It has been a long day at work. You’ve been battling to meet deadlines, attend conferences, and deal with people who aren’t exactly your favorite. What a better way to de-stress than to get your nails done? Sitting back and relaxing, while your nails look aesthetically pleasing in a pastel blue shade by the end of it – sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Now let’s fast forward to about two weeks later, when the gel starts to chip off. From personal experience, I know that you wouldn’t want to waste a trip to the salon just to get the polish removed. Have no fear, for I am here to tell you how to safely remove gel polish right in the comfort of your own home.

The Different Methods Of Removing A Gel Manicure

The Foil Method

This method involves covering your nails with a cotton ball soaked with acetone and putting a foil over it. This is the safest method and the most popular one as well. If you’ve ever been to a salon to get it removed, you would notice that they do the same thing!

You Will Need

• 10-15 cotton balls
• 10-15 strips of aluminum foils (big enough to wrap around your fingers)
• Pure acetone
• Gritty nail file
• Orange stick
• Petroleum jelly

Step One

The first thing you have to do is remove the top shiny coat, which is what keeps the paint from chipping. You have a better chance of removing the polish once this layer is gone. Grab a gritty nail file and buff away the top coat. You should have nails that look nearly matte and rough. Do not file beyond the top coat as you may come too close to your actual nail and damage it.

Step Two

Apply petroleum jelly to the skin around the nails. This helps to protect the skin from the strong acetone.

Step Three

Douse a cotton ball in acetone, and be generous about it! This is what will help the gel polish to flake off. Make sure that the acetone is 100% pure, as it is the most effective. Place the cotton ball over the nail completely.

Step Four

Wrap the cut pieces of aluminum foil over the cotton balls. The foil will help to keep the acetone from evaporating, and will soak into the gel polish. Now you must wait for about 30 minutes. Yes, it is a time-consuming process, but hey, you got to enjoy your gel manicure for two weeks, didn’t you? Be patient and relax or watch a movie during this time.

Step Five

After 30 minutes, check to see if the polish is flaking off. You can use either an orange stick or your nail to check. Slightly start pushing at the end of the polish. In case you find that some areas aren’t flaking off, soak it again for an additional 10 minutes. This should be enough time for the polish to come off.

Step Six

Clean away any leftover polish and wash your hands with soap to get rid of the acetone on your fingers. Trust me, you do not want to walk around like that, lest you wanna catch fire! Acetone is highly inflammable so make sure to store it away in a cool and dry place. After this process is complete, apply a nail oil or cream to protect the nail, as it may look dry.

The Soaking Method

This method takes a longer time and is not as preferable, as it involves directly soaking your fingers in acetone. It still works the same and you do not need the foils or the cotton balls.

You Will Need

• One large bowl
• One medium bowl
• Pure Acetone
• Gritty Nail File
• Orange Stick
• Petroleum Jelly

Step One

Fill the bigger bowl with warm water. Ensure that it is only warm and not hot. Keep the acetone away from extreme heat as it is highly inflammable. Pour the acetone into the medium and place it into the bigger bowl to achieve a double boiler effect, and leave it for 3-5 minutes.

Step Two

In the meantime, much like the previous method, you must buff away the top coat layer with a gritty nail file. Once you are done, it should look matte. Coat the skin around the nails in petroleum jelly to protect the skin.

Step Three

Place your fingers in the warm acetone, and soak them for about 10-15 minutes or till the polish begins to flake off.

Step Four

Use an orange stick or your nails to push at the edge of the flaking polish. It should easily come off. If it is still stubborn, you may soak them for a while longer.

Step Five

Clean up any leftover polish and wash your hands with soap to completely remove the acetone on your fingers. Your nails will probably look and feel dry at this point, so make sure to use nail cream and cuticle oil.

There you go! Two sure shot methods to safely remove a gel manicure. Now, you no longer have to break your schedule, waste time and money, and go all the way to the salon to get the gel polish removed. Okay, now I’m going to go and schedule a gel manicure for myself, and so should you!

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by Komal Kaviliga via STYLECRAZE