish removal £18.
Aftercare for BIAB and gel polish
- ✦Cuticle oil every day. It's the single biggest thing you can do for your nails between appointments.
- ✦Gloves on for cleaning and washing up. Hot water and chemicals are what lift gel.
- ✦Your nails are jewels, not tools: no opening cans or scraping off stickers.
- ✦Never pick or peel your BIAB or gel off. That takes layers of your natural nail with it. Book a removal instead.
- ✦Book your next appointment before you leave, so your nails never reach the awkward grown-out stage.
Natural nails in Helston: recent sets
Every photo here is a real set from the salon, on natural nail length.
Natural nails for clients across West Cornwall
Clients travel to Coinagehall Street from all over West Cornwall. Coming from further afield? nails for Truro, nails for Falmouth, nails for Camborne and nails for St Ives.
Natural Nails: your questions
What is BIAB?
BIAB means Builder In A Bottle: a soak-off builder gel applied over your own nails. It adds strength and a smooth, natural shape without any extension, so it's ideal if you're growing your nails or they tend to bend and break. At the salon it's done by Ellie or Cait, starting with a BIAB overlay on bare nails.
How long does BIAB last?
With good aftercare, BIAB typically lasts three to four weeks before it's time for an infill. One of Ellie's Google reviewers put it simply: her nails 'last easily over three weeks'. Cuticle oil, gloves for cleaning and booking your infill on time all help it go the distance.
How much is BIAB in Helston?
A BIAB overlay on bare nails is £45 with Ellie or Cait. Infills are £50 with Ellie, £45 with Cait for short nails and £55 with Ellie, £50 with Cait for long. Gel polish with Cait is £30, or £35 to remove and reapply.
BIAB or gel polish: which is better for my nails?
Neither is better; they do different jobs. BIAB builds strength and shape, so it suits nails that break or need help growing. Gel polish is colour only, so it suits nails that are already strong. If your gel polish keeps lifting or your nails snap underneath it, BIAB is usually the step up.
Is BIAB bad for your nails?
BIAB itself isn't the problem; how it comes off is. Picking or peeling gel takes layers of your natural nail with it, and heavy filing does the same. As Ellie says on her Instagram, gel doesn't automatically ruin your nails. Keep your infills on time and let us take it off properly when you want a break.
Why is there no BIAB full set?
Because BIAB grows out with your natural nail, there's nothing to 'set'. Your first visit is a BIAB overlay on bare nails, and after that you come back for infills, short or long, to fill the regrowth and rebalance the shape.
I'm wearing another salon's product. Do I need a removal?
If it's your first appointment with Ellie, yes: add the BIAB removal (£18) when you book your overlay, so there's time to take it off properly. Removals on their own, with nothing new going on, are booked with Cait.
Can I just have my gel polish taken off?
Yes. Book a gel polish removal on its own with Cait for £18. Handy if you only wear colour for a holiday or for Christmas.
