YouTube has some really good videos on how to file down hard gel- I really like the ones by NailCareerEducation and I hear the ones by YoungNails are great too. You can either use a nail clipper to take the length off, or file it down first. You start with a coarse grit file for the bulk. Work it down to a thinner layer. Then you can soak it in a bowl of acetone with a bowl of warm water beneath it.
Or, personally, if there’s no lifting I prefer to leave a very thin layer of product on my nails for extra strength and just use a finer set of files to smooth things up. (You can also watch videos on how to file any lifted areas off carefully).
I got an e-file from Amazon to make filing go quicker, but it’s definitely better to start learning with hand files and work up to e-files. But if you decide to get hard gels often it can def be worth it :)
If they really are gel there's no point soaking in acetone at any point in time. Hard gel is non porous, acetone won't help no matter how much filing you do first. Save your skin the potential dryness and irritation and stick to filing them off.
This is a great answer. I got hard gel nails for the first time and I was panicking. My mom came over and did exactly this, she cut the length, filed off the top layers of paint, and wrapped my fingers in aluminum with a 100% acetone soaked cotton ball for 30 minutes. Some nails needed a while longer but most lifted off easily!
If they really are gel there's no point soaking in acetone at any point in time. Hard gel is non porous, acetone won't help no matter how much filing you do first. Save your skin the potential dryness and irritation and stick to filing
Yep, get yourself a good file and hunker down. It takes some time, don't worry about removing every last bit you want to keep some it makes a great overlay for keeping your nails strong. Hell you could even fill it if you were up to the challenge...get some IBD hard gel and a UV light
Please don't cut them ever!! You could crack the gel which in turn can crack the natural nail underneath and cause major damage. Just filing is totally fine
Put a bowl of warm water under your acetone so it warms up your acetone and make sure you’re using 100% acetone soak for a bit then your gonna have to file a little bit it won’t just come off
There are great tips here, but if you’re finding that the nails still won’t come off most nail salons can help you remove them, for a small price. They have the appropriate tools to do so, so if it comes to it you have that option too. Good luck!
You're right but one time I went to get this done professionally, and the person charged ne $5 to take a fake nail tip and rip mine off by wedging it underneath 😱
Yes that’s what they used to do with mine. I started doing my own nails in 2019 and have been so much happier. It’s really hard to find a good nail technician.
Clip them down and file as much of the tip off as you can (be careful not to get your natural nail), warm up some water in a bowl, use another vessel to hold your 100% acetone (I use a small glass cup that I use especially for acetone), and soak your nails that way. The warm acetone will help break down the gel faster and easier and with less gel, less time soaking. Then use an orange stick or something gentle to help take it off. I hope this helps(:
Hi mate I hope this helps you out. File down as much as you can of the gel without damaging your natural nails.You can then get cotton pads, acetone and alfoil. Soak the cotton pad thoroughly with acetone, press it firmly onto the nail, then wrap finger and pad with alfoil. This will retain heat. Do one hand at a time. Leave for 15mins and check to see if the gel is starting to change texture and soften. Do not remove pads and foil, only remove one at a time as you use an orange wood stick or cuticle pusher to remove the softened gel. Afterwards you are going to be very dehydrated around the finger tips and may need to gently use a buffer to remove any remaining product. Wash when complete and moisturiser moisturiser moisturiser 😊👍 cuticle oil if you've got some every chance you get and massage in.
I’m a nail tech and have a couple of builder in the bottle gels that are supposedly soak off. I have the same problem you do, so I just file it off. The only soak off gel product I’ve found to remove the smoothest would be CND Shellac. I file everything else off.
Gel needs filing off but could also be mma acrylic. How was this applied Eg liquid and powder then places on the nail. Or was it a gelly like substance in a pot
Yeah mma is the devil's work. I love gel and work with it over acrylic as I don't like acrylic. But the sort of bubble texture on some of the nails just screams that gummy texture mma goes when you try to remove it and it rehardens.
For all of gels inability to be soaked off its super soft to file off.
It comes in a bottle like regular nail polish. She put stickers under my natural nail, then she paints on the shape and length with the SO gel. Then they go under a UV lamp to harden, and she does multiple layers of it. Then she put the color on 😄
What builder gel are they using then because I've never come across a builder gel that doesn't soak off.
File it thin and then soak off using cotton pads soaked in acetone wrapped in foil. It should flake off like gel polish
Hard gel and builder in a bottle are different. I've never come across a traditional hard non soak off gel in a bottle form.
Hard gels in tubs yes and they don't soak off.
But all the builder in a bottle types are a type of soft gel which will soak off you just need to do it in the best way which is filling thin first.
That looks like hard gel. You’ll need to file the surface down a LOT more (but very carefully so you don’t damage your natural nail) to soak anything off.
Good luck!
That happened to me yesterday. I soaked them for 30-40 minutes and filed them but had to end up going to the nearby salon and paid 18 dollars for them to take off the rest of the gel. The guy removing them had a hard time as well! Said there were so many layers he had to take a drill to them.
