GEL POLISH REMOVAL
We are back with a little bit of a technical nail blog, but don't worry! It's packed with all the juicy tips and tricks from our very own in-house nail technician Michaela! Sharing all of her nail knowledge with us, you will leave this blog having read the ultimate lowdown on everything gel polish removal! So, if you are a pro much like our Michaela or a total newbie we have got you covered! So, grab a well deserved cuppa or even a few gel nail polishes and some acetone and let's into it!!
Your removal essentials!
- LINT FREE WIPES
ACETONE
180 GRIT NAIL FILE
ALUMINIUM FOIL (CUT INTO STRIPS)
HALO PRO GEL SCRAPER
CITRUS CRUSH CUTICLE OIL
SCISSORS
Removing gel polish- what you need to know!
The Gel. Created to last longer than nail varnish, the process of applying and curing gel polish to your nails involves curing the product to a hardened state whilst on your nails! Understanding that it is designed to be more durable is a key factor to think about when removing your gel polish as you don't want to damage yours or the clients nails during removal.
Buffing. You need to buff down the top coat layer to ensure that the acetone can soak into the gel polish, making it soft to remove!
Soaking. You can either soak the nails in a soaking bath or using foil and acetone soaked lint free wipes! For this step by step we used the foil method.
Timing. It's everything, if you soak for too long the gel will reharden again, so it's good to keep an eye on the nails! It usually takes around 7 minutes to successfully soak the gel.
Aftercare. A key factor that cannot be overlooked! Acetone can be particularly drying to the nail, so it's important to re-hydrate and give those nails some TLC using cuticle oil!
STEP BY STEP
STEP ONE- FILING
Remove the shiny top coat with a 180 grit hand file, this will help the acetone to penetrate the gel polish more effectively.
STEP TWO- SOAKING
Soak a lint free wipe ( cut to the size of the nail ) in acetone and place onto the nail and wrap foil around the fingertip.
STEP THREE- WRAP & REMOVE
Wait a minimum of 5-7 mins, this will allow the acetone to break down the gel polish. Unwrap the foil from the nail and gently scrape away the gel polish using an orange stick or Halo Pro Gel Scraper. The gel polish should slide off. If you feel as if your applying pressure place another lint wipe soaked in acetone and wrap the nail up again with foil.
STEP FOUR- BUFF & OIL
Once all product is removed gently buff the nail surface and prepare for another Gel Polish Service. If removing completely apply Citrus Crush cuticle oil to finish.