Gel manicures are increasingly popular these days because they help the polish to stay on much longer than regular nail polish. Your regular nail polish may look great for a few hours, and even for a day in some cases, but it will eventually begin to chip. This spoils the entire look! However, some people find it is not easy to remove the gel polish completely. While there are some who believe that using acetone is the best way to deal with this issue, what if you do not want to try it out? Keep reading to learn methods to remove gel polish without using acetone.
You can always file those gel nails off, but only if you know how to proceed
Trim your nails first.First, use a good nail clipper to trim your nails as short as you possible. Then, using a file, file them down. This is also helpful if the nails seem too thick to cut with your regular nail clipper.
File down the surface of your nails. For this, you will need a coarse-grit file around 180 grit. Be sure to file gently and move in crosshatches to maintain a smooth look. Move the file around your nail to avoid feeling any burning sensation. Move slowly and do not worry about the time it takes - do not rush! Filing too quickly may damage the natural nail underneath. And, remember to always wipe dust away as you continue to file.
Stop filing once you see the natural nail. If you continue once you see your natural nail, you may damage the it. You are close to your natural nail if you notice a decrease in dust from filing or see the natural ridges in your nail.
Use a finer-grit file to get rid of the remaining gel. After you see the natural nail, get a finer-grit filer torid of the remaining gel. And, remember to be gentle to avoid causing any damage to your natural nail. Continue with this process slowly because this is the last step of gel polish removal without using acetone.
Condition your nails.No matter how careful you are, there will always be some scratches on the natural nail. Be sure to use of a buffer to clean the surfaces of your nails. You may also use lotion or oil to moisturize your hands and nails. You should also avoid exposing your nails and hands to harsh substances for at least a few days after filing.
Instead of filing away your gel manicure, you can also peel the gel nails off (when they are mostly chipped). It usually takes a week or two for gel to chip off, so you should wait until this begins to happen before you start peeling them yourself. This will reduce the damage to your nails. Here are the steps for gel polish removal without using acetone in this process:
Take a cuticle stick and insert it gently under the surface of your gel nail. Work it slowly under the surface and you will notice the gel moving up around the edge. Avoid digging too hard under the gel because it may damage your natural nail.
Slowly peel off the gel. You can use of a pair of tweezers or simply use your fingers to grasp that raised edge of the gel. Now, peel it back and repeat the same on all your fingernails.
Always ensure that you do not rip off the ges or it will damage the natural nail as well. Remember, you should not try this method if the gel is very hard.
Finish by conditioning your nail and do not forget to use a file to smooth the edges.
In case you do not get desired results from filing or peeling, here comes one more method of gel polish removal without using acetone.
Take a small bowl and fill it with warm water. Add a couple drops of dish soap in the bowl along with a teaspoon of salt.
Put your hand in the bowl and keep your hand emerged in the solution for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure the water is warm enough or this process won't work.
Take your hand out after 20 minutes and wipe it with your hand towel. Now, you can continue with filing or peeling to get rid of the remaining gel nails.
You can do the same with the other hand or take two bowls and soak both hands at the same time.
It is true that acetone is a popular and powerful chemical for removing polish. It is definitely effective, but it is also very harsh. It can remove natural oils from your skin and make your skin and nails look very white. In other words, using acetone will dry out your skin. It is, therefore, important to know the other methods of gel polish removal that do not use acetone. However, it is worth pointing out that whether you use acetone or a non-acetone method to get rid of nail polish or gel nails, you should always moisturize your hands afterwards.
