Gel polish has been such a blessing to the nail industry. Colored gel nail polish is a way to maintain a perfect, no-chip manicure for two weeks, and women everywhere can’t get enough of it.

The downside to nail polish? Removing it. Unless you frequently treat yourself to a gel manicure and soak them off each time at the salon, it can be a pain to remove them. By all means, do not rip your gel polish off. This can only damage your nail bed and weaken the base for future manicures, leaving your nails weak and brittle.

There is a way to safely remove your gel polish within the comfort of your own home, and it’s recommended that you follow this method, rather than removing them hastily.

First, use a course nail file to scratch at the surface of your gel polish. Break through that clear coat that tops the colored gel, which makes it easier for the acetone to set in. Next, Soak half of a cotton ball in acetone and lay the cotton ball on your nail. Wrap your nail in a aluminum foil square, and let it sit for seven to ten minutes.

After the soaking process is completed, start scraping the gel nail off with a nail stick. The el polish should come right off. If there are parts of the gel polish that are difficult to scrape off, re-soak your nail for a few more minutes.

Finish the process off by washing your hands and buffing your nails with a 4-sided buffer to smooth your nails out. This is a much safer alternative to ripping your gel polish off, but keep in mind, that soaking your nails in acetone should not happen all the time.

Ally | Elite.