How to remove gel nail polish without the damage: Easy and quick at-home method (2025)

It's all well and good investing your hard-earned money into a swanky new set of gel nails (courtesy of your fave highstreet salon), but when it comes to the end of your manis' shelf-life, if you're not removing them correctly, why even bother! I'm talking weakened nail beds, a crusty, dusty look and sometimes, pain.

With this in mind, to ensure you're keeping your talons intact, we, along with Sadie Jordan, celebrity nail artist and content creator, recommend investing a little time and extra cash into proper gel nail polish removal – that way, you can keep going back for more! As Hannah Montana famously once said: You get the best of both worlds.

How to remove gel nail polish

Seeking removal and advice from a professional nail technician is always recommended; however, if, for any reason, you cannot go to a salon IRL, Sadie shares a quick and easy six-step process below.

Though, before we get into it, remember: Peeling off or picking at your gels is a huge no-no! "This peels away layers of your natural nail with it, again causing damage and thinning," Sadie says. "I recommend you keep your gel manicure on for 3-4 weeks before having it removed. Any longer and you risk breaking them due to imbalances."

The step-by-step removal process

Step 1

File away the topcoat, ensuring you remove all of the shine.

Step 2

Soak a small piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad in 100% acetone and secure it tightly onto the nail by wrapping it in foil.

Step 3

Leave each nail to soak for 10-15 minutes.

Step 4

Gently scrape away the gel polish using a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick. (If it’s not coming away easily, you may need to soak them for longer!)

Step 5

Buff away any gel residue with a nail file.

Step 6

Apply a cuticle oil to rehydrate the nail and cuticle area (very important step after the acetone exposure!).

How long does it take to remove gel nail polish?

"Gel removal typically takes about 15 minutes and costs between £5 and £15 in the salon," Sadie says. On the other hand, she says that extension/BIAB removals may cost more; "it's a longer process with thicker layers of product to remove."

For more info on BIAB, read our tell-all guide here.

Are gel nails damaging?

Gel nails themselves aren't damaging for the nail when applied and removed correctly. However, damage can occur when salons use the E-file (drill) incorrectly (apply too much pressure, use the incorrect RPM/speed, or just go too far) to remove the product – that, or you pick them off... Again, a big no-no!

"This means they're filing away the natural nail, causing thinning and damage, which can take a long time to grow out," Sadie says.

Meet the expert:

Sadie Jordan is a celebrity nail artist and content creator based in London. She has over 10 years working in the beauty industry, and before becoming a content creator, she worked in multiple nail salons.

Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?

Lia Mappoura is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. With over three years under her belt, over three different roles at Cosmo (intern, assistant and now, writer), as well as a year prior interning at magazines including Grazia, Dazed Beauty and Glamour, she has learnt a lot about what makes for a good great beauty product. I mean, she has been a judge in over seven seasonal beauty awards... which includes having to test over 100 skin, makeup, hair and body products for each. Someone's gotta do it!

Follow Lia on Instagram.