Using acetone is the most effective method of gel polish removal at home. The board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Shari Lipner, recommends wrapping your nails in plastic food wrap, instead of foil.
When you see that your gel manicure is chipped beyond repair, you need to know how to remove gel nail polish at home right away. After all, no one wants to spend time and money for a salon visit just to remove the unsightly gel polish, right?
You may be tempted to take matters into your own hands and rip off the gel manicure by hand. According to dermatologist Hadley King, MD, although your nails might look fine on the surface after tearing the polish off, you might actually have stripped the nail plate’s delicate layers, and this can trigger serious damage that will result to brittle, cracked, and dry nails.
We want to avoid that. Thus, we consulted nail experts and professional nail artists on the best way to remove gel nail polish at home without damagin your nails, and keeping it healthy and ready for the next color coating.
When Should You Remove Gel Nail Polish?
Gel nail polish is intended to last for weeks without chipping. Thus, you may be tempted to keep it for as long as possible. However, experts recommend keeping gel nail polish to a maximum of two weeks to prevent damaging your nail beds and cuticles.
Can You Remove Gel Polish with Regular Nail Polish Remover?
You can remove gel polish using regular polish remover. However, you need to soak the nails for a long time to break the gel polish down. A bottle of pure acetone like Pronto’s will get the job done more quickly and effectively.
What’s the Best Way to Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home?
Acetone is a strong substance, and using it on your nails may seem harsh, but it is much safer and more effective than just filing or picking gel polish off that can significantly damage your nails.
According to experts, among other alternatives, acetone is the most effective in removing gel polish at home. They recommend using plastic food wrap instead of foil to wrap your nails for around 10 minutes. This is because compared to foil, plastic offers a tighter seal that can keep acetone from dripping. After 10 minutes, you will notice that most, if not all, of the gel polish is gone.
How to Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home without Damaging Your Nails?
Using an orange stick to peel off gel nail polish is not a good idea. It can cause white spots and possible injury to your nails. Instead, you can use some items that are common in most households. Just follow the steps below.
Things You’ll Need:
All you need are simple tools and materials, and a bit of patience. Otherwise, you can do a bit of online shopping for the missing materials.
- petroleum jelly
- coarse nail file
- cotton balls
- 100% acetone
- plastic food wrap (or aluminum foil, if preferred)
- towel
- washcloth
(Easy) Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1: Make sure your cuticles are protected.
Acetone plays an important role in gel polish removal, but it can dry your nails and the surrounding skin. Thus, you need to protect your cuticles before soaking in acetone. Apply petroleum jelly on the areas around your nails. It will provide a protective barrier from the acetone.
Step 2: Use a coarse nail file to loosen the nails’ top layer.
The tough gel coating is responsible for the durability of gel polish, and it seals the polish color in place. Buff the surface of the nail with a coarse nail file to make it easier for the acetone to penetrate later. To avoid damaging the nail plate underneath, file using parallel and light pressure.
Step 3: Soak the nail polish in acetone.
Dip some cotton balls in acetone, then place them on your nails. Keep them in place by wrapping plastic food wrap around each finger. It will stop the acetone from dripping, and trap heat that will make breaking down gel faster. Because gel formulations have varying strengths, this step may take around 10 to 20 minutes for the softer gel nail polish, more for the harder types of gel polish, particularly those used for nail strengthening and extension.
If you fail to soften the polish the first time, you can just repeat the process of applying acetone and wrapping. Also, it is best that you do the soaking one hand at a time, and not both at the same time.
Step 4: Carefully scrape the gel layers away.
Once acetone has softened the gel polish, remove the wrap and cotton, then file the nails. Continue to gently scrape the surface until the polish is removed. You know that you’ve soaked the nails long enough if the top coats start to peel off easily. If there are hard-to-remove layers, you can just soak them again in acetone, and scraping until all polish, including the base coat, is removed safely.
Step 5: Clean up thoroughly, then moisturize.
After using the acetone, wash off thoroughly, then apply petroleum jelly again to replenish the moisture lost due to the acetone. Follow it up by putting hand cream or moisturizer on the nails and surrounding areas to nourish the skin.
Here’s a video we found online that may help you understand the process better:
How to Remove Gel Polish without Acetone?
Aside from acetone, you can use other options to remove gel nail polish, including hydrogen peroxide, cuticle oil, and hand sanitizers. Olive oil and other kitchen oils can also be used. And if you don’t have any of these items on hand, you can always try vinegar or warm, soapy water.
How to Care Your Nails after Gel Nail Polish Removal?
After removing gel nail polish, it is best to moisturize. Massage your nails and surrounding skin with some cuticle oil or petroleum jelly a few times each day. Follow it up by applying thick hand cream or salve to seal the moisture in. This way, the nutrients are better absorbed into the nail beds.
Final Verdict
While gel nail polish is intended to last chip-free for many weeks, it is best that you do not keep it longer than 2 to 3 weeks to prevent possible nail damage. While you can always go to your favorite salon to have it done, you can safely remove gel nail polish on your own using common household items. Just follow the tips n this post.
For comments and feedback, or if you have tips of your own to share, feel free to leave them below.