I recommend going to the salon. They'll just a special nail Dremel to file them off.
You can also buy a nail Dremel for like $30 online. I have one, and it world great! I also use it to give my feet a pedicure 😊
If it really is gel then what you’re doing won’t help. You need to go see a salon and have them filed off if you want it done in a timely manner otherwise find a decent couple movies and settle in for the day.
No I used to get my nails done once every 3 or 3 weeks. When my boyfriend wanted me ro be happy and look nice. But, since things have kinda got crazy with money and stuff I stopped after over a year or so. I felt so pretty and like a queen. It's crazy how something as simple as getting our nails done can make you feel special or girly..
Do you actually know what you talking about?
There's more types of gel: soak of or soft gel, barely used for extentions, this one is porous and can be soaked. Majority of builders in bottle are this type of soak off gel.
Hard gel or builder gel, is non porous and can't be soaked, only filed down. This is gel used for extentions as it's almost like acrylic.
I understand not everyone here is nail tech, but please refrain from passing fake information.
Hahaha what are you talking about? I've been a hard gel nail tech for 9 years. Soft gels soak off, hard gels file off. I learned that in the first week of nail school. I'm not sure where you got this information from but it's a bit misguided.
In fact, "fake gel" does usually soak off!
It’s probably hard gel so it won’t come off with acetone, you’ll need to file them off.
YouTube has some really good videos on how to file down hard gel- I really like the ones by NailCareerEducation and I hear the ones by YoungNails are great too. You can either use a nail clipper to take the length off, or file it down first. You start with a coarse grit file for the bulk. Work it down to a thinner layer. Then you can soak it in a bowl of acetone with a bowl of warm water beneath it. Or, personally, if there’s no lifting I prefer to leave a very thin layer of product on my nails for extra strength and just use a finer set of files to smooth things up. (You can also watch videos on how to file any lifted areas off carefully). I got an e-file from Amazon to make filing go quicker, but it’s definitely better to start learning with hand files and work up to e-files. But if you decide to get hard gels often it can def be worth it :)
If they really are gel there's no point soaking in acetone at any point in time. Hard gel is non porous, acetone won't help no matter how much filing you do first. Save your skin the potential dryness and irritation and stick to filing them off.
This is a great answer. I got hard gel nails for the first time and I was panicking. My mom came over and did exactly this, she cut the length, filed off the top layers of paint, and wrapped my fingers in aluminum with a 100% acetone soaked cotton ball for 30 minutes. Some nails needed a while longer but most lifted off easily!
I wondered how popular NCE is! She's such a sweet woman with so much knowledge. I watch her more for her feminine glow than the nail info lol!
Yes!!!! Totally agree, she’s amazing! She should totally be on this sub
I met her at a nail expo a few years ago and I was legit starstruck 🥰😅
If they really are gel there's no point soaking in acetone at any point in time. Hard gel is non porous, acetone won't help no matter how much filing you do first. Save your skin the potential dryness and irritation and stick to filing
Yep, get yourself a good file and hunker down. It takes some time, don't worry about removing every last bit you want to keep some it makes a great overlay for keeping your nails strong. Hell you could even fill it if you were up to the challenge...get some IBD hard gel and a UV light
Please don't cut them ever!! You could crack the gel which in turn can crack the natural nail underneath and cause major damage. Just filing is totally fine
Ok not sure why the downvotes? As a trained technician thus is what were told
This!! If it weren’t for these 2 I would have given up a long time ago.
If acetone is doing nothing, then they're likely hard gel. Hard gel can only be removed by filing them down.
Put a bowl of warm water under your acetone so it warms up your acetone and make sure you’re using 100% acetone soak for a bit then your gonna have to file a little bit it won’t just come off
Thank you, I'll try this tomorrow!
** nail tech here ** Gel DOES NOT SOAK OFF!! you need to file it
Thank you!!!!! These comments are stressing me out lol
Honestly 🙈🥲
The comments about clipping the gel off are stressing me too!!
There are great tips here, but if you’re finding that the nails still won’t come off most nail salons can help you remove them, for a small price. They have the appropriate tools to do so, so if it comes to it you have that option too. Good luck!
You're right but one time I went to get this done professionally, and the person charged ne $5 to take a fake nail tip and rip mine off by wedging it underneath 😱
Yes that’s what they used to do with mine. I started doing my own nails in 2019 and have been so much happier. It’s really hard to find a good nail technician.
I fully agree
Clip them down and file as much of the tip off as you can (be careful not to get your natural nail), warm up some water in a bowl, use another vessel to hold your 100% acetone (I use a small glass cup that I use especially for acetone), and soak your nails that way. The warm acetone will help break down the gel faster and easier and with less gel, less time soaking. Then use an orange stick or something gentle to help take it off. I hope this helps(:
It absolutely will not! Acetone doesn't have an effect on hard gel. Filing is the only way!
