After getting your first ever Apres manicure, you’re probably wondering how to remove Gel X nails at home.
I recently got a really pretty pink manicure with silver reflective glitter on the tips and decided to take them off myself at home.
Step-by-Step: How To Remove Gel X Nails
Summary:
First, file off the glossy upper layer of the gel polish. Next, place your nails in a small bowl of acetone for 10-15 minutes. Then gently push off the loose nail extensions. To speed up the process with heat, place your nails in acetone in a ziplock bag, and place that bag in a small bowl of warm water.
Detailed Directions
To remove your Apres, Gel-X nails, you first need to gather the materials listed below. Aside from acetone, all of these are either regular household products or things you would have in your nail care drawer anyway.
With that in mind, 100% acetone can easily become your main nail polish remover, especially because it serves multiple purposes: 100% acetone can remove regular nail polish, take off gel nail polish, remove Gel-X nails and remove acrylic nails, all easily at home.
Acetone is also cheap! It will cost about $$1-10 at your local pharmacy, Target, Walmart or on Amazon. Yes I know that is a wide price range, but the cost depends on the brand and which store you purchase the acetone from.
Below I’ll share two methods to help you remove Gel-X nails, either with cotton balls, acetone & aluminum foil OR a small bowl/Ziplock bag and a slightly larger bowl with hot water.
Cotton Ball/Paper Towel Method
Supplies Needed
- Good quality nail file OR nail buffer OR nail drill
- Nail clippers
- 100% Acetone
***Important note: DO NOT BUY nail polish removers that are “97% acetone” or some other percentage. You need 100% acetone only.
- Cotton balls or cotton pads or paper towels
- Aluminum foil (cut out ten – 3×4 inch pieces)
Removal Process
Step 1 – Clip off the extra length of the nail extension
Using your nail clipper, cut off the extra length of nails.
Pay attention to where your natural nails start and stop. Clip a millimeter or two above your natural nail.
When clipping off the extra length, the piece of nail often flies off and can be a hazard. An easy way to prevent the nail from flying all over the place is to use your nail clipper to clip the sides of each nail, but avoid cutting 2-3 millimeters at the center of the nail.
Once the sides are cut, you can bend the nail backward and it will easily break off.
Step 2 – File off the color and shine of your Gel-X nails
Using your nail file, buffer or drill bit, begin filing off the shiny coat and color coat of your nail extensions, all around. Make sure to get the corners of your nails, near your cuticle. Do your best to buff off as much as possible.
It’s faster to buff off the nail color and shiny coat using a nail drill but most people do not have these at home. So if you do not have a nail drill, you can use a good quality nail file instead. The metal nail files may not work for this process, you will likely need the emery board type of nail files. These are the ones that are like a thick, rough popsicle stick. You can also use a nail buffer.
Step 3 – Cover your nails with acetone
Once you’ve filed off the excess shiny coat and nail color, saturate the piece of cotton ball (that is big enough to cover a nail) in acetone. You can also use a cotton pad or paper towel.
If you’re using a cotton ball, you can pull a piece of the cotton ball, about ½ or ¼ of the original ball, to cover the nail. This saves cotton as well.
Place the saturated cotton pad, cotton ball or paper towel over the nail.
Step 4 – Cover & soak with aluminum foil
Using the 3X4 inch pieces of aluminum foil, cover your nail with the acetone saturated piece of cotton pad, cotton ball or paper towel.
The wider side of the aluminum foil should be perpendicular to your nail. Then, fold over the shorter side of the aluminum foil over the top of your finger. Once that is secured, fold the sides pieces over your finger, one by one (they will overlap).
Let your nails soak for 10 – 20 minutes.
Step 5 – Gently scrape off the Gel-X
After your nails have soaked, remove the aluminum foil and the Gel-X extensions should be a gooey texture. Using your cuticle pusher, gently scrape off the gooey substance.
Metal cuticle pushers are best for this but you can use any type of cuticle pusher.
If there is still a lot of Gel-X on your nails or if the gel has not turned gooey/loose, repeat step 4.
Once most of the Gel-X is removed from your nails, you can gently file off the little bits of gel-x crumbs left over.
Step 6 – Gel-X Nails Removal Aftercare
Once you’ve removed all the Gel-X from your nails, now it’s time to clean your hands. The acetone will likely dry out your nails so you will want to reverse that effect.
Wash your hands with soap and moisturize immediately after. You can use a lotion or cream to moisturize your hands and add a cuticle oil to lock in the moisture in your cuticles.
Ziploc Bag + Acetone + Hot Water Method
Supplies Needed
- Good quality nail file OR nail buffer OR nail drill
- Nail clippers
- 100% Acetone
***Important note: DO NOT BUY nail polish removers that are “97% acetone” or some other percentage. You need 100% acetone only.
- Cuticle pusher
- 1 zip loc bag + 1 small bowl (that is large enough to fit at least five fingers) OR two small bowls, where one is slightly smaller than and fits comfortably inside the other. (DO NOT use styrofoam or paper plates)
Removal Process
Step 1 – Clip off the extra length of the nail extension
Using your nail clipper, cut off the extra length of nails.
Pay attention to where your natural nails start and stop. Clip a millimeter or two above your natural nail.
