How to Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Damaging Your Nails

Getting a gel polish manicure at a nail salon is a nice treat, especially for those who want to protect their nails from daily wear and tear. But after a few weeks, it looks shabby, lackluster, and in desperate need of replacement. If you can't make it to a nail salon appointment in time, you need to learn how to remove gel nail polish without damaging your nails.

Unlike regular nail polish, which can be easily removed with acetone, removing gel nail polish is challenging. That's because these are made of a strong liquid lacquer that only dries under UV or LED lights. Not only does this strengthen your nails, but it also lasts longer than regular polish. If you don't know how to remove gel nail polish safely, you could ruin the condition of your nails. The good news is that you can remove gel nail polish for yourself at home.

How to Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Damaging Your Nails

First, you need to assemble the right tools for the job. Luckily, these are things you probably already have at home. If not, they can all be purchased locally or online. We've got suggestions where to get them.

Materials to prepare: nail file, nail polish remover (acetone), cotton balls, oil nail and cuticle conditioner, foil strips, nail sticks or tools

Steps to remove oily gel polish nails

1. First file the topcoat of your nails. To do this, take a rough nail file and gently file down the topcoat of gel polish on your nails. Do not try to remove all of the polish; you only need to buff off the shine.

2. Next, apply your cuticles. You need to protect the skin around your nails with cuticle oil or cream. This will provide protection from the acetone/nail polish remover alcohol, which is often drying to the skin. We can recommend spa cuticle cream, cuticle oil to protect your nails.

3. Once you are done, you can soak the cotton balls in acetone. Simply place the cotton balls in a small bowl and pour acetone on the top of each ball until they are soaked. Most salons tend to use cotton balls because they are small and closer to the shape of your nails.Be sure to open a window or find a well-ventilated space to prevent you from breathing in the strong smell of acetone.

4. Once you have done this, you will need to wrap each nail with foil. To do this, prepare the foil by tearing it into squares about 3 x 3 inches in size. Then, place an acetone soaked cotton ball on top of the nail and wrap the fingertip in the foil square. Keep these on for about 15 minutes to let the acetone work to break down the polish.

5. Next comes the key point, when you remove the foil and remove the gel polish. Remove each piece of foil first to check if the polish is loose before scraping the polish off. Use a nail stick to gently run under the gel polish to remove it. If you notice that the polish has not completely broken down, re-wrap the nail with a new cotton ball/foil and repeat for five minutes or until it starts to move.

6. Finally, it is a good idea to hydrate your nails. Acetone can dry out your nails and fingers in the process of removing the gel polish, so you will need to moisturize your nails afterwards. We recommend that you soak your nails in coconut oil or cream for at least five minutes before applying cuticle oil. This will protect both the skin and the nails.

PS: What are the benefits of gel nail polish? Unlike ordinary nail polish, the hard protection will not make nails break, peel or chip easily. In addition, gel nail polish can maintain its glossiness for weeks without fading.