We look at your nails
And tell you what we see.
BIAB & builder gel · Aix-en-Provence
BIAB in Aix, your nails just stronger.
Natural nails · No tips, no extension · From €43
Book online
7-day guarantee
You risk nothing.
Any nail that lifts within 7 days is redone free of charge.
No questions, and no making you feel you are exaggerating.
No questions, and no making you feel you are exaggerating.
BIAB, done properly
A splint,
not an extension
Your nails are soft or thin, they split or break before they ever get long? That is what BIAB is for: a thin, slightly domed layer of builder gel applied directly onto the natural nail, following its shape and holding it in one piece. The nail stops flexing, stops splitting, and grows out protected instead of breaking at every knock. No tips, no added length.
BIAB is the trade name professionals use for builder gel. In French the same treatment is sold as gainage, which is the word you will see on our French pages: it is the same thing, done the same way.
Allow three to four sets, roughly three months, for your nails to grow back to a normal thickness. This is not one more manicure: it is a repair, and it takes the time it takes.
Client reviews · Aix-en-Provence
They were looking for
a salon they could trust
5.0 on Google
Verified reviews
After a year of gel done elsewhere, my nails had gone thin and soft. They suggested BIAB and explained why. Three applications later they are back to a normal thickness. I had stopped believing that was possible.
Camille R.BIAB manicureThe price was given to me before we started, removal included. I paid exactly what was quoted, which is not as common as it should be.
Hélène P.Removal and BIABThe noise and the feeling of it had kept me away for years. I said so as I sat down. We stopped twice because I asked, without a sigh and without my having to justify myself. Nothing ever felt hot.
Fanny D.Removal and BIABThe removal, step by step
The moment that decides
the state of your nails
Six steps, in this order. It is the removal, not the application, that decides the state of your nails.
Only the shine is buffed off the surface
So the remover can work.
A soaked pad is placed on each nail
And wrapped, while the product softens.
The softened layer comes off layer by layer
Never forced. If a layer resists, we soak it again rather than scrape.
We work across the surface rather than digging in
And the movement stops before your own nail.
Oil and cream
The nail comes out dehydrated, we feed it before you leave.
What we are told
Your doubts,
taken seriously
These are the ones we hear from people who already wear BIAB and need it kept up, and from people whose nails have had a rough time elsewhere.
Can you match what I have on now
Bring the shade name if you have it, or just show us. We will tell you honestly whether we can match it before we start rather than after.
My nails are thin. Is BIAB still a good idea
That is precisely what it is for. Thin, soft or splitting nails are the reason builder gel exists: it holds the nail in one piece while it grows back.
Will the removal wreck them
Not the way we do it. The softened layer comes off in stages and we stop before your own nail. We also never shorten your nails without asking first.
I had mine done at home. Can you work over it
Usually yes. If the existing layer is sound we refill over it; if it has lifted we take it back first. We decide that by looking, before anything is applied.
Frequently asked
BIAB,
without the jargon
What is BIAB?
Builder gel applied in a thin layer over the natural nail, with no tip and no added length. It thickens and protects the nail rather than extending it. BIAB, builder gel and the French word gainage all name the same treatment.
BIAB or a normal gel manicure?
A gel manicure is colour: it lasts about three weeks and does not strengthen anything. BIAB lasts up to four weeks and supports the nail. If your nails are healthy, gel polish is enough. If they flex or split, BIAB is what you want, and the two combine: BIAB first, colour on top.
My nails are thin and split. Is it too late?
No. A nail that splits is a nail that has become too thin, usually after one set too many. BIAB stops the process by holding it in one piece while it grows back: it grows out protected instead of breaking at every knock.
How long does it last?
Up to four weeks. The difference is in the prep: cuticles, surface, edges. And if a nail chips or lifts within 7 days, we redo it free of charge.
How often does it need refilling?
Every three to four weeks, as the nail grows out. A refill keeps the same layer going rather than starting again, which is gentler on the nail and quicker in the chair.
How many sets before my nails are back to normal?
Allow three to four sets, roughly three months. That is the time a nail takes to grow out in full, protected. It is not one more manicure: it is a repair, and it takes the time it takes.
Phone
Address
12 rue Victor Leydet
13100 Aix-en-Provence
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday
10 am to 7 pm
Sunday: closed
Walk-ins
No appointment needed
Booking also possible
Neighbourhood
Old town,
2 min from cours Mirabeau
Languages
French and English
Your nails can
get better
Ring us to see whether we can take you today, or book the slot that suits you.