How often, if ever, do I need to have a full set of acrylic nails put on, instead of just a fill?

The jury is out on that one. It depends on a number of items:

• The technician
• Your care of your nails
• The type of enhancement you wear

Some technicians never soak and replace enhancements. Other technicians will do it occasionally if the set has yellowed or maybe you've had a change of health and a lot of lifting or breakage. The rest schedule regular soak offs. When changing from one type of enhancement to another, some technicians will fill in with the new type, some will soak and start fresh.

The point you need to keep in mind here is HOW the current set is removed - soaked, filed or pried. Soaking would be the ideal method of removal. Filing off the enhancement is necessary with most gel products but should be done carefully so as not to damage the natural nail. Prying off of enhancements is NEVER a good thing. It is painful (bad) and will remove layers of your natural nail (very bad) that reduce the integrity of the base for the new full set. Prying off could also leave you open to all kinds of other issues - trauma, lifting of the nail off the nail bed, infection, etc.

If soak & replace is an option your technician uses, it should not be done too often. Every 3rd or 4th fill at a minimum would be recommended.