You can remove them easily enough yourself, with nothing more than a few cotton balls, some foil and nail-polish remover. Here's how to safely remove shellac or gel polish at home. Using a nail file, gently buff away the shiny layer of hard-to-dislodge polish until it takes on an opaque appearance.
Acetone-free nail polish removers or those that contain very little acetone will not be effective for removing shellac nail polish. You can use pure acetone, which is available at most drugstores, but pure acetone will cause your nails and skin to become extremely dry.
The process is similar at home vs. the salon, but for a fuss-free, mess-free removal (and to make sure the nails' health is kept in tip-top condition), I'd recommend heading to the pros.
First, we buff the nails to take off the top layer, break the seal so to speak, we then soak the nails in a bowl of acetone, (or polish remover, polish remover takes longer but for those against acetone, remover works) for about ten minutes till the polish starts to dissolve then gently remove the remaining polish with ...
Unfortunately, leaving your CND™ Shellac™ manicure on for too long can result in service breakdown; lifting, chipping, discolouration etc.
Some may find that the chip-free finish lasts longer than this, but it's recommended that you get them removed after 14 days as by this time your own nail will have started to grow out.
The acetone does not dissolve the shellac; it actually just loosens the polish so you can push it off easily. If any does not come off easily, take a fresh cotton pad soaked in acetone to rub it off.
There are a few essential tools you want to have on hand when it comes to removing your gel nails, including the following: Remover: You have a few replacement options to use instead of acetone. Hand sanitizers, hydrogen peroxide, and cuticle oil are some of the most popular and effective methods.
On average, they last up to 2 weeks, with some lucky few getting a good 3 weeks in! However, it isn't uncommon to experience issues with how long these nails actually last, and there have been cases where Shellac nails start to peel after only a few days.
Hand sanitizer
The good news is that most sanitizers contain a little bit of alcohol, which is a good solvent to soften nail polish. Soak your nails in lukewarm water to soften them, then wet a cotton ball with sanitizer and use it to wipe off the nail paint. Repeat till all is gone!
Pure shellac flakes can be dissolved in ethanol (pure denatured alcohol) or methanol (methyl hydrate) to form a viscous liquid the consistency of syrup for sealing surfaces. The shellac will dissolve in pure, strong alcohol (99.5%) in about one day. Weaker alcohol can take much longer - up to a week.
Diluted acetone or pure acetone. Cuticle oil and hand lotion, coconut oil or olive oil could be the substitute.
Removal time and cost. You have to go back to the nail salon and pay the nail aesthetician to remove these products, which costs anywhere from $5 (if you combine it with an appointment to get another manicure) to $15 and up, and takes at least 15 minutes — more time out of your busy schedule.
Turpentine cannot be considered a solvent in the same way that alcohol dissolves shellac or water dissolves salt.
"Leave the acetone solution to soak for 15 minutes. By then your gel polish will have lifted from the nail bed," Lucy says. She adds: "My top tip is to keep your nails warm during the soaking process by wrapping your hands in a towel – this will speed things up."
Traditional nail polish removers are made up of an acetone solvent and a fatty material like lanolin or caster oil. Acetone removes polish by quickly breaking apart the nail varnish and stripping the polish from the nail plate surface.
Shellac polish can ruin your natural nails. Scraping and peeling off cured nail polish can physically remove the top layers of your nail bed. If the damage is already done, learn how you can repair broken, brittle, or flaky nails with all-natural ingredients.
The end result in both cases? Hard-wearing, shiny, thick colourful nails that will last 2 to 3 weeks without chipping. In our experience, SNS can last up to one week longer than Shellac nails without chipping, and SNS also creates a thicker-looking nail from all that powder getting added on.
Due to this difference in consistency, the removal process of a Shellac manicure easier and faster than that of a Gel manicure. Because Shellac polish is thinner on the nail, the removal process is quick, only taking 15 to 20 minutes using acetone.
If you do want to do it at home, however, know that because shellac is a polish, it's easier to remove than gel and kinder to your nails as you don't have to buff your nail plate to 'break' the bond.
If you're feeling pain after applying nail polish remover—or after any other nail treatments—that's a sign your nails are damaged to the point that they're no longer serving as an effective barrier, she explains.
While there is nothing wrong with shellac itself, it's the curing process that raises safety concerns. LED light lamps used to cure shellac emit UV rays, and extended exposure to UV rays can have potential side effects, including premature aging of the skin, age spots, and skin cancer.