How to Remove Gel Polish At Home
Many of us love getting gel polish at the nail salon. It gives us a long-lasting color and shine we can enjoy for up to two weeks, in some cases longer. It might be the perfect solution to chipping polish, if it weren’t for one pesky thing: getting the darn stuff off.
Most people think they have to go to a nail salon to have gel polish soaked off, but did you know that you can do it at home? Soaking off gel polish can be tricky, and it’s very important to remove it properly in order to maintain the strength and health of your nails. But with the right products, tools, and a maybe a little help from a friend, you can say buh-bye to salon soak-offs for good, while protecting your nails from damage and weakness.
Because of the time it takes and the extra products used, getting a gel polish soak off (aka gel polish removal) usually becomes an added service, typically starting at around $15. Wish you could do it at home but don’t know how? We're going to tell you how you can do a gel polish soak-off in the comfort of your own home, while saving yourself some money, and some time in the salon.
What Not to Do
Before we move on, here are a couple important things to remember:
1. Removing other nail enhancements at home is a lot more difficult.
Gel polish is just one of many “nail enhancements” that you can get. A nail enhancement is essentially anything put on your nails that is not regular polish. Gel polish is the easiest of the bunch to remove. If you have dip powder, acrylic, or any kind of hard gel (aka builder gel, strengthening gel, structure gel) we recommend getting it professionally removed. It’s going to be a lot harder to get off, due to the level of adherence (if it stays on longer, it’s harder to get off) and the thickness.
2. Never, never, never, never, never, peel off your gel.
Or any nail enhancement for that matter. We know it’s tempting, but it’s the single most damaging thing you can do to your nails. When you peel off an enhancement product, it can take layers of your actual nail with it. Not only does this cause weakness and thinning, it can keep your next application from lasting. Peeling will likely leave behind an uneven surface, rather than the strong sollid foundation needed for a lasting application. Hey! Never.
Photo courtesy of OPI UK
The Recipe for at Home Gel Polish Removal
You will need:
Pure acetone
Make sure you read the ingredients, as sometimes it will say acetone on the product but it's not actually 100% acetone. Walgreens has been known to carry pure acetone in a handy pump bottle. Sally Beauty is another great option, and when in doubt, Amazon.
Tin foil
Nothing special, just the regular foil you keep in the house. Cut squares to be about 3” X 4”, one for every finger.
Cotton balls
*Life hack alert: instead of cotton and foil, you can buy a premade combination. These, may come with a metal removal tool. We still recommend the wood stick instead.
An orange wood stick
A nail file
A buffer block (an orange buffer will offer the roughness you need)
A towel you aren’t too attached to, or some paper towel to lay down and protect your home’s surfaces. Assume you may spill some acetone and act accordingly.
Some plastic mittens or gloves, if you want to get really serious, but not necessary.
Steps to remove:
1. File all the shine off of the surface of your nails using a nail file. This is to break the seal and allow the acetone to penetrate all the layers of gel polish.
2. Soak a piece of cotton (just enough cotton to cover the surface of the nail, there is such a thing as too much cotton) and place it on the nail. Using a square of tin foil, wrap the nail with a tight seal. It helps to have a friend do your non- dominant hand for you. Repeat for each nail.
3. If you’re extra and you bought the plastic mittens, put them on now. The less air that gets near the nails while soaking, the better. You could also fold a towel over your hands, or skip it and move on to the next step.
4. Hold your hands still, palms down on a table top and let them soak. If you're moving around and doing things the cotton may become misplaced.
5. Soak for at least 10 minutes.
6. Unwrap each nail ONE AT A TIME and begin firmly pushing the gel polish off with a wood stick. If it doesn't dislodge easily, add more acetone and soak in increments of 5 minutes more, until it does. We unwrap one at time because the product will reharden fairly quickly when exposed to air.
7. If you are still seeing remnants of clear base coat, buff the surface of your nail gently with a buffer block.
Pro Tip: Acetone is safe to use on your nails periodically but it’s very drying. Add some moisture back by applying some cuticle oil.
Still Having Trouble?
Here's a great video option to walk you through the process:
Gel Damaged My Nails
This is a refrain we hear often here at Luster Nail Parlour. But we believe that as long as the nails are prepped carefully, the product is applied correctly (according to the manufacturer’s instructions), and most importantly if the product is removed correctly, you should be able to safely continue to get gel polish for as long as you like.
Does all of this sound like a bit much to do on your own? Maybe DIY isn’t for you in this arena. If your adventures in home nail care have been short-lived, not to worry. You can always book a removal with us and try diamond painting instead.