Whether the polish is starting to chip or you’re sick of the color, sometimes you must get rid of your manicure. But if you got gel nails, taking it off is a little more intensive than wiping with some remover and a cotton ball.
According to Saren Thach, a nail tech and co-owner at Philly Nail Company, this is because gel polishes contain photoinitiators and other ingredients that go through a chemical reaction called polymerization when exposed to LED lights. Ann Nguyen, a nail tech and owner of Top Coat Nail Studio in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, called this process “curing,” noting that as the polish hardens to a solid gel under LED lights, it becomes harder to take off, which is why it chips less than regular manis.
Getting your nails professionally redone is always an option, but Thach and Nguyen said it is possible to safely remove a gel manicure at home. They both recommend ensuring you have all the right tools and trying to be patient and gentle in the process, though. You may have to repeat some of the steps mentioned below so you don’t force or pry the polish off, potentially hurting your nails in the process.
To help you on your DIY nail journey, Thach, Nguyen and other nail techs broke down how to take off a gel mani and everything you need in the process.
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"Soak a cotton ball in acetone and place it directly on the nail. Then, wrap the nail with a small square (4x4) of aluminum foil to hold the cotton ball in place and sit for 15-30 minutes," McElhone suggested. To speed up the process, she suggested putting a hot towel over your fingers.
All three techs said that this is the step for which you want to be the most patient. After the first 15-30 minutes, they suggest pressing down, sliding the cotton ball and foil off and checking to see if you need to rewrap your nails. If there's still a lot of polish, or if it doesn't seem to be easily flaking off, you'll want to re-wrap. (Note that while acetone is safe to use at home, you should keep it out of reach of pets and children and be careful not to spill or ingest it.)