How do you get gel nail varnish off your nails?

[Finbar]

Had my nails done. All lovely. Now it's growing out. Looks awful. Do I have to go back to he salon to have it removed? I don't want another coat on top, just want to go natural again

Yes, go back for me proper removal. Your nails will thank you.

If absolutely desperate soak in acetone for a long time until they fall off.

If you buy acetone put it on cotton wool and then attach to just the nail with foil. After 10 minutes use an orange stick to crumble it off. It's pretty harsh stuff so limit to the gel bit as much as possible

I sat and picked all mine off today while I took my children to see Trolls. Wouldn't necessarily recommend that as a method but it certainly helped pass the time!

Buff the gel polish with a nail file first to help the acetone soak in. Cut cotton wool pads in half and cut some tinfoil strips. Use pure acetone on the cotton wool pad, put it on the nail and then wrap the foil round it to secure. Repeat for each nail (I do one hand at a time). After 15 minutes or so check the progress as the gel polish should start to curl up. I use a cuticle pusher thing to gently scrape off the polish but if it's resisting too much I put the cotton wool pad back on for 5-10 minutes longer.

I have never paid to get mine removed as I am tight with my money!!

Another thing you can do is put a little bit of acetone polish remover in a small glass dish, and then rest that in a larger dish of very hot water. Use a rough emery board to take the top layer of shine off and then sit with your nails immersed in the acetone for about 10mins. The heat helps to speed up the reaction between the polish and the acetone - you should see the polish start to bubble up and basically float off, with a little bit of encouragement from an orange stick. A beautician gave me this tip and I find it works better than wrapping in foil etc.

I get most of it off this way, then use a fine buffer to get any last traces off. Then LOTS of good hand/nail cream and no polish for a few days to let my nails breathe and recover.

DO NOT pick it off dry - you'll take the top layer of your real nail off and they'll be ragged for months!

I use the foul method pps have described, but personally I wouldn't use anything to scrape the gel off. It should just wipe off with the cotton wool, if it doesn't then leave the cotton wool on a little longer.

I have these, acetone on cotton wool and use them to clip it to the nail and it's fallen off 15 minutes later. If I do one hand at a time I can still MN!

Gently buff the surface of your nail with an emery board.
Rub Vaseline around your nails on the skin.

Soak a trimmed cotton pad in acetone and wrap it in aluminium foil around your nails. Do them all together.

Leave it on for 10 minutes and blast it with a hairdryer occasionally.

Then gently use a wooden yellow stick to scrape the polish off, down from cuticle to free edge.

If it's not coming off leave the acetone on for another 5 mins.

The Vaseline will protect your cuticles and fingers.

Thanks for these. Will have a go today.

I think I may have knackered my nails on the short term!!

You'll only knacker your nails if you take it off badly. I've had gel polish on and off my nails solidly for about 3years, my nails are sting and healthy. If you can just pay the £5 or whatever to have it removed, whatever you do don't pick it off.

Strong not sting