PSI Texas State Board Nail Tech Practice Exam

Soaking gel polish in acetone for 10-15 minutes is the most effective and safest method for removal. Acetone is a solvent that effectively breaks down the gel polish, allowing it to lift away from the natural nail without causing damage. This method involves soaking cotton balls in acetone, placing them on the nails, and wrapping them with foil or using finger cots to ensure the acetone doesn’t evaporate quickly.

This carefully controlled process helps prevent trauma to the natural nail and surrounding skin, ensuring that the removal is as gentle as possible. After soaking, the gel polish can be easily pushed off with a gentle tool, minimizing the risk of damage to the nail plate itself.

Other methods, such as peeling the gel polish off or scraping it with a nail file, can lead to significant damage to the nail. Peeling can pull on the layers of the nail, potentially causing splits or tears. Scraping with a nail file can remove the top layers of the nail itself, leading to thinning and weakening of the natural nail. The approach of using oil and waiting for it to dissolve is not effective for gel polish, as it is not designed to break down the strong bonding compounds found in gel formulations. Therefore, soaking in acet