Homecare: Gel Removal
This is probably a bit late coming, but if you have gel, acrylic, or dip on your nails, I want to let you know how to safely remove it. There are some questions to ask yourself when deciding how to remove your enhancement:
Which product is on my nails?
What tools do I have access to?
If you have CND Shellac, and you know that for certain, please see the CND video below. You will want:
an acetone based remover, ideally CND Offly Fast
foil or nail wraps
cotton balls or similar
an orange wood stick or rubber pusher
cuticle oil
hand lotion
Work one nail at a time. If you unwrap a nail, it will start to harden again, so don’t just let them sit. If you are doing your own, you may want to do one hand at a time to make it more manageable. Watch for the flaking as seen in this video. If you don’t find it flaking, try another five minutes. If that doesn’t do it, see below.
For any other enhancement, you will need the same items as above, plus a nail file, ideally in 100-180 grit. If you are wearing Bio Sculpture Gel or any other soakable gel polish, you will need to file through the top coat before wrapping and soaking as you would Shellac. You will also need to wait longer for the nail to soak; I recommend 15-20 minutes. Check on the first one you wrapped. If the gel isn’t curling up at least at the edges, give them another 5 minutes.. Any soakable gel product should flake off the nail as it soaks off. You should see it curling away from the nail surface. In an ideal world, you will be able to wipe or brush away the gel without any scraping motions. Realistically, especially if the gel has been on for a long time, it may cling to the nail surface a bit too much for this to happen nicely. Be gentle with your nails.
Acrylic and dip (any enhancement involving a powder) will remove a bit differently from gel products. Instead of flaking away, this family of products will become gummy. You should soak, clear away what has softened with your orange wood stick, and then re-wrap. Check out this great video from Favrielle Brooks for step by step. She uses the Gelish remover, which is my second favorite remover after the CND Offly Fast.
It is a good idea to remove any length you will not be keeping, prior to soaking off any product. Using heat will help speed the removal process. Take your time, be gentle, don’t aggressively scrape or force the product off the nail. Please be aware that some gel products are not soakable. Hard gel typically can not be soaked off, including LCN Barefoot used for toenail repairs. These products must be filed off to remove them. It is best to file off the bulk of the product, leaving a thin layer on the nail to protect it from filing damage. Do not file into your natural nail. Always finish by washing your hands and applying cuticle oil and hand lotion. Please let me know if you have any further questions, either in comments here or in email.