How to remove shellac at home – secret life hacks

Shellac helps out a lot of the fair sex who want their nails to look well-groomed and beautiful for a long time. But sooner or later, it becomes necessary to remove a persistent decorative coating, as it loses its gloss or simply because the marigolds grow back, their bases not covered with shellac look unaesthetic. Specialists in manicure and nail art claim that you can remove shellac in the salon without any difficulty and harm to your nails. But the journalists were interested in the question – is it possible to remove this resistant polymer coating at home? It turns out you can. You will find an overview of popular methods and tools for removing shellac in this article.

Distinctive features of shellac

To understand how to remove shellac at home, you need to know how this tool differs from other cosmetic preparations for nail art. A dozen years ago, there was only nail polish, which was used by both professional manicurists and ordinary people. Over time, other products for the nail industry began to emerge. Including shellac, as well as gel polish. The difference between these drugs is as follows:

1. Structure. Traditional varnish is based on polymers, solvents, plasticizers and pigments, thanks to which this preparation dries quickly in the air. Shellac and gel polish contain components, which polymerize or solidify only under the ultraviolet rays of a special lamp.

2. Consistency. Traditional polish and shellac are more liquid and plastic than gel polish. Therefore, varnish and shellac are used as decorative means, and with the help of gel varnish you can not only decorate natural marigolds at home, but also grow artificial ones.

3. Wear time. Classic polish will last for 2-5 days, shellac can be worn for 2-3 weeks, and gel polish will decorate nails for up to 30 days.

4. Method for removing the decorative layer. Regular varnish dissolves easily and quickly with acetone or acetone-containing and acetone-free 'removers'. Shellac is not easy to remove at home, for this you need to use a special remover and caps for your fingertips. Gel polish, as the most resistant and durable preparation, can be removed mechanically or by hardware, that is, by cutting.

Removal of any decorative coating from marigolds, and even more resistant polymer preparations, is recommended to be carried out in a beauty salon or in a nail bar. There, this procedure will be carried out as quickly as possible, safely and without harm to the nail plates or adjacent tissues. But what to do if there is no time to go to the salon or there is a long queue to the master, and the product has already ceased to fulfill its decorative function, cracked or just tired? You can try to remove shellac at home using professional and improvised products that can act as solvents.

Preparation of marigolds and accessories

To remove shellac properly, you may need the following tools and accessories:

1. A professional shellac remover or another product that replaces it.

2. Foil – professional or ordinary food grade. Or a special plaster, for example, produced by CND, which will fix the lotion with a remover, but allow the skin to breathe. If you intend to regularly remove permanent decorative coatings from nails at home, it is better to buy special tips for fingers or special clips that look like small clothespins instead of foil. Or a set of professional wipes impregnated with a remover, each of which is packed in an individual bag.

3. Cotton pads or plain cotton, cotton swabs.

4. An essential oil, greasy cream or cuticle care product.

5. A metal pusher that experts use to remove stubborn film from nails.

6. Orange stick.

7. Buffs and nail files of different grits (different degrees of abrasiveness).

8. Glass or ceramic dishes of sufficient depth for the hands to be submerged.

9. Soft terry hand towel or paper towels.

The nails and skin of the hands also need to be prepared, which will allow you to remove shellac at home faster and better. First, wash your hands with soap and water. Then it is necessary to treat the nail plates and the skin with a disinfectant and degreasing solution. If this is not done, then the sebum present on the tissues of the hands can negatively affect the action of the solvent, soften it, and slow down the process of removing the polymer film. A skin care preparation can be applied to the cuticle to protect it from the aggressive effects of the remover components. After that, you can start a procedure that will help you remove shellac at home.

