How to remove gel nail polish at home. Follow this step by step guide to discover the easiest way to remove your gel nail polish at home, without having to use foil or acetone.
If your gel nail polish is looking past its best and you want to avoid having to make an appointment at a nail salon, then you are in the right place! Follow these simple steps and in 30 minutes or less you will have polish free nails.
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Benefits of using this method:
- Cheaper than having gel polish removed at a nail salon
- Quicker than using acetone and foils
- Less waste created, no need for cotton wool or foil
- You are in control of the pressure when using the scraping tool
- You can do this from the comfort of your home
I recommend using this gel nail polish remover set, which can be found on Amazon. The set I purchased came with a scraping tool and a nail file with a buffer on one of the sides.
How long does it take to remove gel nail polish at home?
I don’t get my nails done very often, but I do like to get gel nails professionally applied for Christmas and other special occasions. After just over two weeks my Christmas nails started to look a bit scruffy and I had started to pick at the edges of a couple of them (which I know you’re not supposed to do, oops!).
In the past I have tried to remove gel nail polish at home by soaking my nails in acetone, which I applied using cotton wool and aluminium foil to secure it in place. I found the process lengthy though and it left my nails feeling quite sensitive and weak afterwards.
A friend of mine recommended that I try this gel nail polish remover and I was really impressed with how well it worked. So I decided to time how long the process took to remove my Christmas gel nail polish using this alternative method.
In less than 30 minutes I had managed to remove pretty much all of the gel nail polish. This included being interrupted by my kids quite a few times and trying to take photos along the way, which slowed the process down. I took photos of my hand next to my phone, so you can see how much time had elapsed between each stage.
Within 40 minutes I had managed to completely tidy up my nails and get them looking polish free and back to normal.
Step 1 – Gather your tools
You will need:
- Gel nail polish remover
- Nail file
- Scraping tool (ideally one with a triangle shape end)
- Flannel or towel to catch the bits of nail polish
Step 2 – File the top coat
Place down a flannel or towel to work on to protect any surfaces and make it easier to clean up afterwards.
Use a nail file to scratch the surface of your gel nail polish, breaking the top coat, so the remover gel can be more easily absorbed.
Step 3 – Apply the gel remover
Once you have filed your nails, apply the remover gel on top of the nail polish. Try to avoid getting it on your skin. Leave it to work for about 5 minutes.
The polish will start to blister and lift off of your nail. This can feel a little bit strange, like a tightening sensation, but it doesn’t hurt. If it does start to hurt then wash it off immediately.
Step 4 – Scrape off the polish
Use the triangle end of the scraping tool to pull away at the loose nail polish. Some sections might be a bit tougher to remove, so you may have to apply a bit more pressure. Try to be as gentle as you can be though, so as not to damage your nail underneath.
I found that I needed to apply more gel remover on to the tips of my nails, wait a few minutes and then continue to scrape off the remaining polish.
Step 5 – Tidy up your nails
Once you have scraped off all of the nail polish, wash and dry your hands. If any small bits of nail polish remain then you can use your nail file to gently lift these off.
I then used the buffer side of my nail file to smooth off the surface of my nails.
I applied some coconut oil to my hands and nails to moisturise them and I pushed back my cuticles using a silicone orange stick.
Some articles recommend applying cuticle oil at this stage, which you can do if you have some to hand. I found coconut oil worked well enough though.
After removing gel nail polish that has been on for a couple of weeks I like to let the air get to my nails so they can harden off again, before applying any more nail polish. If you want to apply a thin coat of strengthening nail polish to finish off the process though then that’s good too.
Gather up your flannel or towel that you’ve been working and dust the flakes of nail polish into the bin/trash and then you’re all done!
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