Gel Manicure Removal: The Gel-Off Method

1. If you have gel nails, start by filing the top layer off with a 240-grit nail file. The goal is to break through the shiny, hard top layer and get down to the softer gel underneath. Try not to apply too much pressure or dig into the natural nail.

2. Once you’ve filed off all of the top coat, soak a cotton pad in pure acetone nail polish remover and place it over your nails with foil wrapped around your fingertips. Make sure there won’t be any air bubbles between your nail and the cotton pad.

3. Leave each finger wrapped in foil for 15-30 minutes, then peel it off one at a time, starting with your pinky finger. If any product is left on your nail after peeling off the foil, use an orange stick or cuticle pusher to push it off towards the free edge of your nail bed and peel/scrape it away with your fingers. Do not dig into the nails–you don’t want to break them!

4. Once all of the gel has been removed from the surface of your nails, apply cuticle oil and gently push back cuticles with an orange stick or cuticle

Today, I tried yet another method of removing my gel nails (I have a problem). This time, I used the “Gel-Off” removal kit that is sold at Sally Beauty Supply. The kit contains acetone, 100 grit nail file, aluminum foil and cuticle stick.

Luckily for me, I had extra aluminum foil from the other night when I made the world’s best pulled pork. Anyways, here is what you do:

1.Cut off the top layer of your gel nails with a 100 grit nail file.

2.Soak a small square piece of cotton in acetone. Place this cotton square over your finger tip and wrap it tightly with aluminum foil so that no air can get in or out.

3.Wait about 10 minutes and then remove the aluminum foil and cotton square. Your gel should be ready to come right off! If not, re-wrap the nail and check back in a few minutes.

4.Once all of your gel has been removed, use your cuticle stick to push back your cuticles and make sure that there are no rough edges left on your nails.

5.Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, I got a full set of gel nails. They looked great, but I didn’t love them. I have short, stubby fingers and the gel nails made my fingers look even shorter, especially when they started to grow out.

I wanted to take them off at home to save money and because it seemed like it would be easy. It wasn’t easy.

After spending an hour and a half trying everything under the sun — nail polish remover, coconut oil, hot water — I gave up.

My next step was finding the best way to remove them professionally. I went on Yelp and found two nail salons close by that were highly rated. The first one couldn’t get me in for three days, so I went with the second one: Nail Trix in New York City’s West Village.

At Nail Trix, the manicurist told me that she has customers who come in all of the time with destroyed nails from removing their own gel manicures at home using coconut oil or nail polish remover.

She said she always used a solution called Gel-Off, which is an acetone based product that can be purchased online for about $10 for a 4-ounce bottle.

If you’re a lady who enjoys the occasional manicure and pedicure, you might be wondering what the best gel polish remover is. You’ve probably heard of gel nails, where nail technicians cure your nails under a UV lamp to create a strong, long-lasting nail polish. After two or three weeks, your nails look in need of removal and you start looking into how to remove gel nails at home.

There are plenty of videos online that show how to remove gel nails without damaging your nails with acetone or other harsh chemicals. One method includes soaking your hands in aluminum foil filled with cotton balls soaked in acetone. Another method involves using a UV lamp to heat up the gel polish and make it easier to scrape off.

One thing that’s common between all these methods is that they require time and patience. While some are faster than others, none of them are “quick fixes.” So if you’re looking for the quickest way possible, try our newest product: Gel-Off!

This miracle cream takes off all your acrylics, gels, and even most glitter polishes in about ten minutes flat. The reason it works so quickly is because it has a special chemical formula that breaks down the bond between acrylics and natural nails. This means

Step 1.First, remove the shine from your gel nails with a buffer or a file. I used a file to do this but if you want to use a buffer then make sure you get one that is coarse and doesn’t have any shine to it. Using a buffer will make this process go faster but it has been said that filing your gel nails first can help lengthen the life of the gel polish. In my experience, I have had gels last longer after filing them so I usually skip buffing my nails when removing gel nails.

Step 2.Next, using 100% acetone and cotton balls (or pads) soak each finger in acetone for 8-10 minutes. You can also buy foil wraps made for removing gel nails like these but I find cotton balls work just fine and cost less.

Step 3.Once you have soaked your fingers for 8-10 minutes, check to see if your gel polish has started to soften or “melt”. If it has you should be able to gently push off most of the polish with your fingernails or an orange stick (a cuticle pusher) without damaging the nail underneath. If you are having trouble getting the polish off or if the polish still isn’t softening up then repeat step

Step 1: You need to gather all the tools you will need for this process. The things you will need are: 100% acetone, cotton balls, aluminum foil, a cuticle pusher or any nail tool with a flat edge, an orange wood stick, petroleum jelly, and nail files.

Step 2: Put some petroleum jelly around your cuticles. This is so the acetone doesn’t dry out your skin.

Step 3: Pour acetone in a bowl or any container big enough for your fingers to fit in. This is where you will soak your nails in acetone for about 10-20 minutes. Once the time is up, take one finger out at a time. With your cuticle pusher gently push off the gel polish from your nail until it is completely removed from all ten fingers.

Step 4: File down your nails until they are smooth. This is because sometimes there is still some gel that needs to be removed and filing it off is an easy way to do so without having to soak them again.

Step 5: Buff down your nails and apply hand cream to moisturize your hands after using the acetone which can dry out the skin on your hands and around the nails.

1. Soak cotton balls in acetone remover and place on top of your nails, then wrap each nail in foil.

2. Get some rest. The longer the acetone soaks into your nails, the better. If you have gel nails that are extremely thick, it’s best to remove them overnight.

3. Gently push the skin back on your cuticles and use an orange stick or a cuticle pusher to scrape off the softened gel.

4. Use a buffer to smooth out the rough surface of your nails after removing all of them.

5. Shape your nails with a nail file and apply cuticle oil to keep them moisturized before applying new polish.[1]