How to remove shellac using special wipes

Special wipes for removing shellac are very convenient to use at home. They are sold in a large pack of several hundred. Each is ready for use – impregnated with solvent and individually packaged. You need to use napkins in this way:

1. Prepare marigolds and hands in general, as well as lay tools on the table surface.

2. Take 10 napkins from the box.

3. Open the package of one napkin, apply it to the nail.

4. Put on the nail an individual package of napkins, wrap the nail tightly with it, squeeze with your fingers.

5. Manipulate the napkins on all nails.

6. Soak the product on the nail plates for as long as indicated on the product packaging.

7. After use, the napkins and their packaging must be disposed of, and hands must be treated with care products.

How to remove shellac with an acetone bath

Experts warn that this method is not the best solution for removing shellac at home. It should be used only in the most extreme cases, when the product needs to be removed urgently, and there are no alternative drugs at hand. And, of course, you should not resort to this method regularly, otherwise you can bring the nails and skin of the fingers to a deplorable state.

How to use an acetone bath at home:

1. Take a pre-prepared bowl, pour on the bottom so much that it completely covers the surface of the nails when the hands are immersed in liquid.

2. Dip your fingers in acetone.

3. Wait 10 minutes. If at this time any negative sensations such as burning, itching or pain arise, remove your fingers from the acetone and rinse with plenty of lukewarm running water. And then cover with a fat cream.

4. Remove your fingers, wipe with a paper towel, orange stick or a pusher, remove the plastic film from the nails.

5. Wash your hands thoroughly, use a cuticle remover and a greasy hand cream.

Acetone baths should not be used if there are scratches or other damage to the integrity of the skin on the fingers.

How to remove shellac at home using colorless varnish

This is not an ideal method, its effectiveness is questionable, but it has a right to exist, and you can try it. To facilitate the removal of shellac, remove the bulk of the polymers from the nails with a buff, a file with an abrasive layer. Then apply a regular colorless varnish to the nail plates. Without waiting for the varnish to dry, wipe it off with a paper towel a couple of minutes after application. It is recommended to process each nail separately so that the varnish does not have time to set and dry. You can additionally wipe the surface of the nails with a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover. Most likely, the procedure will have to be repeated at least 2-3 times, but it is impossible to guarantee that it will be possible to completely remove the shellac in this way.

How to remove shellac at home with alcohol or vodka

This technique also raises doubts among specialists about its effectiveness, but in the absence of alternative options, it can be tried to apply. The technology of execution is no different from the technology of removing a persistent product using a professional remover. You need to prepare your nails and hands, as well as cotton pads and foil. Moisten the semicircles of the discs with vodka or the strongest alcohol available. Apply lotions to the nails, fix with foil, 20-30 minutes, remove lotions along with shellac. After that, the remnants of the product are removed with an orange stick or a pusher.

Is it possible to remove shellac by hardware

If you or someone you know has an apparatus for cutting gel polish, you may have a question – can it be used to remove shellac? In theory, this is possible, especially if you act with extreme caution. But experts do not recommend using this method. Firstly, shellac has a structure that is different from the structure of gel polish. Therefore, the cutter of the apparatus can get stuck in shellac. Secondly, there is a high probability that a careless movement will damage the nail plate by sawing it off with a cutter.

Considering the above, if you want to remove shellac from the surface of the marigold, it is recommended to use not the apparatus, but a special file. It is easier to control it and stop the procedure at the right stage. The disadvantage of using a nail file is that the procedure will take a long time, since the polymer coating is difficult to attack with abrasives. Therefore, a nail file can be used to thin the coating layer. As a result, it will be easier to remove the shellac with a solvent.

Professional drugs

Only specialized products that are designed to remove stubborn decorative coatings will allow safe removal of shellac at home. All these funds, regardless of composition and type, act in a similar way. Their active ingredients penetrate into the layers of solidified polymers, soften them, which makes it possible to easily remove the varnish from the surface of the marigolds by mechanical means.

Professional removers can be made on the basis of acetone or its substitutes. Acetone has a negative effect on nails and finger tissues. Therefore, if possible, it is recommended to use preparations containing ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone or amyl acetate. These substances act on the nail plates more gently and sparingly. Another advantage is that acetone-free preparations evaporate more slowly when compared to acetone. This property is very useful when it comes to removing shellac coatings at home. However, they also have a drawback – they require a longer exposure time on the nails, and also do not always cope with a persistent remedy the first time.

