If Alyssa Edwards didn't ruin her manicure immediately after getting it by reaching into her purse for her car keys, she would usually chip the polish within a day or two.

Then the 20-year-old Arizona State University student tried a new service called a gel manicure, which uses a high-shine lacquer that dries instantly and resists chips for up to two weeks—and she had an ah-ha moment. "I thought it was the coolest thing ever," Ms. Edwards says.

Gel...