How to Remove Gel Polish Without Totally Wrecking Your Nails (2024)

You know when your gel manicure starts to lift at the edges and you’re tempted to peel the whole thing off? Don’t do it! We’re about to tell you how to remove gel nail polish at home the right way—so you don’t do any long-term damage.

We’re fully aware that this may be easier said than done, and that there are a lot of us in the center of the Venn diagram between polish pickers and pimple poppers. But here’s the thing: Peeling off your gel manicure can strip your delicate nail layers—which is ultimately way worse than a couple of chipped tips.

Getting your gels professionally removed is a much smarter option, but spending more time (or money) at the nail salon isn’t always practical. Thankfully, it’s possible to take matters into your own hands and safely free yourself from old gel polish at home. It’ll take a little bit more patience (and a few trusty tools) but your nails will thank you—by, ya know, not falling apart.

To make sure you, um, nail the process, SELF consulted the pros, including a dermatologist and multiple manicurists. Here’s their best advice for removing gel nail polish without destroying your nails.

Are gel nails safe? | How to remove gel nail polish at home | Steps for soaking off gel nails | How to remove gel polish without acetone | Gel nail polish remover products

First off, is gel polish bad for your nails?

Gel manicures are popular for a reason: They can last a couple of weeks or more, making them well worth the cost for many people.

However, they’re not the best for your nail health. For one thing, gel polish is hard to remove (hence the chip resistance), so the process can be really harsh on your nails and cuticles, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

The other, more serious, health concern: exposure to UV radiation. You know the glow from the lamps that set gel manicures? That’s actually a type of ultraviolet (UV) light. Dermatologists from the Comprehensive Skin Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical School published a study earlier this year showing that even short-term exposure to UV radiation from gel nail polish dryers can cause DNA damage that could eventually lead to skin cancer.¹

Does that mean you’ll automatically get cancer from a gel manicure? No, definitely not. The AAD advises slathering broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with at least SPF 30 onto your hands before sticking them under the dryer to protect your nails and skin from UV damage. It’s also a good idea to reserve gel nails for special occasions and to take breaks throughout the year, as SELF previously reported.

What’s definitely detrimental to your nails is ripping off gel polish when it starts chipping or you’re simply sick of the color. You may not see the damage right away, but giving into the urge to pick (which can be really hard to ignore, we know) can cause dryness, peeling, and cracking on the delicate surface of the nails, Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College, tells SELF.

As a person who recently chipped away at a gel manicure and now has a bunch of lines and ridges on their nail beds, trust me: There’s a better way.

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What’s the easiest way to remove gel nail polish at home?

The simplest and fastest way to take off gel polish at home is to put acetone-soaked cotton balls on your nails, wrap them in tin foil, wait for 10 minutes or so, wipe off whatever polish you can, and then scrape off what’s left with a nail file or buffer, Molly Romah, lead nail artist at Chillhouse spa in NYC, tells SELF. (See step-by-step instructions below.)

But if you’re in a pinch and don’t have all of those supplies on hand, you can also file down the top layers of polish and then soak your fingers in a bowl of pure acetone to get the rest off, she adds. Just keep in mind that some brands of gel polish take longer to remove than others, according to Romah. In other words, don’t start this process if you’re in a rush.

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How to soak off gel nails

Step 1: Protect your cuticles.

Acetone—which you’ll need to remove your gels in most cases—can seriously dry out the nails and skin around them, according to Dr. King, which is why you should try to shield your poor cuticles. “Before you soak, protect the surrounding areas with a cuticle oil,” celebrity manicurist Patricia Yankee, tells SELF. There’s no need to get a fancy specialty cuticle oil unless you want to, though. A tried-and-true alternative is Vaseline ($3, Amazon). The petroleum jelly (technically petrolatum) will create a barrier to minimize the acetone’s damage. Aquaphor ($10, Amazon) works too.

Step 2: Loosen up the top layer with a coarse nail file.

The gel topcoat is a tough, nearly impermeable layer that seals the color in place—that’s why gel manis are able to last for weeks instead of days. Scratching the surface with a coarse nail file, like the Gelish 180/180 Grit File ($8, Amazon) will help the acetone to penetrate and do its thing. “When filing, apply a light and parallel pressure,” Yankee suggests, which will help you avoid scratching the delicate nail plate underneath.

Step 3: Soak your nails in acetone using cotton balls and aluminum foil.

