While most of the world is now in quarantine, it’s left most of with a lot of questions. Many of our questions are yet to be answered, but one of the more minor dilemmas a lot of us are experiencing is how to remove gel nail polish at home. Typically you would just have it done during your salon visit, but since that’s not an option right now, doing it at home will have to do. Luckily removing gel nail polish at home (without causing damage to your nails) is possible, and it’s actually easy?as long as you have the right tools. Here’s what you’ll need:

Nail file
Acetone nail polish remover
Coconut oil or olive oil

Once you have these three items, you’re just a few minutes away from gel-free nails?just follow the four steps below. Step One: File down the top coat.

Since a gel manicure typically consists of a few layers, you’ll want to take your nail file and buff down the top coat of polish. You’ll want to file about half way through and then let the acetone work to remove the rest of the gel. File with even pressure around the nail and stop if you ever get to a point where you feel pain. Make sure not to file too far down (never all the way to your nails) so that you don’t accidentally damage your nail.
 
Step Two: Soak your nails in acetone.

Part of the double-edged sword of gel nail polish is that it doesn’t easily come off, which is great when you want to go weeks without chipped nails but not so great w...