You don’t have to damage your natural nails just to take off your gel nail polish! Safely remove gel nail polish at home without spending too much with these easy steps!

Gel nail polish are all the rage these days! Not only do they last longer, they also look so pretty and shiny on your nails. However, you’ll have to spend some extra bucks at the salon to take them off.

If you’re a DIY enthusiast like me, spending extra time and money to go to the salon for this can be a bit tedious. That’s why I’m sharing this easy technique for you to safely remove gel nails at home using common household items!

How to Remove Gel Nail Polish | Nail Design Tutorial

You just got a fresh manicure and decided to go with gels. Fortunately, gel nail polish lasts 2-3 weeks because it’s an extremely durable lacquer. For those that are hands-on, this is a great option because it doesn’t chip easily.

The hard part comes when you’re ready to remove your gel nail polish. Don’t scrape off your gel polish! This will ruin your natural nail beds. Salons can safely remove your polish but for an extra fee.

Instead of spending extra money to get this done at a nail salon, you can use common household products to easily remove your gel nails!

What you’ll need to safely remove gel nail polish at home:

• 10 Cotton balls
• Pure Acetone
• Cuticle Pusher
• Foil
• Nail file

Step 1: File The Top Off 

To make the acetone soak into your gel nail polish faster, file the top of your nails using a nail filer or an emery board. Buffing your nail, especially with the gel polish, will get a bit messy so grab some used newspaper or a towel to cover your table. This will help with cleanup later on.

Step 2: Soak Your Nails With Acetone

Soak a cotton ball in acetone and lay it on your nail. Then, wrap your foil strip around the finger. Make sure the foil squares are large enough to cover the entire fingertip. The aluminum will help keep the acetone-soaked cotton in place and fully soak your nail with it.

Repeat this step until all fingertips are fully covered.

Step 3: Wait Patiently

Let it sit for a couple of minutes. It will be much easier to remove the longer you let it stay. For better effect, wait for about 15 minutes.  Anything less than that will be hard to scrape. But please don’t over soak. You can burn your skin.

Tip: Only do one finger at a time.

Step 4: Removal

After 15 minutes, you’re ready to remove the foil and cotton ball! When you remove the foil and cotton, the gel should be peeling off your nail or soft enough to be gently scraped off with the cuticle pusher.

Your aim is to remove the gel in one piece. Repeat steps 1-3 on your other hand. It normally takes about 20-25 minutes per hand. If it still a bit hard to remove, simply re-wrap your nail with the acetone-soaked cotton and foil for about 5 minutes.

Step 5: Nourish Your Nails

Using the finer-grit side of your nail file, buff away any remaining remnants of gel. Then wash your hands with lukewarm soapy water. When done, apply Vaseline or nourishing oil to the cuticles. And, viola, you’re nails are naturally clean again!

Here’s a video tutorial on removing gel nail polish from Tree Ma:

If you don’t like going back to the salon to get your gel nails removed, try this tutorial. If you know other methods to safely remove gel nail polish without going to the salon, let me know in the comments section below!

Interested in trying gel nail polish on your own at home? Check out this easy tutorial next!

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