How To Remove Gel Nail Polish Quickly:
If you’re good at planning ahead, grab yourself a removal kit when you initially get your gel nail polish done. That way, when you want to take it off at home, you’ll have a kit handy. They’re super easy to use, and they come with everything you need to remove the polish quickly and easily.
Red Carpet Manicure Red Carpet Gel Manicure Removal Kit
How To Use Gel Polish Removers
Soak Cottonballs In Nail Polish Remover
While acetone-free nail polish removers may work fine for regular polish, you should probably stick to the strong stuff when removing gel manicures. “I highly recommend an acetone-based remover because it will break down the product quicker,” says Nunez.
Fill a small dish with nail polish remover and soak 10 cotton balls . Cotton balls are also smaller and better fit your nail, which means less harsh acetone on your cuticles.
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Ways To Remove Gel Nail Polish Acrylic Nails At Home
For anyone who has trouble making a normal manicure last more than three days, discovering the magic of gel nails can be life changing. But the worst part about gel nails is that moment when you need to take them off and you just can’t.
The options are basically stab and scrape and peel your fingernails with various objects for what feels like hours or head back to the salon to pay someone else to take them off. With social distancing and self-quarantining for coronavirus, the latter isn’t even an option right now.
So, I tested three methods to see if there was a better way.
Why Its So Hard To Remove
While many nail polish brands may use the term gel, true gel nail polish involves applying a base coat followed by several thin layers of polish to give the nails a chosen color.
After each layer is applied its cured or hardened under either a light-emitting diode or an ultraviolet light, which sparks a chemical reaction that causes the polish to harden more than traditional polish. And its why another name for it is nail lacquer.
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How To Remove Gel Nail Polish On Acrylic Nails:
So, you’ve got some long, glamorous acrylic nails that you don’t want to mess up when you remove your gel polish at home? Don’t worry, I’ve got you.
You’re going to have to file off the nails yourself, and Nails By Anona from Youtube recommends a 150 grit file to get the job done. Start by filing around the the whole nail, constantly moving around. The acrylic underneath will start to show through as the gel polish begins to file off. Keep on going until all of the the polish is removed.
MAKARTT 150 Grit Nail File
Green Flash The First Clean Gel Nail Polish That Can Be Removed Like Ordinary Polish
97% bio-sourced and formulated without acetone, our Green Flash nail polish remover works quickly and gently. Its castor oil-enriched formula with its delicate floral fragrance moisturises and cares for your nails. Its child’s play!
Before you start removing your polish, make sure you read and follow the steps below. Never peel or scratch off your polish before removing it, as this risks removing the layers of keratin that protect the surface of your nail. Heres the procedure.
Step 1
Cut 10 pieces of cotton pad to fit your nails.
Step 2
Soak each cotton pad in our acetone-free nail polish remover.
Step 3
Apply a cotton pad to each nail and leave on for one minute, pressing down firmly. We’ll be launching a new accessory to help with this step very soon, so stay tuned!
Step 4
Rub gently from left to right, pulling towards the outer edge of the nail to avoid leaving residue on your cuticles.
Step 5
If any base coat residue remains, rub it off with a cotton pad soaked in Green Flash nail polish remover.
Finish off the removal process with some Green Oil to nourish the nail and nail contour. Et voilà! Changing color has never been easier
Watch a video of these steps by clicking here.
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How To Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Foil:
Maybe your mom has been cooking up a storm recently and she used up all the foil? No worries, there are ways to remove your gel nail polish without the silver paper.
While this method might be a little more difficult, desperate times calls for desperate measures. Start by grabbing two bowls, one a little bigger than the other. Fill the larger bowl with warm water and the smaller bowl with some acetone. Then, place the small bowl inside the bigger bowl and allow the acetone to warm up a little.
While the acetone is warming, buff your nails with a nail file to remove the sheen off the polish. Then, place a hand in the acetone. After 10 to 15 minutes, the polish will start to come loose. While your nails are in the solution, take a wooden stick or cuticle pusher and aid in loosening the polish until it’s completely removed. Them, repeat on your other hand.
When Is It Time To Remove Gel Polish
Before COVID-19 I would have suggested every two weeks, says Pinto. Now I would suggest people leave them on as long as they are looking healthy. A bit of regrowth at the cuticle is alright, but Id limit the manicure to one month to be safe. Should the polish chip or lift during those initial two weeks, Pinto recommends removing the gel immediately, since moisture and water can get trapped under the nail, leading to a possible infection. When you peel off your gel, even when you pry it off in entirety with a subway card, there is always a layer of the nail that goes with it, she says.