When clipping off the extra length, the piece of nail often flies off and can be a hazard. An easy way to prevent the nail from flying all over the place is to use your nail clipper to clip the sides of each nail, but avoid cutting 2-3 millimeters at the center of the nail.
Once the sides are cut, you can bend the nail backward and it will easily break off.
Step 2 – File off the color and shine of your Gel-X nails
Using your nail file, buffer or drill bit, begin filing off the shiny coat and color coat of your nail extensions, all around. Make sure to get the corners of your nails, near your cuticle. Do your best to buff off as much as possible.
It’s faster to buff off the nail color and shiny coat using a nail drill but most people do not have these at home. So if you do not have a nail drill, you can use a good quality nail file instead. The metal nail files may not work for this process, you will likely need the emery board type of nail files. These are the ones that are like a thick, rough popsicle stick. You can also use a nail buffer.
Step 3 – Place your fingers in acetone
Fill a smallish bowl with hot water, about halfway.
Next, fill a small Ziploc bag with acetone, enough to cover your nails (alternative: you can also use a smaller bowl in place of the Ziploc bag).
Place your fingers into the bag so that the acetone covers your nails in full.
With your fingers inside the bag, place the bag into the smallish bowl of hot water.
The hot water will speed up the process, allowing the acetone to melt the gel quickly.
Allow your nails to soak for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 4 – Gently scrape off the Gel-X
After your nails have soaked, remove the Ziploc bag (with your fingers in it) from the small bowl.
Next, remove your fingers from the Ziploc bag. The Gel-X extensions should be a gooey texture. Using your cuticle pusher, gently scrape off the gooey substance.
Metal cuticle pushers are best for this but you can use any type of cuticle pusher.
If there is still a lot of Gel-X on your nails or if the gel has not turned gooey/loose, repeat step 3.
Once most of the Gel-X is removed from your nails, you can gently file off the little bits of gel-x crumbs left over.
Step 5 – Gel-X Nails Removal Aftercare
Once you’ve removed all the Gel-X from your nails, now it’s time to clean your hands. The acetone will likely dry out your nails so you will want to reverse that effect.
Wash your hands with soap and moisturize immediately after. You can use a lotion or cream to moisturize your hands and add a cuticle oil to lock in the moisture in your cuticles.
Gel Nails vs Gel X Nails
Gel Nails
As you may already know, gel nails first start with a base coat, followed by two to three coats of gel nail polish color and then topped off with a clear coat to seal everything in, like a top coat.
After each step of the gel nails process, you place your nails & hands under a UV light so that it can cure each layer in between, before the next step.
Apres Gel-X Nails
However, with Gel-X nails, a similar process is used, except in the beginning where a fake clear nail is glued onto your nails using a gel adhesive and lamp.
First a nail technician will clean your nails and cuticles.
Then, a layer of clear PH bonder and Primer are applied to the natural nail. Then, Extend Gel is used to bond the nail extension to the natural nail using a UV light.
In the beginning, the Gel-X process requires the use of a small flashlight shaped UV light, which cures 1 nail at a time.
Next, 2-3 layers of gel color are added and then sealed with a top coat using a larger UV lamp that all of your fingers can fit under.
How long do Gel-X nails last?
Gel X nails can last anywhere from 2 weeks to a month.
If you have a great nail technician, they can last super long, but your nails will grow out like all other manicure types so after about 3 weeks, you may want to remove the nails, whether or not they last that long.
How to Remove Gel X Nails without a Drill:
To remove Gel-X nails without a drill, you need either an emery board nail file or a nail buffer. Using a nail file or buffer will take more time compared to a drill, but most people already have these at home, which makes life easier!
From there, you will go one by one on each nail and buff off the glossy top coat and gel color.
Next, you can use acetone to melt off the Gel-X extensions. Read more above for step by step directions.
Gel X Removal Price
To get Apres Gel-X removed by a nail technician, it will cost you about $10 – $20 per visit.
If you remove your Gel-X manicure at home, it will cost you about $1-$10 or so for multiple removals. The products that you need to remove Gel-X nails at home are all things that are in most households. From there, all you will need to purchase is 100% acetone, which costs about $1-10, depending on where you purchase it.
My Experience with Gel-X Nails
I really love my experience with Gel-X nails. Although the process is lengthy (the appointment can take 2-3 hours or more), I think it’s worth it, especially for a special occasion.
I used to do acrylic nails but once I discovered Gel-X nails, I switched over forever.
Either way, both are super expensive to me so I prefer to wear Gel-X nails for special occasions like my birthday, a holiday or vacation. During a regular week, I’ll wear press on/glued on nails.
Press on nails are super cheap too (as little as $7).
Press on nail styles have also upgraded so much in the last few years. These types of nails are no longer child-like. Companies like Kiss & The Nailest have new designs that can compete with most acrylic or Gel-X manicures.
That brings the question, which one is better?:
Are Gel-X nails better than acrylic?
Gel-X nails are much better than acrylic nails.
Gel X nails were much gentler on my fingers and cuticles than acrylic.
They also have a sleeker, slimmer look.
Acrylic often made my nails feel sore, tight and painful. With Gel-X nails I don’t have those issues at all anymore.
I hope this helped you learn how to remove gel x nails at home like a pro!