Does nail polish remover damage my nails?

Many nail polish lovers blame nail polishes for causing their nails to become weak, brittle and lose that beautiful natural pink color. But, the devil is the nail polish remover.

There are two types of nail polish removers: acetone and non-acetone. Acetone is a very harsh chemical. Although the acetone polish removers are cheaper and works the best at removing nail polish, it not only weakens nail plate but also dries out the skin around the nails. If you notice your nails and skin turn white, they have dried out by you using too much acetone on them. Acetone-free polish removers use other solvents like ethyl lactate and propylene carbonate. They are less aggressive compared to acetone but you need to rub harder and longer to get rid of the nail polish. They can still cause drying to nails and skin but less than acetone.

To keep your nails in good and healthy condition, it’s better to limit your exposure to nail polish remover by polishing less frequently. You may think that’s exactly why you choose gel manicure because it lasts longer. However, the removal of soak off gel requires soaking your fingers into acetone and then filing away the gel, which can result in even more nail and skin drying and damage. If you just love it, at least take a break between gel manicures and apply oil every day to allow nails to rehydrate and repair.

If you simply want to stay away from nail polish remover, opt for peel off nail polishes or peel off gel nail polishes. Peel off nail polishes apply like regular nail polishes and are air dried in several minutes. Peel off gels require less steps than soak off gels because they don’t require buffing the nails or applying adhesive or base coat. However, both gels are cured under LED or UV lamp within 30 to 60 seconds. Peel off nail polishes last for 1-2 days, while peel off gel polishes last for 1-2 weeks. They both can be peeled off to remove without any chemical.

What about if you don’t want to waste the nail polishes or gel polishes you currently have? What about if there are some shades that you love but can’t find a peel off version of them? No worries! You can apply a layer of peel off base coat on your nails before applying your nail polishes or gel polishes to make them peelable. Regular peel off base coats are air dried in several minutes and allows manicures to last for a day or two. As gel polishes, peel off gel base coats are cured under LED or UV lamp. It allows gel manicure to last 2-3 weeks but be removed easily without damaging your nails.