The most effective and popular in the professional environment drugs used to remove shellac (they can be used at home):

1. YOKO (country of origin – USA). This tool, according to user reviews, is very simple to use. It is enough to apply the drug to the nails, and then remove it along with the decorative coating with a paper napkin. The preparation contains vitamins A, E, useful for nails and skin. The average cost is 400 rubles.

2. Perfect (country of origin – Korea). This shellac thinner has a good component composition, fast action and budget price. The average cost is 150 rubles.

3. CND (country of origin – UK). This drug is a representative of specialized preparations for removing shellac and gel coatings. There are no toxic components in the composition. The tool acts delicately and quickly – within five to seven minutes. The advantage of the remover is essential oils, as well as vitamins A, E, B, which are present in the composition. The average cost is 1000 rubles.

4. Severina (country of origin – Russia). This budget tool has a good composition and high efficiency. After applying and holding the product on the nails, shellac can be easily removed even with a simple cotton pad. The only drawback is the long duration of action. The average cost is 250 rubles.

5. Rio Profi (country of origin – Russia). Another inexpensive home remedy. It has a complex effect – at the same time softens and removes the coating, and also degreases the surface. The average cost is 200 rubles.

6. TNL (country of origin – South Korea). The cheapest product on our list. Contains acetone, but allows you to remove the durable decorative coating in one session. The average cost is 70 rubles.

7. In Garden (country of origin – USA). This product is suitable for removing various types of coatings. For use with foil or fingertips. Effectively softens and helps to remove shellac without damaging the nails and skin of the hands. The average cost is 200 rubles.

When choosing a remover, consider not only the price of the product, but also its category. Professional drugs are safer and easier to use at home.

Standard shellac stripping sequence

Knowing each stage of the procedure, and not a generalized picture, will allow you to remove shellac at home quickly and without harm to nails. Methods for removing this persistent decorative coating follow a standard procedure, with possible differences in detail.

The generalized scheme for removing shellac at home includes the following steps:

1. Prepare tools and hands.

2. Take 5 cotton pads and cut in half to make 10 crescents.

3. Prepare 10 pieces of foil, measuring approximately 7 x 7 centimeters. If tips are used, prepare them.

4. Soak semicircles of cotton pads or cotton balls in solvent.

5. Place cotton pads or balls on the nails in such a way that the nail plate is touched, but not the skin of the fingers.

6. Wrap foil around fingertips tightly or put on lugs.

7. Keep the foil on your fingers for the time indicated on the remover package. This is usually 15-20 minutes.

8. Remove the lotions and foil from one finger, remove the remains of shellac with a pusher or an orange stick. Do the same operation one by one on all nails, removing the foil and lotion just before proceeding with each nail.

9. Polish the nail plates with a buff.

10. Apply cuticle care and oily cream to fingers and hands.

By acting in this way, you can remove shellac from nails at home in just 1-1.5 hours. In the salon, this procedure takes about the same time.

The main mistakes that girls make when they want to remove shellac at home

Removing shellac is a responsible procedure, during which mistakes must not be made, as a result of which the structure of the nails can be damaged. Experts warn against taking such actions during the removal of a persistent decorative coating:

1. If in one session it was not possible to completely remove the shellac at home, you can repeat all the manipulations. However, you cannot carry out more than 2-3 sessions in a row, otherwise damage to the nails and skin of the fingers cannot be avoided.

2. It is impossible to pick out or tear off shellac by force, even with a metal pusher you need to be extremely careful not to scratch the surface.

3. Tools used to remove shellac should not have sharp edges.

4. Do not use homemade shellac removal methods if you doubt their safety. If you are a 'happy' owner of sensitive, prone to dryness and irritation of the skin, do not use removers and other acetone-based preparations.

