1-1/2 hrs to remove acrylic with gel on top

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Freelancetrainer

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[emoji112] Hello!

Although fully qualified in the application and removal of acrylics etc, it’s not a service I offer. I offer Gel Polish plus removal but I had a request to remove a school girls acrylics.

They were very long so after filing away the shine and a good soaking in acetone inside hot mitts for 25 mins I then cut them back with my artificial nail clippers.

The gel polish also had glitter on two of the nails. But I found that despite soaking a cotton ball in acetone and wrapping in foil and placed in hot mitts, that even after 25 mins, I had an awful lot of filing to do on the surface to help it along. Plus soaking the finger tips into pure acetone in a glass bowl. The end result was good but my god 1 1/2hrs!!!! Any idea why it took me so long? I’m not a slow worker. Good speed and firm handed but I’m wondering is acetone maybe not the best remover? Or is it just because it was Gel Polish on top of acrylic and quite normal?

I have no idea what brand was used and neither did the girl.
 
Probably cheap NSS nails which are nearly impossible to remove. This is why many techs won't remove or work over another techs products. Pure acetone is the fastest acting disolvants, its drying to the skin which is why many suppliers add oils and buffering agents, but nothing works faster.
 
When removing acrylics it’s much quicker if you file off the bulk of the product leaving only a thin layer on the nail plate to soak off.
As trinity mentioned lots of us won’t remove others work and I’m one of them.
 
I do remove others work as I have gained a few clients this way!

It takes ages but I charge £10, I debulk with my e file and a extra course bit, dunk them in super strength acetone -99% one - you can grab from savers its 79p! - I use a soak mani tub from ebay - you can store very warm water in the bottom tray part. Slap a towel over it - and then work on each hand - trimming off acrylic either with my drill or a cuticle end.
 
I don’t use drills (never been trained on a drill and never used one) but especially as I don’t actually do false nails at all so all my filing was by hand. I did clip the nails right down in length. I do charge £15 for removal but at 11/2hrs that’s minimum wage [emoji23]. Anyway, it was good to be able to help the girl out but I can see why some choose not to if they don’t know what products been used or the condition of the natural nail underneath. I didn’t think of that. Anyway, out of interest, I’ve just been using acetone from Salon System which I’m assuming is 100% although it doesn’t say. I assume this should be effective? I also use Gelish soak off but I keep that for my own clients removal of Gelish polish.
 
, I’ve just been using acetone from Salon System which I’m assuming is 100% although it doesn’t say. I assume this should be effective? I also use Gelish soak off but I keep that for my own clients removal of Gelish polish.

It should have the ingredients on the package somewhere, it has to by law. I'd also keep the branded remover for Gel Polish clients. They come more regularly and therefore need the buffering ingredients to help protect their skin. Soak offs should be fairly rare, no reason to unless there is a specific reason, I can't remember the last time I soaked off a set.
 
I do tend to place a soaked cotton ball directly in the nail rather than immerse fingers but did end up dipping the acrylic fingers in as hot fed up with the unwrapping, the-wrapping of foils when I realised it was going to take some time.
 
I do tend to place a soaked cotton ball directly in the nail rather than immerse fingers but did end up dipping the acrylic fingers in as hot fed up with the unwrapping, the-wrapping of foils when I realised it was going to take some time.

The foil method is not efficient for removing acrylic, you can't get a good enough seal for long enough before the acetone evaporates. You are better using the immersion method. Don't keep taking the fingers out to check either, every time they are removed the product rehardens and you have to restart the process.

It's also the reason why clients struggle to remove Gel Polish they think wrapping for 15 minutes will help, instead of the 8/10 we use. What they don't realise is the acetone has evaporated about about 12 and the product has rehardened in the foils.
 
If only a thin layer is left before wrapping in foil I find that once you get to wrapping the last finger the first is ready to remove.
I then use an old file to rub it off and there’s no damage by scraping.
 
The foil method is not efficient for removing acrylic, you can't get a good enough seal for long enough before the acetone evaporates. You are better using the immersion method. Don't keep taking the fingers out to check either, every time they are removed the product rehardens and you have to restart the process.

It's also the reason why clients struggle to remove Gel Polish they think wrapping for 15 minutes will help, instead of the 8/10 we use. What they don't realise is the acetone has evaporated about about 12 and the product has rehardened in the foils.

That’s interesting as I find gel polish comes off really easy in foils with mitts, although I try different methods and haven’t found one method better than the other yet.
 
That’s interesting as I find gel polish comes off really easy in foils with mitts, although I try different methods and haven’t found one method better than the other yet.

Gel polish in foils yes, acrylic no
 
That’s interesting as I find gel polish comes off really easy in foils with mitts, although I try different methods and haven’t found one method better than the other yet.

Me too for both. Certainly better than submerging in acetone.

When I did my efile training with NSI, we watched an acrylic extension be filed down then the trainer asked us to time the soak off. The nail was wrapped for 2 mins and the acrylic slid off.

That’s good technique.
 
Me too for both. Certainly better than submerging in acetone.

When I did my efile training with NSI, we watched an acrylic extension be filed down then the trainer asked us to time the soak off. The nail was wrapped for 2 mins and the acrylic slid off.

That’s good technique.

Do you find the efile much quicker than by hand? Not that I’d be using one as I don’t offer nails other than manicures/gel polish but just for the sake of knowledge. Do most nail techs use efiles/drills nowadays for acrylic and gel?
 
Do you find the efile much quicker than by hand? Not that I’d be using one as I don’t offer nails other than manicures/gel polish but just for the sake of knowledge. Do most nail techs use efiles/drills nowadays for acrylic and gel?

Yes it is so much quicker, I couldn’t do the amount of sets I do without one.
They do seem to be very popular now with us using coloured acrylic as this needs to be filed off at every rebalance appointment for a new colour/design.
 

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