How to Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home

Last Updated on April 9, 2022 by Ellen Christian

Are you wondering how to remove gel nail polish when you can’t get back to the salon? I know it’s been a crazy few weeks here. And, I am not going out anywhere near as often as I usually do.

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Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home

So, if you’re wondering how to remove gel polish, it’s not as difficult as you think. No, it won’t come off with nail polish remover like your regular polish does. But, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be removed.

How long do gel nails last?

Gel nails usually last for several weeks. The problem isn’t that they chip off like traditional nail polish. The problem is that as your nails grow, you will have a strip of new nail that doesn’t have any polish on it. So, how long they last really depends on how quickly your nails grow.

How to remove gel nails

In order to remove gel nail polish at home, you will need acetone and cotton balls. First, you will need to very gently buff the shine off your gel nails. You can do this easily with a nail file. You don’t need to be too vigorous. Just try to get the shine off the top.

Then, simply soak a cotton ball in the acetone and place it on your nail. You can wrap your nails with tin foil to get the cotton balls to stay on the nails. You will need to let your nails soak in the acetone for 10 to 15 minutes.

Then, remove the foil and the cotton balls and wipe off any remaining polish.

How to remove gel nail polish without foil

So, the foil is only used to hold the cotton ball that’s soaked in acetone on your nails. You don’t absolutely have to have foil to use it. It’ just makes it easier. You can try wrapping masking tape around your nail. Or, you can simply hold the cotton ball on your nail. This method will take longer, but it’s possible.

How to remove gel nail polish without acetone

The only way that I know of to remove gel nail polish at home without acetone is by peeling it off. This is very damaging to your nail and definitely not recommended. You don’t want to destroy your nails simply because you don’t like the way the polish looks as your nails grow.

Instead, try trimming your nails and allowing your nails to grow out naturally. As your nails grow, less and less of the gel nail polish will show.

Gel nail polish and acetone can be very damaging to your nails. It’s important that you regularly condition your nails to be sure they don’t become brittle and crack or split. You can use cuticle oil or something like argan oil if you prefer. Be sure to add that into your nail polish routine.

Now that you know how to take off gel nails, have you ever thought about making your own nail polish?