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Growing Your Nails Offers A Safe Alternative
Dr. Lipner says the best way to remove gel nail polish is to let your nails grow out. Clipping them once a week will remove the gel nail polish and help prevent the nails from catching on clothing and other objects. If you choose this option, you need to resist the urge to pick at your gel nail polish. Picking and scraping off the polish can damage your nails.
Letting your nails grow is a slow process. Dr. Lipner says, It takes about six months to grow out your fingernails. Toenails need 12 to 18 months to grow out.
To properly trim your nails, follow these tips from board-certified dermatologists: How to trim your nails.
Related AAD resources
Gently Buff Away The Remaining Polish
Gently being the key word here. Applying just a little pressure, use your cuticle stick or manicuring brush to scrape away the the remaining polish. If the polish isn’t sliding off with minimal pressure, that’s a sign that it needs more nail polish remover: Soak a fresh cotton ball, and wrap it up with aluminum foil for a few more minutes before nudging off the rest of the polish.
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How To Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Acetone
Dont have acetone? Thats no problem. Just soak your nails in warm water with a few drops of dish soap and a teaspoon of salt. According to the Ever After Guide, leave your hand submerged in the water for at least 20 minutes before peeling off the color. However, it is always recommended to moisturize after.
Secure Cotton Balls To Your Fingernails With Aluminum Foil
Place an acetone-soaked cotton ball on top of your nail, then wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around your nail to hold the cotton ball in place. Once all ten digits are wrapped up, sit back and relax for 15-20 minutes will the nail polish remover does its thing. Once you remove the foil, the nail polish should look like it’s fall off of your nail.
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Step #: Soak And Wrap
Take cotton balls or pads and saturate them with pure acetone. Save your regular nail polish remover for another occasion and break out the big guns for this one! Place the pads on your nails and then wrap them with aluminum foil. If you arent particularly dexterous, you may need someone to help you with your non-dominant hand.
Editors tip: If you dont have cotton pads you can use paper towels or napkins as an alternative. There are also premade foil kits available that include everything you need to get those gel nails off with ease.
How To Remove Oil Nail Gel Polish Without Damaging Your Nails
First things first, you’ll need to assemble the right tools for the job. Fortunately, these are all things you’ll probably have around the home already. If not, they can all be bought locally or online. We’ve included suggestions where relevant.
Oil nail and cuticle conditioner
Aluminium foil strips
Nail stick or tool
1. Start by filing the top coat of your nails. To do this, take a coarse nail file and gently file down the topcoat of gel polish on the nail.
Dont aim to remove all of the polish you just need to sand off the shine.
2. Next, coat your cuticles. You’ll need to protect your 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 Onsen Cuticle Cream, Cuticle Oil to protect your nails.
3. With that done, you can soak the cotton balls in acetone. Simply place cotton balls in a small bowl and pour acetone on top of each ball until they are soaked. Most salons tend to use cotton balls as theyre 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.
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The Miracle Gel Conclusion
For Mollee n Amanda n me, Sally Hansen Miracle Gel is exceptional . We simply dont get wear like that from regular polish that removes with a swipe of acetone. I dont know how else to tell you that I think this stuff is magic in a bottle. From my experience, as long as this stuff goes well with your nail chemistry, youre going to get unparalleled wear. Who doesnt want unparalleled wear? I know I do!
Oh Officially, from Sally Hansen: The advanced Color Coat and Top Coat formulas contain an oligomer, and the Top Coat also contains a photoinitiator. The photoinitiator in the Top Coat formula reticulates with the oligomer contained in the Color Coat, thus curing the formula without the need of an LED/UV light. As the manicure cures over time, it becomes more durable due to the increased hardness of the film. So LED/UV lamp curing is not necessary, only natural light. I dunno what that means but I do know it works real good.
If youve got questions or comments, you know we wanna hear em, so fire away! And dont forget weve got full-sized images of all the bajillion swatches here in our picture heavy Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Swatch Postand there are more here in the Spring/Summer 2016 Swatch & Review Post.
In Canada, Sally Hansen Miracle Gel will be available nationwide at mass retailers n drug stores August 2014. In the US, its rolling out now. G over at Nouveau Cheap has had a Walgreens sighting! Its also readily available at .