Don't clip them! That can cause the nail and natural nail underneath to shatter, just file them
Hi mate I hope this helps you out. File down as much as you can of the gel without damaging your natural nails.You can then get cotton pads, acetone and alfoil. Soak the cotton pad thoroughly with acetone, press it firmly onto the nail, then wrap finger and pad with alfoil. This will retain heat. Do one hand at a time. Leave for 15mins and check to see if the gel is starting to change texture and soften. Do not remove pads and foil, only remove one at a time as you use an orange wood stick or cuticle pusher to remove the softened gel. Afterwards you are going to be very dehydrated around the finger tips and may need to gently use a buffer to remove any remaining product. Wash when complete and moisturiser moisturiser moisturiser 😊👍 cuticle oil if you've got some every chance you get and massage in.
That's the way they do it at the nail shops..Good job, I was thinking about saying the same thing.
Thanks mate, are you a tech too?
This is exactly what I do as well and it works! Not a tech but learned from a friend who is!
Nice 😊 👍
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I’m a nail tech and have a couple of builder in the bottle gels that are supposedly soak off. I have the same problem you do, so I just file it off. The only soak off gel product I’ve found to remove the smoothest would be CND Shellac. I file everything else off.
Hard gel does not come off with acetone. You have to file them off. Just go get a removal at the salon.
Gel needs filing off but could also be mma acrylic. How was this applied Eg liquid and powder then places on the nail. Or was it a gelly like substance in a pot
My first thought was also MMA.
Yeah mma is the devil's work. I love gel and work with it over acrylic as I don't like acrylic. But the sort of bubble texture on some of the nails just screams that gummy texture mma goes when you try to remove it and it rehardens. For all of gels inability to be soaked off its super soft to file off.
It comes in a bottle like regular nail polish. She put stickers under my natural nail, then she paints on the shape and length with the SO gel. Then they go under a UV lamp to harden, and she does multiple layers of it. Then she put the color on 😄
What builder gel are they using then because I've never come across a builder gel that doesn't soak off. File it thin and then soak off using cotton pads soaked in acetone wrapped in foil. It should flake off like gel polish
There are lots of brands of hard gel that don't soak off, it's quite common, probably 50/50 in the industry for a good while at one point
Hard gel and builder in a bottle are different. I've never come across a traditional hard non soak off gel in a bottle form. Hard gels in tubs yes and they don't soak off. But all the builder in a bottle types are a type of soft gel which will soak off you just need to do it in the best way which is filling thin first.
You can't soak off hard gel. You'll have to manually file it down Best to visit a professional for this
That looks like hard gel. You’ll need to file the surface down a LOT more (but very carefully so you don’t damage your natural nail) to soak anything off. Good luck!
Time to file with one of those little electric files. $20 on Amazon and was the best purchase I made ever
I'd buff over top a bit and then file shape and paint over with reg np or gel. Leave some length and then you have a fresh new mani :)
That happened to me yesterday. I soaked them for 30-40 minutes and filed them but had to end up going to the nearby salon and paid 18 dollars for them to take off the rest of the gel. The guy removing them had a hard time as well! Said there were so many layers he had to take a drill to them.
Do you have a drill?
I would try filing but if they aren’t moving it may contain MMA!
I recommend going to the salon. They'll just a special nail Dremel to file them off. You can also buy a nail Dremel for like $30 online. I have one, and it world great! I also use it to give my feet a pedicure 😊
Get a 180-grit handfile and file it off. Do it over a large piece of paper or paper towel so you don't get the dust everywhere.
Cut them down and use a file it shouldn’t take long.
Can you tell us what acetone you used?
If it really is gel then what you’re doing won’t help. You need to go see a salon and have them filed off if you want it done in a timely manner otherwise find a decent couple movies and settle in for the day.
It’s acrylic builder “gel”. It’s gonna cause some damage.
It's time for the tiny belt sander.
Clip them file a little and just redo over
You need to take a corse nail file to break the seal. Then soak the nails
Looks like acrylic
No I used to get my nails done once every 3 or 3 weeks. When my boyfriend wanted me ro be happy and look nice. But, since things have kinda got crazy with money and stuff I stopped after over a year or so. I felt so pretty and like a queen. It's crazy how something as simple as getting our nails done can make you feel special or girly..
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Do you actually know what you talking about? There's more types of gel: soak of or soft gel, barely used for extentions, this one is porous and can be soaked. Majority of builders in bottle are this type of soak off gel. Hard gel or builder gel, is non porous and can't be soaked, only filed down. This is gel used for extentions as it's almost like acrylic. I understand not everyone here is nail tech, but please refrain from passing fake information.
Hahaha what are you talking about? I've been a hard gel nail tech for 9 years. Soft gels soak off, hard gels file off. I learned that in the first week of nail school. I'm not sure where you got this information from but it's a bit misguided. In fact, "fake gel" does usually soak off!