Doing your nails is one of the most fun things girlfriends can do together. Once every couple of weeks, you can make an appointment and go with your friends to get your nails done.
It’s so nice and afterward, your nails always look good. Doing your nails by yourself simply isn’t easy, and your nails will likely look less than good.
Doing nails is the reason why people went to beauty school in the first place! They know all about making the nails into the right shape and how to apply all coats evenly. All in all, they were trained to give you satisfying results!
Once you get your nails done, you can schedule a filling, rather than doing the nails all over again. Unfortunately, you chose a color that didn’t suit most of your outfits, and you want to change it this time.
When you get your nails filled, can you change the color? Can you mix it up if you chose the color poorly the last time? Continue reading our article to find out!
What Is Nail Filling?
Nail filing, or coming in for a refill is just one of the services most of the nails salons provide for their clients. Refill consists of filing off the gel color and remove any lifting if that happened.
When the nail artist removes the color, they will check the nails for any yeast or bacterial infections. If your nails are infected, the artist will refuse to put any product on your nails before you get them treated.
Once you come in for a nail filling, you can choose several things – like changing up the shape of nails, taking down some of the length, etc. Changing up the color during a refill is something we will cover in the next section.
After the gel is removed, the beautician will fill in the gap that appeared at the cuticle, because your nails have grown since your last appointment with the salon.
Once the nails dry and harden, they will be filed and shaped into the desired look. Then, your beautician will tell you to pick a color.
Usually, salons recommend to get a refill once every few weeks for the best results, or less – if your nails tend to grow at a faster rate. Waiting too long for the next appointment will make your nails look tacky and the gel will start to lift.
When the gel lifts, water can get under it. Water and moist surroundings make the ideal environment fr bacteria and fungi growth. Treating nail infections is long and very boring, so it’s better to be safe and get them filled a few days early.
Also, if your nails grow out too much, their strength could be thrown off. That happens because the gel has almost grown out entirely of the natural nail. So, if you hit the nail or hurt it in any way, you can crack your natural nail, or even break it off!
We recommend that you make the next appointment while you’re still in the salon. If you want your nails to look good and stay healthy, that’s the smartest thing to do!
Furthermore, always abide by the advice your beautician gave you regarding aftercare. After all, they do know the best!
When You Get Your Nails Filled, Can You Change The Color?
Sure, you chose a color that matched the dress you wore for a wedding that weekend. It looked very beautiful and flush with your nails, but the nails don’t match anything else you own in your closet.
Who even wants to match the outfits to their nails everyday? You wanted to pick a more nude color this time, but you were hoping you could just get a filling.
This is one of the most often questions every nail salon gets – do they have to remove their gel or acrylic nails, and get a new set every time they come in.
So, when you get your nails filled, can you change the color?
Yes, and no – in reality, this depends on several factors. For example, you can get your nails filled with a different color, if you have clear acrylic as a base, and have a gel color on top,
The beautician can file off or remove the gel color and apply a new color over it. Many people who get their nails filled regularly admit that wearing the same color for two or more weeks to annoy them.
If you know in advance that you want to get your nails filled more often than that, tell that to your beautician. If you don’t, they may use a darker colored acrylic under the gel color.
If they do, you will not be able to get your nails filled, you will have to pay for the entire trip of doing your nails. Very dark acrylic powders usually only look good when filled with the same color.
New colors, even if they are still dark, will not provide you with a nice set of nails. Some nails salons even choose not to give out fillings.
The reason behind that is that filling is usually cheaper. Furthermore, filled nails are not likely to last as long as a fresh set.
Also, if you pick a glittery or shimmery gel color, you will likely not be able to just get a filling. Your nail artist may even choose not to, because the result may look unprofessional and tacky.
How Often Should You Get Your Nails Filled?

We already mentioned that you should visit the salon every few weeks for a touch-up. It’s usually very individual how often you should visit the salon.
Most people get their nails done once every three to four weeks, and most salons advise their clients to do their nails every three weeks.
So many people get bored with the color after four weeks. No matter what the color is, it just seems dull after a while.
There are so many options to choose from: regular nail polish, gel manicures, and for those who want their nails to look like small pieces of art: acrylics.
Luckily, you can go to get your nails filled and change the color! Ask your nail technician to remove the layers and add a new coat of color.
The nail technician will then remove the filling. They will do it by filing off the color, and perhaps using some acetone to remove the gel.
How long does it take to get a manicure? Read our article for a detailed guide on every type of manicure there is!
Changing The Gel Color At Home
Maybe you just got bored, and the salon cannot schedule you until next week. For you at this moment, waiting until next week is the last thing you want to do.
So, you got the idea that you could do it at home, like first aid. If the nails don’t look good after you’re done with them, you can just file it all off, right?
Let’s start with things you need to remove the color at home:
- To remove the gel color, you need aluminum foil, acetone, and some cotton pads
- A nail file to clean up any residual gel color
- Nail buffer to buff and polish your nails after you’re done filing
- Nail polish or
- Gel polish, if you own any, as well as a UV/LED lamp to dry the gel polish.
First, you will need to remove the color. Soak the cotton pads with acetone, and press them on your fingernails. Next, take pieces of aluminum foil and wrap them around the cotton pads.
Leave the acetone on your nails for around 10 to 15 minutes. Then wash your hands and coat them with a nourishing cream. Afterward, use the file to clean up the nails and shape them as you desire.
Use a nail buffer to buff the center part of the nail plate. Polish off the nails to perfection. Once you’re done preparing the nails, take the nail polish and start layering it onto your nails.
If you decide to use gel polish, this is an easier way. You can just file off the first layer and fill in with the new color. Cure the nails in your lamp, and add an extra layer.
If you like, you can use a topcoat over it to make sure your nails are super shiny and long-lasting. All in all, it takes around 10 minutes to get a fresh set of nails!
How to dispose of acetone properly? Read our article to find out!
When You Get Your Nails Filled, Can You Change The Color? – Conclusion
To conclude, you can change the color of your nails when you go to get them filled. However, you should always tell your nail technician that you will come for a refill in ten days.
That way, the nail technician will know that you don’t plan on sticking to this color for a month and will use clear acrylic for your nails. If the acrylic is anything other than clear, it will be near impossible to do a refill.
Your nails will just look tacky and ruin the appearance of your hands. If you want to change the look often, just tell your technician before you start. Of course, don’t take too long between appointments – if you wait for too long, your beautician may refuse to do a refill!