How to remove gel polish yourself and not lose your nails

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Detailed instructions will help you get it right.

How to remove gel polish

Some gels-varnishes begin to flake off near the cuticle after a few days. Usually the problem is either in the varnish itself, or in the fact that the master did not degrease the nails sufficiently before applying the coating. You want to rip off that shiny record, but you can't.

The gel penetrates into all the irregularities of the nail plate, so that by tearing it off, you can turn a small scratch into a full-fledged crack. A crack at the base of a nail is a very unpleasant thing. It is painful, very ugly and simply unhealthy. And a healthy nail grows back for ages.

Therefore, as much as you would like, do not tear off the varnish.

An exception is not completely dried gel. It is permissible to calmly peel it off and wash off the remnants with acetone. How to understand that the varnish is underdried? It's simple: the nails smell unpleasant, they stick to everything, the varnish is smeared. You need to get rid of this as soon as possible, because varnish can get into food or stain clothes.

You should also not wear the cover for too long. Due to the overgrown gel-varnish, the center of gravity shifts to the edge of the nail plate, so the nail can be broken.

How to remove gel polish using acetone and foil

An inexpensive way for those who do not want or cannot purchase special devices. However, keep in mind that it can damage your nails. So it is worth resorting to this method only as a last resort.

What do you need

• Cotton pads;
• scissors;
• nail file;
• petroleum jelly or fatty cream;
• nail polish remover with acetone;
• foil;
• buff for nails.

How to remove gel polish

Cut out triangular blanks from cotton pads that follow the shape of the nails so that the acetone is less in contact with the skin. If the discs are double-layer, divide the triangles in half.

File off as much varnish as possible with a nail file. This will make it easier for acetone to penetrate into the gel, and the duration of the procedure will be reduced.

To protect the skin around the nail from acetone, lubricate it with petroleum jelly or greasy cream.

Soak the cotton blanks well with nail polish remover (you can take it without acetone, but the effect will be worse), attach them to your nails and wrap them with foil on top - this way the active ingredient will not evaporate.

Wait 15-20 minutes, occasionally massaging your fingertips to speed up the process. When the time is up, peel off the foil and cotton wool from your fingers. If the varnish does not come off with the disc, gently scrape it off with an orange stick.

After that, grind the plates with a buff - a special file in the form of a rectangular bar. This is done to keep the nails smooth.

Here's the whole process:

Be aware that the coating may be difficult to remove with a stick. Therefore, before the buff, you will have to use a hard file to remove the excess. Because of this, there is a high probability of sawing off the top layer strongly, and then the nail plate will become thin and weak.

Linda Zhuravleva Author of Lifehacker.

I really do not like to remove the coating at home and am always ready to pay a few extra hundred rubles for it in the salon, but not so long ago I still had to “remove my nails” myself.

I didn't cut off the nail polish very well before the procedure, and then I forgot to spread the cream on my skin. As a result, the problems began when pieces of cotton pads soaked in nail polish remover were on the hands: it became unpleasant to pinch sensitive skin because of acetone. But I dutifully endured the prescribed 15 minutes.

The coating proved to be very durable and I had to sweat a lot before I finally took it off. The result was upsetting: the nails looked thin, weak, bent at the slightest pressure (apparently, I overdid it when polishing with a buff). To complete the picture, the skin around the nails burned, it hurt, it even peeled off.

After a while, everything returned to normal. And yet, with this method, you need to be careful. Before the procedure, carefully file off the varnish with a nail file and lubricate the skin around the nails with petroleum jelly. And after removing, try not to rub the surface of the nail with a buff as hard as I did - nothing good will come of it.

How to remove gel polish with a special apparatus

A safer, faster and more gentle method for nails and skin than soaking with acetone. But you have to acquire a special device and experience with it.

You can also use nail files of different hardness, but it will take longer and you will have to work very hard to clean the areas near the cuticle. Plus there is a risk of severely rubbing the skin.

What do you need

Nail polish remover

How to remove gel polish

Gel polish removers are like small drills or grinders. On AliExpress, you can buy both expensive professional models and simpler ones. For home use, a cheap device is enough: you are unlikely to remove the gel every two days.

Usually, several attachments are attached to the device: from the harder ceramic or metal ones to those similar to dense cotton wool. With hard nozzles, you need to remove the main part of the gel, and use soft nozzles for working next to the cuticle, removing varnish residues and polishing the nail.

Before you remove the polish, practice what you don't mind ruining - false nails or a piece of plastic. So you will understand at what angle it is more convenient to work.

When you are confident in your abilities, move on to your own nails. All that is needed is to gradually, layer by layer, cut off the gel from each nail, placing the cutter horizontally. At the same time, keep your elbows on the table so that your hand does not flinch.

Move as smoothly as possible from the cuticle to the edge. Try to keep the pressure as even as possible. But don't press too hard on your nail to avoid damaging it. Just gently iron the rotating nozzle until the polish is rubbed off.

When removing varnish with your non-working hand (for example, with your left hand for right-handers), you need to switch the cutter to reverse mode, that is, twisting in the opposite direction. This is necessary so as not to damage the nail plate. If your appliance does not have a reverse function, turn your hand with your fingers upward.

The process of removing the gel polish with the apparatus is shown in great detail in this video:

How to remove gel polish with special wipes

Such wipes are easy to find in cosmetic stores or on the Internet, and then carry with you and use, including for removing ordinary varnishes. True, gel polish is not always removed on the first try and there is a risk of dry nails.

You will need

• Nail wipes;
• nail file;
• fatty cream or petroleum jelly;
• orange stick.

How to remove gel polish

Each pack contains several individual sachets, each containing a lint-free cloth soaked in acetone. The inside of the bag is made of a material that resembles ordinary foil.

First, file off the top layer of the gel. Apply a greasy cream to the skin around your nails. Cut off one edge of the bag, slide it over your finger and press down gently to keep it from coming off. Wrap all your nails the same way.

Wait 10-15 minutes and remove the varnish with an orange stick. If some areas do not lend themselves, remove them with a file. Alternatively, soak your nails with fresh wipes.

What to do after removing the gel polish

After removing the gel polish, the nails can look just awful, because there is a great chance of drying them out. Don't be alarmed, just apply a special nail oil on your nails and cuticles. You can find this in any cosmetic store.

If it is not at hand, the usual one will do. The effect will not be as noticeable, but a couple of repetitions - and the nails will be almost as good as new.

How to make it easier to remove gel polish

Use oil

The less oil in the nails, the longer the gel lasts. Therefore, before applying the varnish, the nails are treated with a special drying agent. If you skip this step or act more radically and apply oil to your nails half an hour before the manicure, the gel will be removed much faster and easier. True, a manicure can deteriorate at the most inopportune moment.

Use a dedicated base

It will be even easier to remove the gel polish if you treat your nails with a Peel Off Base Coat before applying it (in Russian it translates as an exfoliating base coat). It will protect your nails and get rid of the acetone odor. But the gel will last less: after 2-3 days the varnish will begin to break off in large pieces. Especially after a hot shower.

If that doesn't bother you, apply a coat of base and wait for it to dry completely. Usually, it becomes transparent, but it is better to check the instructions on the package. Then you can apply gel polish.

To get rid of the colored coating, just pick it up with an orange stick. Depending on the quality of the base, the gel is removed either entirely or in large pieces.