Acrylic nails have long had a reputation. They are glamorous and long-lasting but notorious for making your natural nails thin, brittle and painfully sensitive.
There’s a new manicure trend quietly replacing them in salons: overlay extensions. Lighter, faster and marketed as ‘safer,’ overlays promise all the beauty without the breakage.
Curious to know if they genuinely live up to the hype, I tried them myself and also spoke to both a nail technician and a dermatologist to decode what makes overlays different.
Step 1: A thin glue-like coat was applied to my natural nails. My technician insisted it's less harsh than acrylic monomers.
Step 2: Lightweight plastic tips were added on top.
Step 3: She filed and shaped them neatly.
Step 4: A gentle buffing smoothed the surface.
Step 5: Finally, she painted them with gel polish and cured them under a UV lamp.
I've had these overlays on for two weeks now and they do feel significantly lighter than any acrylic set I've worn.
They're easier to handle, especially while typing, using my phone and, most importantly, removing my contact lenses.
Despite regular household chores, they haven’t lifted, chipped or budged.
According to my nail technician, overlays are becoming the go-to because:
They're much lighter than acrylic. Acrylics sit like a thick cap on your nail. Overlays are more flexible and mimic the weight of natural nails.
The process is faster. No tedious monomer-polymer mixing. The entire service wraps up quicker. While acrylic takes about an hour-and-a-half, overlays are done in 45 minutes.
Removal is easy and less damaging. Acrylics often need aggressive filing. Overlays can be soaked off gently with acetone, reducing trauma to the nail plate.
They don’t make your natural nails brittle. Acrylic removal can pull layers off your natural nail. Overlays don't grip the nail as tightly, so the removal is gentler.
There is less pain when you hit your nail because overlays flex slightly; they absorb shock better unlike acrylics, which transfer all the pressure straight to your nail bed.
And finally, overlays are significantly cheaper.
To confirm everything the nail technician told me, I also spoke to dermatologist, Dr Smriti Nathani. Here are her insights from the interview:
Overlays aren't automatically safer; the product matters.
'Overlay' only describes how the product is applied, not what it’s made of. Acrylics are rigid and hard while gel overlays are flexible with low stress on the nail.
They can reduce breakage but not eliminate all damage.
Gel overlays act like a supportive shield, especially for weak nails.
But the damage can still happens if the removal is rushed, nails are filled too aggressively and the cycle is repeated too frequently.
They have fewer fumes but aren't chemical free.
Acrylic monomers can irritate skin and smell strong. Gel overlays produce fewer fumes but still contain acrylates.
Removal is the real risk zone. More nail damage happens during removal than application.
Gel overlays generally soak off more gently than acrylics.
For people with naturally thin or break-prone nails, a flexible gel overlay is often the safer middle ground.
But even the safest system can damage nails if applied or removed carelessly.
When done correctly and removed properly, overlays can be a safer and more flexible alternative to acrylics but neither is completely damage-free.