Acetone ($5, Ulta) is stronger and more effective than non-acetone nail polish remover, making it exactly what you need to remove your gel polish. Drench some cotton balls (or cotton pads) with the stuff, then hold them in place on your nails by wrapping each finger with aluminum foil. (You don’t have to buy any special tin foil—Romah recommends cutting cooking foil in small squares to wrap around each fingertip). According to Yankee, this traps in heat to help the gel break down faster.

Gel polish formulas vary in strength, so the wait time can be anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. The process will take about 10 minutes for softer gel polish and may take longer for harder formulas (the kind used for nail extension and strengthening are typically firmer), Romah says. If you don’t get it exactly right the first time, you can always rewrap and keep on soaking.

Yankee’s pro tip: “It’s often best to do one hand at a time at home. I like to start with the dominant hand to get the toughest part out of the way.” So if you’re a lefty, begin soaking the nails on your left hand, and then your right hand will be a breeze. “It’s a small change, but it makes a huge difference,” she says.

Step 4: Gently scrape away the layers of polish and soak again if needed.

Once you give the acetone time to work its magic, remove the foil and wipe the cotton over each nail. Next, grab the file (or a nail buffer or cuticle stick, if that’s what you’ve got) and continue to gently scrape the layers to safely remove the rest of the polish. If you’ve soaked long enough, the first few coats will begin to peel off easily.

If you encounter more stubborn layers, you’ll need to loosen them up with another acetone soak. Repeat the soaking-and-scraping method until you’ve safely removed all of the color.

Step 5: Wash up and moisturize—twice.

“After you finish soaking in acetone, you want to make sure that you wash it off thoroughly,” Yankee says. She also suggests applying another coat of cuticle oil (or Aquaphor or Vaseline) to replenish some of that lost moisture from the acetone.

If you want to get a little fancier than petroleum jelly, you can try a cuticle-specific product like Olive & June’s Cuticle Serum ($16, Target). Yankee also suggests keeping this hydrating habit up for a few days “just to replenish the moisture in your nails,” since, again, acetone can be so harsh.

After you tend to your cuticles, it’s a good idea to follow up with a rich moisturizer or hand cream that contains humectants, emollients, and/or occlusives—apply it to your nails and the surrounding area to nourish dried-out skin.

“Humectants, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, are substances that bind water to the stratum corneum (the very outer layer of the skin) and can help the skin retain moisture,” Dr. King says.^{2 3}

Emollients, which are fat- or oil-based ingredients (like squalane or ceramides), can increase hydration, too, as well as soften and smooth the skin’s texture. And occlusives—which include petrolatum, beeswax, and lanolin—physically block water loss from the skin, Dr. King explains.

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How to remove gel polish without acetone

Especially if you have sensitive skin or are prone to onychoschizia—a condition marked by peeling, brittle nails, per the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology—frequent use of acetone can cause irritation. “Acetone strips the skin of oils and can contribute to dryness, which can lead to onychoschizia,” Dr. King explains. The best solution is to use acetone-based nail polish remover sparingly (luckily, gel manicures last a long time, so you won’t have to remove them too frequently) and moisturize well afterward, adds Dr. King.

Folks with particularly sensitive skin and/or dry, brittle nails can also opt for nail polish remover that’s acetone-free. You’ll probably have to wait a little longer to soak off gel polish or tips using the above steps, says Romah, but acetone-free formulas, like Cutex’s Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover ($7, Amazon), are typically less irritating.

You might also be wondering if something like vinegar—a common home remedy for removing nail polish—can remove a gel manicure. But let us save you a google: Romah doesn’t think vinegar is strong enough to do the trick. “If you want something less strong than acetone, then use a non-acetone remover,” she says.

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What are the best gel nail polish remover products to try?

The process of removing gel polish isn’t exactly hard to get the hang of, but, hey, maybe you want to streamline the whole ordeal even more. You can buy handy kits and other products that'll help you take off your gels and troubleshoot some of the more annoying steps. A few to consider:

1. CND Offly Fast Moisturizing Acetone Shellac Gel Nail Polish Remover

2. Nails Inc. Gel-less Gel Nail Polish Remover Kit

3. BTArtbox Foil Nail Wraps

4. Graham Hands Down Soak Off Gel Nail Wraps

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Sources:

1. Nature Communications, DNA damage and somatic mutations in mammalian cells after irradiation with a nail polish dryer
2. Clinical Medicine and Research, The Role of Moisturizers in Addressing Various Kinds of Dermatitis: A Review
3. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Improvement of Skin Hydration in Sensitive Skin Sufferers Using Moisturizer Containing Substantive Carbohydrate Humectant

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