Most-asked questions.

Use the Book a Fresh Set page. You’ll pick a service, a date, an optional artist, and a length and art tier. We’ll text you a confirmation and a credit card hold within an hour during business hours.

Yes. Each tech has different specialties — Christine for Tier 3 custom, Mei for extensions, Yuki for acrylic, Andrea for chrome and French. If you don’t pick one, we’ll match you to whoever has the best slot for the service.

Cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before with no charge. Inside 24 hours, 50% of the service is charged to the card on file. No-shows are charged the full service. Life happens — text us early and we’ll usually work it out.

Text +1 (905) 477-0288. Inside 10 minutes we hold the slot. Past 15 minutes we may have to shorten the service or reschedule, depending on the day’s book.

Up to 3 friends in-app for a group booking. Larger parties (birthdays, bridal showers, hen-dos) are welcome — email hello@freshset.ca and we’ll set it up. We’ve done up to 8 people at once.

Two to three weeks for gel, three to four for BIAB, three to four for Gel-X, and two to three for acrylic — assuming normal wear. Some clients get 5 weeks. Some get 10 days. Cuticle oil and not picking are the two biggest variables.

No, when it’s done right. The damage people associate with gel comes from over-buffing the natural nail at prep, lifting the gel by picking, or aggressive removal. We do dry e-file prep with a fine bit, soak-off removal, and use cuticle oil daily as part of aftercare. Done well, regular gel doesn’t weaken natural nails — many of our regulars find theirs are noticeably healthier after a year of consistent care.

Not in the way the internet says. Nails aren’t lungs — they don’t breathe. They do need hydration (cuticle oil), which is why a gel-on-gel-on-gel routine without ever oiling around the cuticle can get patchy. If you take a break, take it for hydration, not oxygen.

Totally. Book a Removal + Repair add-on or just mention it when you book — we’ll add the time. We never drill through the natural nail to speed up removal.

BIAB is a brand-name builder-in-a-bottle that flows like gel polish but cures hard. "Builder gel" is the broader category. Japanese gel is a softer, more flexible builder used for Russian-style structured manicures. We use builder gel and BIAB; for true Japanese gel, ask Christine — that’s her specialty.

Please. Bring 3+ references. We’ll riff off the parts that work and steer you away from the parts that won’t hold up on your nail bed. We won’t copy another artist’s exact custom set, but we’ll happily pull from the same vibe.

Three tiers, priced separately on top of the base service. Tier 1 is simple chrome / French / micro accents at $28. Tier 2 is detailed hand-painting (marble, cherries, bows) at $48. Tier 3 is full custom — sculpted 3D, hand-illustrated, runway-grade — at $78. We’ll show you the tier on a sample tip before we start.

Yes, for ages 10 and up, with a parent in the studio. We’ll keep the length conservative, the gel low-cure, and the conversation appropriate. Under 10s, we recommend non-gel polish at home.

Right away — gel is fully cured. We just ask you to skip hot tubs, dishwashing without gloves, and aggressive sanitizers for the first 12 hours so the topcoat seats fully.

Don’t pick. Text us a photo and we’ll fix it free within 7 days of your appointment. Past 7 days, it’s a $8/nail repair.

Yes. Twice a day for the first week, once a day after. Hydrated cuticles equal a longer-lasting set, fewer hangnails, and better growth underneath. We send you a sample and sell the bottles at the front.

When we have space, yes. Most days we’re fully booked, but Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons we usually have a slot or two. Text first to check.

Yes. The plaza entrance is step-free, our front door is 36 inches wide, and we have at least one manicure station that accommodates a wheelchair without requiring a transfer. Let us know when booking and we’ll save the right station.

Yes. We do birthday groups, bachelorette mornings, brand activations, and small bridal-party sets. Email hello@freshset.ca with the date, group size, and what you have in mind. We can close the studio for fully-private bookings on Sundays.

Tap, chip, Apple/Google Pay, and e-transfer. Cash works too. Tips can be added directly through the card terminal.

Highway 7 plaza in Markham, between Birchmount and Kennedy. Look for the watermelon-pink door. Free parking out front; an accessible spot near the entrance.

Single-use files and buffers (binned after one client), pouched-and-autoclaved steel for cuticle and pusher work, lined foot baths, surface-disinfected stations between every appointment, dust collectors at every manicure table, and HEPA filtration in the back. Our techs work in disposable apron and (sometimes) gloves depending on the service. We’re not a fake clinical-spa — we’re a real studio that cleans properly.

Sundays after 4pm. Small dogs, on leash, in your lap or under the table. Email us first so we can plan the room.

Most of our regular polish wall is 10-free and vegan. Our gel base + top is 8-free. Specialty chrome pigments and a few bridal glitters fall outside that — ask if it matters to you and we’ll pull you only the lines that do.