5. Do not purchase solvents from the market or unknown locations. Buy removers only from reliable stationary or online retailers. In this case, the likelihood that you buy a fake is reduced, which may contain very aggressive components that can damage the tissues of the hands. The best option is to buy a solvent on the manufacturer's official website or from official representatives who have the necessary quality certificates.

6. You should not remove the shellac from the tip to the base of the nail, you need to work with a stick or pusher in the opposite direction, trying not to touch the cuticle, lateral surfaces near the nails.

Follow these guidelines and you can remove shellac at home without risking damaging your hand tissues.

Advantages and disadvantages of removing shellac at home

Perhaps the only advantage a woman gets when she removes stubborn decorative coatings herself is that she saves time and money. You do not need to make an appointment with the master, who may be busy or be on sick leave, on vacation. No need to waste time traveling to and from the salon. You also don't have to spend a lot of money on manicure correction. One can of professional shellac remover is enough for a dozen home treatments. However, this is where the benefits end. But the disadvantages of such procedures are much more:

1. You will have to tinker, because it is not always possible to remove shellac from the nails the first time, even if professional means are used.

2. There is a risk of buying a fake, the use of which will make the nails brittle, thin, flaking. In addition, such a poor-quality drug can harm the skin of the fingers, which can lose moisture, begin to flake and crack.

3. Using improvised products such as acetone further increases the likelihood of tissue damage. Acetone is intended for short-term effects on the nail plate and skin. And keeping it for 10-15 minutes or even longer is a big risk. In addition, it is highly discouraged to use acetone during pregnancy and lactation, as well as for any health problems, because toxic vapors of this agent enter the body through the respiratory tract and can aggravate the course of the disease.

Shellac is a resistant coating, it is not so easy to remove it at home. Therefore, if possible, it is better to contact a specialist who will carry out the procedure without any harm to the health of the nail plates.

How to restore nails after removing shellac at home

If you do decide to remove the resistant coating yourself, take care to provide your nails with an ambulance as soon as possible. Home procedures will definitely not do without negative consequences, so the marigolds will need additional care.

How to help your nails recover after applying shellac and removing durable decorative coatings:

1. Make nourishing baths for nails and finger skin. You can use the following recipe: displace 2 tablespoons of sea salt, 6-7 drops of pharmacy iodine, half a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, a few drops of any essential oil, a few drops of vegetable oil. These components must be added to a bowl of warm water, then held in the liquid by hand for 20-25 minutes.

2. Regularly use a preparation for regenerating the cuticle, which will help restore healthy nails and protect the skin from the appearance of burrs.

3. Regularly use a special nail oil that heals the nail plate.

4. Several times a week, you can rub your marigolds with lemon juice mixed with a small amount of natural honey. The mixture is left on the surface of the nails and on the skin for 10-15 minutes, after which it is washed off with water.

5. Also, immediately after removing the shellac, it is recommended to apply a special restorative coating on the nails, which will protect the nail plates from fragility and delamination during the recovery period. In the salon, you may be offered several procedures aimed at improving the condition of the nail plates, for example, sealing nails.

Reviews of ways to remove shellac at home

The journalists of our online edition decided to ask the opinion of users who have experience in carrying out such cosmetic procedures. Many women are interested in the issue of removing shellac on their own, not out of idle curiosity, so the opinion of more experienced compatriots is of great importance to them.

If you look at the reviews about the different ways to remove shellac, you can draw the following conclusions:

1. Professional products really help remove stubborn polymer coating. Moreover, even relatively cheap options are effective.

2. Acetone-containing and acetone-free specialized preparations are equally effective. But the use of the latter is more comfortable psychologically, since there is no need to worry about the health of the nail plates and skin of the fingers.

3. Improvised means are less effective with the exception of acetone and nail polish remover with this substance in the composition. However, the use of such preparations requires prolonged exposure of the lotions, and then thoroughly removing the coating mechanically using an orange stick or similar device.

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