How to Quickly & Safely Take off Gel-X Nails

Using Acetone and a Nail File

File down the top coat and trim off the nail tips. Equip an e-file with a medium safety bit on 15,000 RPM. You can also use a 180 grit nail file. Glide the file up and down slowly and evenly over each nail until the designs and clear coat on the top are removed. Use a nail tip clipper or a regular pair of nail clippers to trim off the tips. Try to avoid filing too close to your nail plate or cuticle. Your goal is just to take off the clear coat so the acetone can access the polish and glue underneath. Apply a layer of petroleum jelly around each cuticle after you’re done to protect your skin from the acetone.

Wrap your nails with acetone-soaked cotton balls and aluminum foil. Soak a cotton ball in 100% pure acetone and set it over the nail. Cut a 3 by 3 in (7.6 by 7.6 cm) piece of aluminum foil and wrap it around the nail to hold the cotton ball in place and prevent the acetone from evaporating. Repeat for every nail. Leave the foil on for 15 to 20 minutes. Instead of aluminum foil, you can also use gel nail remover clips. Simply open the clip and slip it over your finger and the acetone-soaked cotton ball. Alternatively, use a cotton round or folded paper towel soaked in acetone. If you don’t have any of these supplies on hand, soak your fingers in a small bowl of acetone for about 5 minutes instead. Soak for longer if needed to remove all the gel. Cover your nails in hot towels while they’re wrapped in the aluminum to speed up the gel removal process.

Remove the wrap and scrape off the excess gel. After 15 to 20 minutes, carefully peel off the aluminum foil and remove the cotton ball. Scrape off the leftover gel with a cuticle pusher and buff the rest off with a 180-grit nail file. If you don’t have a cuticle pusher, try rubbing the gel off with an acetone-soaked paper towel or buffing it off with a nail file.

Lightly buff your nails and add cuticle oil for hydration. Use a multi-sided nail buffer to smooth out the tops of your nails, even out the surface, and remove any leftover gel. Massage cuticle oil into each nail and the skin around them to nourish and hydrate your natural nails. Alternatively, try using jojoba oil, which can moisturize your nails and skin and help prevent them from losing that moisture. After removing your nails, try to keep them polish-free for a few days to help your natural nails recover.

Using an E-File

Clip off the tips of your nails and peel off the polish. Use a nail tip clipper or regular nail clippers to remove the length of your nails and make it easier to remove them. If your nails have a dip polish, try to gently peel it off with a pair of cuticle nippers or a cuticle pusher. If your polish doesn’t peel off easily, just trim off the tips and move on to the next step.

Glide an e-file across your nail until the polish is mostly gone. Place a coarse safety bit on your e-file and set it to 20,000 RPM. Turn on the e-file and carefully float the bit over the polish on your nail plate, moving from the cuticle down to the tip to grind the color away. Try not to push the e-file into your nail. Instead, imagine that you’re trying to remove nail polish from an egg—you don’t want to push hard enough to break through the surface. Use a cuticle ball bit to remove any polish near the cuticles of your nails.

Use a medium fine band to sand away the rest of the polish. Slip a medium grit band onto your e-file’s mandrel and set the speed to 8,000 RPM. Gently glide the file from the cuticle down to the tip of the nail, removing as much of the leftover polish and glue as possible. Move carefully near the cuticle to avoid damaging it. If you have acetone available, soak a cotton ball in it and gently rub the surface of the nails to make sure that all the glue and polish are gone. After you’re done, massage cuticle oil into your nails and the skin around them.

Taking them Off with Soap, Water, and Oil

Soak your nails in a bowl of warm water, dish soap, and cooking oil. Fill a medium-sized bowl (or two small bowls) with warm water and add a squirt or two of regular dish soap and about 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of cooking oil. Mix the solution, then soak your nails in the water for about 10 minutes. If you have acetone on hand, stir about 1 US tbsp (15 mL) into the mixture before soaking.

Use a cuticle pusher to pry the gel nails off. Pat your hands dry with a towel and carefully pry the bottom of the fake nail off your natural nail with a cuticle pusher. Push from the bottom edge of the nail near your cuticles up toward the end of your nails as you pry up the gel. If a nail doesn’t pop off easily, soak it in the water for another 10 minutes before trying to pry it off again to prevent damaging your natural nails. If you don’t have a cuticle pusher, try using another fake nail or an orange stick.

Use a nail file to take off the remaining glue and apply cuticle oil. Use a regular nail file or a nail buffer to remove any leftover glue from your natural nails. Once all the glue is removed, wash your hands with soap and water. Rub your nails and cuticles with cuticle oil. If you don’t have cuticle oil, try using jojoba oil or coconut oil instead.

Having Them Professionally Removed

Visit a nail salon if you’re not comfortable removing your nails. If your nails are brittle, or if you find it difficult to remove the Gel-X layer with DIY methods, it may be best to consult a professional. Nail techs are trained to safely and effectively remove gel manicures without causing damage to your natural nails. Gel manicure removals typically cost between $10 to $20.

Do Gel-X nails fall off on their own?

Gel manicures tend to lift up off the natural nail after 2 to 3 weeks. Gel nails do eventually start to lift up off your nail plate, especially near the cuticle. However, when your nails start to lift up, it’s best not to pick or peel the rest of it off. This can remove the top layer of your natural nails and cause them to become dry, rough, and brittle. Nail artist Mia Rubie says gel manicures can cause your nails to become brittle if “you're peeling your gel off or picking it off and then removing layers of the nail… in the process.” If you notice your nail starts to peel up, try one of the methods above to remove it or visit a professional to repair them. Oil your natural nails daily with cuticle oil to prevent them from separating from your gel nails.