How The Heck DO You Get These Things To Come Off?

Recently I revealed that I got my very first manicure. It was a fun experience and I really liked the results. I sprung for the gel manicure and it was chip free and shiny. They lasted approximately 12 days before my nails had just grown out too much and the polish started lifting at the edges. So almost two full weeks. Not bad.


Now here's the thing. Removing gel nails is a bit more involved than wiping away normal polish. I was determined not to go back to the salon to have my nails returned to natural, so I did a little research, and this is what I found.


To remove gel nails applied to your own nails...not acrylic nails...you will need the following.

1. a towel to work on
2. 100% acetone polish remover
3. cotton balls
4. aluminum foil
5. a plastic cup
6. a rough nail file
7. cuticle oil (optional)


Before you begin, put 5 cotton balls in the plastic cup, then soak them in polish remover, and set aside. You will also want to pull apart 5 pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around your finger while holding a cotton ball on your nail.

Supplies needed to remove gel nails.

~ The first thing you'll need to do is buff the top layer of the gel manicure with the emery board. The idea is to make cracks in the gel for the acetone to seep into.

Buffing my nails.

~ Next, take a cotton ball from the plastic cup, place it on a nail, and then wrap it with a strip of foil. Repeat on your other four fingers. Only do one hand at a time.

Nails covered with cotton balls and wrapped in foil.

~ Let the acetone do its thing for ten minutes. Then remove the foil. Don't unwrap the foil, just pull them off.

Nails after soaking.

My nails still had the gel on them, but it had been softened and peeled back.

~ The last thing I did was to pull/scrape the soft gel off my nails, giving each nail a final swipe with a polish soaked cotton ball once the gel was off, and finishing with a little cuticle oil. Then repeat the whole process on the other hand!

Clean nails. Gel free.

I'd like to say my nails are as good as new, but they are rough feeling, like sandpaper. I'm sure after a week or so they will smooth out. They don't look bad, but it definitely confirms my plans to only get my nails done a few times a year. Gel nails, anyway.

So that's it! No need to pay the salon to remove your fancy gel polish, just do it at home the same way they would do it at the salon. 

~ Love & Light ~