Easiest way to remove gel nail varnish at home?

[OperationMalena]

A few weeks ago I had gel polish put on my nails. The last time I asked the salon to remove it they got out a filing machine and filed it off, taking a lot of my nails with it.

How can I take it off with minimal damage?

Also, I'm very out of date with nail trends. I get gel as I need it to last a few weeks. What are my other options? I don't want fake nails or those pointy stick-on ones that look like talons. I want my own nails, but better.

Apparently acetone works - it has to be 100% and you have to file off the shiny layer of the gel Polish.
I tried it and it didn’t work. So went to salon and am now with flakey nails and I’m cutting really short.
I wish I had left them to just grow out naturally. Acetone is also really drying and bad for the skin.
So both removal method seems bad
No more gel nails for me

Acetone usually takes it off but it does depend on what gel it is. Acetone isn’t as bad as it’s made out and is only temporarily drying. You should be able to do it where you just soak the polish off and not soak your whole fingers in it.

I think it’s who’s doing it rather than the tools/method used.

I keep recommending The Salon Life (YouTube) because watching her videos has transformed my natural nails. I’ve got rid of dryness and peeling flaking nails and am about to start using Dior Nail Glow for a natural but better look.

I have never been able to soak off my own gels, no matter what I use. If I try it buggers up my nails but getting them soaked at the salon is always fine and my nails are OK after. My salon doesn't use a machine though, just a wooden pick.

IBX manicure is your nails but better. If you google there should be a salon that does it.

You can buy nail clips on eBay to soak off, you’d need nail wraps and acetone too. It should just flake off if it’s gel.

File off the top layer (so they're not shiny anymore)

Put some acetone onto 10 cotton wool pads

Put the cotton wool pads on your fingernail & wrap with tin foil

Leave 15 minutes or so, unwrap & scrape off any gel with a wooden orange stick (a few £s from amazon for about 100)

Repeat if any areas won't come off

When it's all off use nail oil regularly to keep them in good condition

Good luck

You need to really saturate some cotton wool with acetone, lay it in your nail (which you will have filed the top layer off) and wrap it up tight in foil. I do one hand at a time. Heating igently works so I make a hot water bottle, put it on my lap and lay my hand on that under a towel or blanket. Leave it well alone for ten minutes or so then scrape it off.

This is what is I do and it works wells, much cheaper than the £10.00 a go the salon wants to do the same thing.

I use Superdrug Artificial Nail Varnish Remover, only costs a few £.

I do what @OhSnakesandBastards does and it’s fine, takes a bit of time and is easier if someone else wraps the foil around fingers to make it nice and tight. If I do it myself I do one hand at a time and just use normal nail varnish remover

Not sure if what I did will help - I had ordinary nail polish in the same colour as the gel polish and painted over the gel until it grew out. I kept cutting my nails short. It took a while but as my nails grew they were far more healthy than when I had the gel soaked off.

I use pure acetone. I put some in a small bowl and put the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water to slightly heat the acetone. I then just put my nails directly in the acetone for 5mins and it comes of easily.

I always pick mine off - it often comes off in one piece!

You’ll be taking layers of nail with it too!😱 Though I’m one to talk because I used to do the same.😂

I find the Artificial Nail Remover from Superdrug very good, and it’s cheap.

My nails are actually in better condition than they've ever been 😂After years of wearing ordinary nail polish my nails were very yellow and stained. Now they look really nice even when they aren't painted 😬

You’re so lucky! Mine were wrecked. I’m pleased for you though. I love having nice nails!

You can also buy foil nail wraps that have the cotton pad attached. Saturate the pad with pure acetone and wrap round the nail. Leave for 15 minutes or so and scrape off. Repeat if necessary

Just don't. I've had it go wrong every time and had weak painful nails for ages after.

Dd uses these with acetone

Mylee magic gel remover. It's so much easier than the acetone methods.