Gel polish has become so popular and for good reason! It shines like crazy and, for many of my clients, a gel manicure will last two weeks or more.
The main downside of gel is that it takes much longer to remove than traditional lacquer and it must be removed in a different method. Many nail techs choose to soak their clients fingers in a bowl of pure acetone for several minutes to remove the product.
It has been my experience that this method causes considerable damage due to the drying effect acetone has on the nails. They also developed dry, white spots on their nails.
Many of my clients experienced peeling, their nails became weak and some seemed to almost disintegrate over time. I also felt that it couldn’t be healthy for anyone to soak their fingers in such a harsh chemical. I decided that there had to be a better way.
After quite a bit of trial and error I have come up with a method of gel removal that is safe effective and much more economical than some of the gel company systems. This is a method that can be used by professional nail techs or anyone who wants to remove their own gel polish.
I prefer to use Remove polish remover by Zoya. While it does contain acetone, the addition of glycerin makes it much less drying to the nails, cuticles and surrounding skin. It works quickly and has a nicer fragrance than pure acetone.
While the makers of gel polish systems make removal pads, they are not very effective because the cotton pad is not thick enough and they are very expensive, costing around $3 for a set of 10. I prefer to use round cotton pads and aluminum foil from Dollar Tree to make my own pads.
It takes a little time but I can cut around 560 pledgets from 1 pack of cotton rounds and 500 foil wraps from a 40 ft. roll.I can make more than 50 sets of 10 for about $2 for a savings of over $148. Since I average 10-12 gel manicure a week this is a substantial savings. This is one easy way I maximize profits by minimizing expenses without compromising quality.
The first step is simply to gently file the shine off the nail. This makes the gel porous and allows the polish remover to penetrate more quickly.
If your or your client’s cuticles are especially sensitive you might apply cuticle oil at this point. Then saturate a cotton pad with remover and place it on the nail.
After the cotton is applied wrap the nail with foil. The foil will hold the cotton in place, keep the polish remover from evaporating as quickly while, at the same time, keep the nail warm so the process will work more quickly so the chemicals can be removed sooner. Wrapping the foil can be a little complicated if you’re removing your own polish, it may be a little easier if you ask for help.
After a few minutes remove the first wrap you applied and see if the polish is ready to remove. If it is it will appear wrinkly and peely. It may even come off with the cotton. If it doesn’t, use an orangewood stick to gently scrape it off.
After the polish is removed, use a fine grit (180) file to gently remove any remaining polish and base coat before you repolish. If you or your client want to go without polish use a soft buffer to smooth the nail after filing off the remaining base coat, and apply either a top coat or some cuticle oil. My client’s nails look so much healthier since I’ve been using this process to remove their gel.
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