What Are the Different Types of Fake Nails? (+ How Long They Last)

Nail artist Marta Nagorska explains how to extend your nail tips and common types of fake nails

Co-authored by Marta Nagorska and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 Fact Checked

From acrylic to gel, press-ons to silk wraps, no artificial nail is created equal. Your choice comes down to what will be easiest (and most affordable) for you to keep up with. So without further ado, let's go over 7 different types of fake nails, how long they last, how to remove them, and how much they tend to cost. We'll also include expert tips on choosing a fake nail type and a nail shape from nail artists Marta Nagorska and Mimi D.

Popular Types of Fake Nails

Nail artist Marta Nagorska says gel and acrylic are popular ways to extend your nails and create artificial nail beds. Other types of fake nails include:

Dip powder nails: Nails created by painting on a base coat and dipping it in acrylic powder.
Press-ons: Nails you can press onto your natural nails with nail glue or double-sided adhesive.
Silk wraps: Pieces of silk adhered to your nail to bridge breaks and smooth ridges.
Nail rings: Fingertip rings that you can adhere fake nails to.
Click-on nails: A new technology that allows you to click fake nails on and off and switch sets with ease.

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Acrylic Nails

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Acrylic nails are made with a spreadable paste that hardens as it dries. To do acrylic nails, your nail artist will typically attach an acrylic nail tip extension to your natural nail to lengthen it. They'll use nail glue or a gel base coat cured under a UV light as an adhesive. Next, they'll dip a soft-bristle nail brush into a liquid monomer and then into an acrylic powder polymer. The monomer-polymer mixture forms an acrylic paste, which they spread evenly across your nail. As it dries, the acrylic hardens. After that, it becomes a blank canvas for your desired nail design.^{[1]
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- How long they last: 6-8 weeks (with shorter appointments every 2-3 weeks to "fill-in" your new nail growth with more acrylic)
- How to remove them: Cut off as much of the fake nail tip as possible, then soak your fingertips in acetone. Alternatively, have your nail artist file the acrylic off with an e-file (or buy an e-file and do it yourself at home).
- Average cost: $60 (plus $10-$25 for fill-in appointments or removals)
- Best for: Long wear and durability
- A nail artist can shape your acrylic nail and apply polish in whatever color you want. Nail artist Mimi D. says the most popular nail shapes for extensions are almond and stiletto, but square will always be a classic choice.^{[2]
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Meet the wikiHow Experts

Marta Nagorska is a nail artist with 5 years of experience. She's also the founder of Furious Filer, a blog where she specializes in giving tutorials on nail care and advanced nail art.

Mimi D. is a nail artist who's worked with hot designers like Oscar de la Renta, Diane Von Furstenburg, Luar, and DKNY. She also hosts seminars on how to perfect nail art.

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Dip Powder Nails

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Dip powder nails are built from layers of acrylic powder. They're a great option if you want a more durable, long-lasting manicure than you would get from simply painting your nails with gel nail polish. For this method, your nail artist will paint your natural nail with a base coat, then dip your nail in an acrylic powder at a 45-degree angle. They'll repeat this step with all your nails, brush off the excess powder, then add more base coat and another layer of dip powder. Next, they'll apply a setting powder, followed by a dip activator polish. The dip powder nail will harden in about 2-4 minutes, after which the nail artist can shape it and apply nail polish.^{[3]
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- How long they last: 4 weeks^{[4]
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- How to remove them: Soak your nails in acetone or rub them with an acetone-soaked cotton ball.
- Average cost: $30-$60^{[5]
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- Best for: Long-lasting color and less nail damage

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Gel Nails

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Gel nails are applied using builder gel cured by UV. Gel nails are usually more flexible than acrylic nails, but they're also harder to remove. To apply them, your nail artist will secure a hard or soft gel nail extension to your natural nail with a base coat and cure it under a UV light. Next, they'll apply a coat of bonder onto your natural nail to help the builder gel adhere to it. Finally, they'll use a nail brush to spread builder gel across your nail and the extension. Then they'll place your nail under a UV light to help the gel harden, so they can file it into your desired shape and coat it with gel nail polish.^{[6]
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- How long they last: 3-5 weeks
- How to remove them: Clip the nail extension off as far as you can without hurting your nail bed or natural nail. File off the remaining builder gel with an e-file. (Note: soaking in acetone doesn't work on gel nails!)
- Average cost: $40-$80
- Best for: Flexibility and comfort with long-lasting results
EXPERT TIP

Marta Nagorska
Nail Artist
Marta Nagorska is a Nail Technician and Nail Art Blogger based in London, UK. She runs the blog, Furious Filer, where she gives tutorials on nail care and advanced nail art. She has been practicing nail art for over 5 years and graduated from Northampton College with distinction with a Nail Technician and Manicurist degree in 2017. She has been awarded the top spot in the OPI Nail Art Competition.

