Even though the nails are considered dead skin cells, most women want to keep them looking alive by getting a manicure or a pedicure. After all, they are still part of the body and if they are ugly, your whole appearance could be affected.However, you would also agree that once the nail polish starts to chip off, you can say goodbye to beautiful nails and say hello to embarrassing nails. The concerns of many women regarding chipping nail polishes and cracking nails made way for the rise of gel nails.
Before we talk about how to remove gel nail polish at home, we would love to introduce what the gel nail is.
What is gel nail?
Source: Gel Nail Polish
Gel nail is a term used to describe nails that are painted through the gel nail polish procedure. Getting a gel manicure is a more advanced way of getting your nails done. It’s more than just painting the nails with your favorite nail polish color. It’s more of applying technology to make sure you will reap the benefits of a longer lasting nail color.
- The gel polish technology makes use of UV rays after the application of the nail polish and this makes the polish stick well to the nails for a longer period of time.
- This UV ray technology allows the nail polish to dry completely and instantly without waiting for minutes.
- It’s a totally smudge-free, chip-free and fading free procedure even if you wash the dishes afterwards.
- It can be a very cost-worthy process. You only have to spend big one time and then you can reap the benefits for a long time. This is contrary to traditional manicure wherein, you are likely to spend from time to time trying to replace your nail polish that chip off or wear out quickly.
- This procedure can make your nails look really good as it would look glossier than what you can achieve with traditional manicure.
However, it is true that there is no perfect procedure for manicure. The first concern with regards to gel nail polish is its cost. This procedure is way too expensive than the traditional manicure. And that is not unusual, what with the UV ray technology used.
Another disadvantage with this procedure is the use of the UV ray technology itself. While this technology is the core of this procedure, exposing your skin to UV rays can be harmful. Remember that we use sunblock when sunbathing because we know we will be exposing our skin to the harmful UV rays of the sun and getting gel manicure is just the same story. You may also be harming your skin.
But the most significant disadvantage with gel manicure is the fact that compared to traditional manicure, this is a lot more difficult to remove. Yes, you won’t be needing to remove them due to chipping but as your nail grows, you would see the polish shrinking, looking as if it is actually chipping away and you would need to remove it.
This is not an easy process because you cannot just remove it the way you remove traditional nail polish using ordinary acetone. Sometimes, you may need to visit the salon again if you don’t know how to remove it.
Luckily, there is a way by which you can actually remove gel nail polish without having to visit the salon for help. You can conduct the gel polish removal process at the comfort of your own home.
How to Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home?
Preparation
source: prepare the materials
This is where you prepare the materials you will need to remove gel nails at home. The materials you will need are aluminum foil, acetone, nail file, nail buffer, cotton balls, and an orange stick.
After you have prepared the materials, you will now prepare your nails by scuffing the surface with a nail file. This is to make sure the acetone will penetrate deeply.
Finally, you will need to prepare your acetone by pouring a significant amount onto a small bowl.
Soaking
source: press on foil
First, soak the cotton balls onto the bowl of acetone. Next, start placing the soaked cotton balls onto your fingers. To help the cotton balls stick well onto your fingernails, you may need to use the aluminum foil. Wrap the foil onto the soaked cotton ball on your fingers. Do the same with your other fingers until all of them are soaked and wrapped.
The point here is to thoroughly soak your fingernails with acetone. It may not be advisable for you to soak the whole hand onto acetone and this is the best way to do it.
As a tip, you may need to refrain from using the cheaper traditional acetones. Instead, use the best gel nail polish remover as it will be more effective in loosening the gel nail.
Scraping
source: remove the gel nail
This is the step where you start slowly removing the gel nail from your fingernails. The best way to do this is to slide them off from your fingers. Now, use the orange stick to scrape or loosen the nail. Usually, when the nail is soaked well with acetone, it should come off very easily and quickly. But, if it doesn’t, you may need to try the soaking process once again until the gel nail comes off without effort.
Never attempt to chip the gel nails or scrape them off as it will only ruin your fingernails.
After these three steps are done, simply wash your hands, buff it using a nail buffer and moisturize it with lotion or a hand cream.
Following the steps on how to remove gel nail polish at home can help you manage your gel manicure well and alleviate the difficulty of removing them when the need arises. But you should also take note that, you don’t need nail colors to enhance the appearance of your nails. You can simply wash them with mild soap and water regularly.
