Removing Soft or Semi-Hard Builder Gel with Acetone
File the top layer of your nails until the color is dull and faded. Use light pressure so that you don't file all the way down to your natural nail. Focus the file on the edge and the free walls of each nail. Use a medium 100/180 grit nail file. The 180-grit side will be coarse enough to file through a layer of builder gel, but not so sharp that you'll easily damage your natural nail.
Spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the skin around the nail bed. Petroleum jelly will protect your skin from the acetone you're going to soak your nails in. Acetone is a harsh substance and can cause redness and irritation when applied to your skin. However, it's great for dissolving builder gel!
Cut cotton balls or pads into small pieces to fit your nails. Cutting them will minimize the amount of skin you have to expose to the acetone.
Cut small squares of aluminum foil to wrap around each nail and finger. It needs to be large enough to completely cover your fingertip, but not so big that you have trouble securing the acetone-soaked cotton in place. Alternatively, strip off pieces of plastic cling wrap and use that to wrap around your fingers. The plastic makes a better seal, but make sure not to wrap it so tightly that you cut off circulation.
Soak the cotton pieces in acetone and press them to your nails. The acetone should touch every part of your nail, so it will break up all the builder gel.
Wrap the aluminum foil squares securely around each nail. Ensure each piece is sealed all around your finger, as well as on top of it. This will keep the nails warm and let the acetone do its work.
Wait 15-20 minutes for the acetone to break up the builder gel. While you're waiting avoid moving your fingers too much or you'll risk jostling the cotton or moving the foil. Veg out in front of the television for a little while or take a quick cat nap to pass the time.
Press and twist the foil and cotton to remove them from your nails. By pressing and twisting, you'll help remove more of the builder gel, so there's less to clean up in the next couple of steps.
Push any remaining gel residue off with an orange nail stick. Start at your cuticle and work upward and outward toward the free edge of the nail. An orange nail stick is a type of cuticle pusher made of soft wood. It has a rounded, angled shape at one end – perfect for gently scraping gel off your nail!
Repeat the removal process to get rid of any lingering builder gel. Depending on how thick the layer was or how long you left it on, this could take some time.
Finish cleaning your nails with a cotton ball or pad and rubbing alcohol. The alcohol will remove dust, debris, and grime from the nail and make it look shiny again.
Wash your hands with a gentle soap and warm water. This step will remove any acetone that made it onto your skin during the gel removal process.
Apply cuticle oil to restore moisture to your cuticles. The cuticle oil will also soothe any irritation your cuticles may have suffered due to the acetone.
Removing Soft or Semi-Hard Builder Gel with a File
File down the color layers of your nails with a medium 180-grit file. As you notice your natural nails appearing, use a gentler pressure to avoid damaging it.
After you remove all the color layers, buff your nails with a buffer tool. The nail buffer will finish smoothing out the surface of your natural nails.
Wipe dust off your nails with a nail clean-up brush. A nail clean-up brush has soft, small bristles you can use to flick loose debris out from the sides and underneath your nail.
Clean your nails with a cotton pad and rubbing alcohol. This is the last cleaning step to restoring your natural nails after wearing builder gel.
Rub cuticle oil into your cuticles to rehydrate them. The process of filing your nails and cleaning them with alcohol will dry out and possibly even remove some of the skin surrounding your nails. The cuticle oil will moisturize this tissue and help it grow back healthy and strong.
Removing Hard Builder Gel with a Drill
Clip the gel nails down to the top edge of your natural nails. Use toenail clippers, as these will snap the gel nail tips off in a horizontal line. Avoid using a tip cutter, which, if its blade is dull, can cause a vertical break that will crack the whole nail.
Turn your electric nail file up to 11,000 RPMs and file the top layer. Work the e-file in one direction (towards yourself) across the entire surface of the gel nail starting at the left bottom corner, and repeat this motion until the top layer loses its shine.
Continue filing in one direction while putting heavy pressure on the nail. This way, you can continue removing layer after layer of hard builder gel at a fast pace.
As more of the natural nails become visible, flick the e-file back and forth. This motion helps you remove the builder gel while reducing the amount of heat on your natural nail.
Reduce the e-file speed to 5000 RPMs to remove gel from the corners of your nails. Use the bottom of the e-file barrel to tackle these tucked-in areas. Alternatively, keep the speed at 11,000 RPMs and use only the tip of the e-file barrel to lift the builder gel up from the corners of your nails.
After all the builder gel is removed, clean the nails and apply cuticle oil. Use a manicuring brush to flick away excess dust and wipe up any remaining debris with a cotton pad and rubbing alcohol.
Restoring & Strengthening Your Natural Nails
Remove gel builder after 2 weeks to keep your nails healthy. If the gel is allowed to keep curing past 2 weeks, it will be more difficult to take off, which heightens the risk that your natural nails will get damaged during the removal process.
Moisturize your cuticles and nail beds with lotion. Whenever you apply lotion to your hands, spread some of it over your nails and massage it in. It's especially important to moisturize your nails after applying acetone and rubbing alcohol to them, as those substances will dry your nails and skin out.
Apply a nail hardener to protect your nails from cracking. Nail hardener is clear and goes on like nail polish. Once applied, it interacts with the keratin protein in your nails and makes it bond together more tightly. It also hardens your nail plates, so that you end up with harder, stronger nails that won't bend easily.
Take a biotin supplement to strengthen your nails naturally. Biotin is a protein that occurs naturally in the human body and that has been proven to harden fingernail plates when taken as a daily supplement.
Wear gloves when washing dishes or working with harsh chemicals. Exposing your nails to water and chemicals for long periods of time can weaken the nails and cause them to split.
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