Marta Nagorska
Nail Artist

Specify what type of gel nails you want at the salon. One type of gel nail is a nail painted with gel nail polish. The other is an artificial nail that's been built up and extended with hard builder gel.

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Press-On Nails

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Press-on nails are easy to apply yourself with glue or double-sided adhesive. Most press-on nail kits come with either a bottle of nail glue or a double-sided nail adhesive (similar to double-sided tape) already applied to the back of each false nail. If you're gluing the nails on, the best practice is to apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the false nail. Then, lower it bottom-first onto your fingernail at a 45-degree angle, press it down, and hold it there for 30-60 seconds. For nails with double-sided adhesive, take the plastic tab off the back of the nail, press the nail on, and hold it firmly in place for at least 30 seconds.^{[7]
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- How long they last: 1 week (or read our article on 8 Tips to Make Press-On Nails Last)
- How to remove them: Soak your nails in warm, soapy water with 5-10 drops of olive oil in it for up to 10 minutes, then gently pry the nails off with a cuticle stick. Resoak if your nails don't come off easily.
- Average cost: $15
- Best for: Quick nail changes and affordability

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Silk Nail Wraps

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Silk nail wraps help fill in broken natural nails. If you have broken or brittle nails with lots of ridges, a silk nail wrap will help protect them and provide a smoother base for polish. Your nail artist will apply a base coat to your natural nail, stick the silk wrap on while it's still wet, and press it down to mold it to your nail. Then they'll apply a resin adhesive and another layer of silk wrap. When they're finished adding wraps, they'll buff the surface to smooth it out, then finish your manicure as usual.^{[8]
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- How long they last: 2-3 weeks
- How to remove them: Saturate a cotton ball with acetone and rub it across your nail until the silk wrap layers peel off.^{[9]
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- Average cost: $40-$75^{[10]
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- Best for: Damaged or brittle nail protection
- Another way to protect your natural nails, says Nagorska, is to apply nail guards. These are "clear and extremely thin" pieces of plastic, “which act as a barrier between your nails and the glue." They come in different shapes, so you can find the one that fits your nail shape and width.^{[11]
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Nail Rings

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Nail rings are rings with fake nails on them that sit on your fingertips. Most nail ring sets come with adhesive jellies for sticking your fake nails to the front of the rings. This option is especially popular for women in the Muslim community. Many Muslim scholars believe that nail polish and fake nails act as barriers to the water during a pre-prayer hand-washing ritual called wudu. Nail rings offer a halal way for Muslim women to have beautiful fake nails without going against their religious beliefs.^{[12]
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- Average cost: $10 (not including a set of fake nails)
- Best for: Easy removal, natural nail protection, and religious adherence

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Click-On Nails

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Click-on nails are an emerging artificial nail technology. The concept, as shared by inventor Modul Nails, allows you to apply or remove fake nails by simply clicking them on or off. The click component adheres to your natural nail using UV gel or nail glue. While you're wearing the fake nails, it looks like you went to the salon and got a traditional manicure. But when you're ready to take them off for the night or after a few days, you can just remove them without having to soak them in acetone or water or file them off. Then, if you want to put them on again the next day, or switch to a different set completely, you can!
- How long they last: The top nails last for months, but you'd probably have to replace the click component every 1-2 weeks.
- How to remove them: Remove the top nails by pulling them off the click component. Remove the click component by soaking your nails in acetone.
- Average cost: $40
- Best for: Super-fast nail changes and comfort
- Click-on nails aren't available in stores yet! Modul Nails ran a Kickstarter to fund the product and plans to ship their backers' orders in February-March 2026. It's unclear if or when they'll be sold in physical stores or online.