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Ah, good oldgel nail polish removal: the bane of every single nail experts existence.

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But, for the love of glorious nail art, yo dont do it.

Look, we get it, sometimes life happens.

Meet the experts:

What is a gel manicure?

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“Typically this includes a base coat, two color coats and a top coat.

After each coat, the gel polish is cured under a UV/LED lamp.

This helps set the gel polish.

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Sometimes gels are referred to as “shellac,” but the two arent necessarily interchangeable.

Shellac is a trademark of CND, the creators of gel technology.

The first and most obvious is that they undoubtedly last much longer than a regular nail polish manicure.

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“It stays looking fresh and maintains a beautiful, glossy shine during wear.

Humphrey echoes this, “They help to grow out natural nails and can helpnail bitersbreak the habit.”

How to Remove a Gel Nail Polish?

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“Gel remover will strip varnish or coatings off surfaces so be wary of this.”

You might want to use an old mat with a towel and some paper towel on top.

This first stage is crucial to efficient removal.

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This breaks the gel seal so that the acetone can get to work breaking down the cured paint.

“Apply cuticle oil to the skin surrounding the nail to help with dehydration,” Humphrey says.

Looking at you “gels ruin my nails” crew are you missing this step?

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The next stage is the actual soaking off.

“Leave this for around 10 minutes.”

Completely saturating the cotton round is important as sometimes it can dry out.

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Once youve unwrapped the foil, it should look like your gel is literally flaking off.

You shouldnt have to apply much pressure.

“I recommend theEssie Apricot Nail and Cuticle Oil, and hand cream to rehydrate.”

Person scrapping off excess gel nail polish with wooden cuticle stick

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If you do these things then youll be able to remove your gel polish at home with no damage.

“It just takes patience and care,” says Humphrey.