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Gel Nail Polish Removal Tips
If you’d like to avoid doing this removal process, you can simply let your nails grow out. You can cut the gel off as it grows above your nail bed when you would normally clip your nails. However, this process can take up to six months for fingernails and up to 18 months for the more slowly growing toenails.
Don’t use an orange stick. These are small wooden sticks that nail technicians often use to push gel nail polish off. However, they can damage your nails and leave spots on them.
Continued
You may also be tempted to file the gel off or to use a dremel tool to sand it down. However, these tools can damage nails, especially when used by people who are not professional nail technicians.
Keep in mind that the longer your gel has been on your nail, the harder it will be to take off. Certain additions to your gel nail look, like glitter, may also make it harder to take off.
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What Is Gel Nail Polish
Before we go into removing gel nail polish on acrylic nails, it is important to understand what gel nail polish is and what its made of. Youll also need to understand the difference between gel nail polish and regular nail polish.
Gel nail polish often has ingredients such as Formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate , which are known carcinogens. To keep your nails, fingers, and the rest of your body safe, you may want to avoid these carcinogens. Luckily, manufacturers today make many gel nail polishes without these three ingredients.
There are also key differences between standard nail polish and gel nail polish, such as:
- Gel polishes have stronger ingredients to hold the nail more tightly.
- Gel polishes are less likely to chip.
- Gel polish is more flexible than standard nail polish.
- A UV or LED lamp can dry gel nail polish while regular polish can dry in oxygen.
How To Remove Gel Nail Polish At Home: 4 Easy Ways
We may earn a commission from links on our website, but this doesn’t influence the opinions of our editors.
The longevity of gel nail polish is both a blessing and a curse. An amazing substitute for regular nail polish, a gel manicure can last two weeks and longer. You dont have to deal with those annoying nail polish chips or broken tips. Life gets busy though, and we dont always have the means to go get our gel polish removed at the salon.
But, dont despair. Were here to guide you through how to remove your gel nail polish on your own. Though its tempting to simply pick the polish off, this can severely damage your nail bed. Instead, well teach you how to remove gel nail polish safely and effectively at home. Lets get started.
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Safe Easy To Use Gel Manicure At Home
ACETONE REMOVER INGREDIENTS: ACETONE,AQUA/WATER/EAU, METHYL SOYATE, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE,LIMONENE, PARFUM/ FRAGRANCE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, VITISVINIFERA SEED OIL, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT,PROPYLENE GLYCOL, ISOPROPYL PALMITATE, MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA EXTRACT.WARNING: Do not apply to damaged or infectednails. Avoid eye and skin contact. In case ofcontact, rinse with water if irritation occurs,consult a physician. If swallowed, seek medicalattention. Use with adequate ventilation.KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
Bonus: A Few Products To Make Your Life Easier Next Time
The process of removing gel nail polish isnt exactly the hardest thing in the world, but hey, sometimes you want to streamline the whole ordeal even more. There are sets with everything you need to take off your gels, as well as handy products to troubleshoot some of the more annoying parts of the process. Below, find our recommendations for taking your gel removal to the next level.
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Gently Remove The Polish
Remove the foil and lift up the cotton balls to see whats going on with your nails. Some of the layers should be lifted at this point, but you can almost guarantee that there will be some polish left, hanging on for dear life.
If you cant rub the polish off with the acetone-soaked cotton balls, then you can grab a cuticle stick or pusher and use it to gently lift the gel layer off.
If the gel isnt budging, we recommend soaking your nails again. Another 5-10 minutes should do the trick. Whatever you do, just resist the urge to peel and pick .
Keep Reading: The top nail polish myths debunked
Beauty Trendshow To Remove Gel Nail Polish
By now, youve probably become pretty adept at how to tackle a slew of at-home beauty processes, including how to color your own hair and how to groom your own brows. But when it comes to your nails, you may have shied away from taking care into your own hands. So what do you do when you want to switch up your mani or simply take your current nails off and you cant get to the salon? Well, fortunately, when it comes to how to remove gel nail polish, youve got options. Sure gel nails are meant to last, but nothing is made to last forever. Much like removing acrylic nails, it can be a bit of a process! But with the right tools you can get that gel nail polish off correctly. So, were breaking down how to remove gel nail polish below, but first, lets talk about what not to do.
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