The Best Ways to Remove Builder Gel (With & Without a Drill)

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Remove hard & soft gel nails at home and restore your natural nails

Co-authored by Elaine Heredia, BA Reviewed by Barbie Ritzman

Last Updated: May 22, 2025 Fact Checked

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Removing Builder Gel with Acetone

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With a File

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With a Drill

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Restoring Your Natural Nails

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Video

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Things You'll Need

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Builder gel is a gel manicurists use to add layers on top of your natural nails to strengthen and lengthen them. It comes in soft (also known as structured), semi-hard, and hard versions, and requires acetone, a file, or a drill to remove. If you're not keen on returning to the salon to get your gel nails removed, here are 3 ways to remove builder gel at home, plus our tips for restoring health to your nails after wearing gel for longer than 2 weeks!

Quickest Way to Remove Soft Builder Gel Nails

File down the top coat seal on your builder gel nails.
Press an acetone-soaked cotton ball around each nail.
Wrap a piece of aluminum foil around each cotton ball and nail.
Wait 15-20 minutes, then remove the cotton balls and foil.
Push any remaining gel gently off your nail with a cuticle stick.
Finish cleaning dust and debris from your nails with a cotton pad and rubbing alcohol.

Section 1 of 4:

Removing Soft or Semi-Hard Builder Gel with Acetone

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1
File the top layer of your nails until the color is dull and faded. Use light pressure so that you don't file all the way down to your natural nail. Focus the file on the edge and the free walls of each nail.^{[1]
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- Use a medium 100/180 grit nail file. The 180-grit side will be coarse enough to file through a layer of builder gel, but not so sharp that you'll easily damage your natural nail.^{[2]
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Petroleum jelly will protect your skin from the acetone you're going to soak your nails in. Acetone is a harsh substance and can cause redness and irritation when applied to your skin. However, it's great for dissolving builder gel!^{[3]
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American Academy of Dermatology
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Cut cotton balls or pads into small pieces to fit your nails. Cutting them will minimize the amount of skin you have to expose to the acetone.^{[4]
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American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists

Go to source}Soak the cotton pieces in acetone and press them to your nails. The acetone should touch every part of your nail, so it will break up all the builder gel.^{[5]
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4
Cut small squares of foil to wrap around each nail and finger. Each aluminum foil piece needs to be large enough to completely cover your fingertip, but not so big that you have trouble securing the acetone-soaked cotton in place. Ensure each piece is sealed all around your finger, as well as on top of it. This will keep the nails warm and let the acetone do its work.^{[6]
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- Alternatively, strip off pieces of plastic cling wrap and use that to wrap around your fingers. The plastic makes a better seal, but make sure not to wrap it so tightly that you cut off circulation.^{[7]
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  American Academy of Dermatology
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While you're waiting avoid moving your fingers too much or you'll risk jostling the cotton or moving the foil. Veg out in front of the television for a little while or take a quick cat nap to pass the time.^{[8]
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6
Remove the foil and cotton and clean up any remaining gel. Use a press and twist motion to take off the foil, so it lifts as much gel as possible. Push builder gel residue off your nail using an orange nail stick. Soak your nails in acetone again as often as needed to get all the gel off.^{[9]
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- An orange nail stick is a type of cuticle pusher made of soft wood. It has a rounded, angled shape at one end – perfect for gently scraping gel off your nail!
Use a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol to wipe dust and grime off your nails. Wash your hands in warm, soapy water to take acetone off your skin. Finally, apply cuticle oil to restore hydration and soothe any irritation your cuticles may have suffered due to the acetone.^{[10]
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Section 2 of 4:

Removing Soft or Semi-Hard Builder Gel with a File

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As you notice your natural nails appearing, apply a gentler pressure to avoid damaging them. After all the color layers are removed, buff your nails with a nail buffer to smoothe out the surface of your natural nails.^{[11]
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Filing builder gel produces a large amount of dust. A nail clean-up brush has soft, small bristles you can use to flick all that loose debris out from the sides and underneath your nail.^{[12]
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The process of filing your nails and cleaning them with rubbing alcohol will dry out and possibly even remove some of the skin surrounding your nails. The cuticle oil will moisturize this tissue and help it grow back healthy and strong.^{[13]
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Section 3 of 4:

Removing Hard Builder Gel with a Drill

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Use toenail clippers, as these will snap the gel nail tips off in a horizontal line. Avoid using a tip cutter, which, if its blade is dull, can cause a vertical break that will crack the whole nail.^{[14]
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Work the e-file in one direction (towards yourself) across the entire surface of the gel nail starting at the left bottom corner, and repeat this motion until the top layer loses its shine.^{[15]
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The flicking motion helps you remove the last layer of builder gel while reducing the amount of heat on your natural nail. This is the best technique to keep your nails intact and not wear them away.^{[16]
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Use the bottom of the e-file barrel to tackle these tucked-in areas. Alternatively, keep the speed at 11,000 RPMs and use only the tip of the e-file barrel to lift the builder gel up from the corners of your nails.^{[17]
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Use a manicuring brush to flick away excess dust before wiping up any remaining dust with a cotton pad and rubbing alcohol. Always follow up with cuticle oil to nourish your dry cuticles.^{[18]
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Section 4 of 4:

Restoring & Strengthening Your Natural Nails

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If the gel is allowed to keep curing past 2 weeks, it will be more difficult to take off, which heightens the risk that your natural nails will get damaged during the removal process.^{[19]
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Whenever you apply lotion to your hands, spread some of it over your nails and massage it in. It's especially important to moisturize your nails after applying acetone and rubbing alcohol to them, as those substances will dry your nails and skin out.^{[20]
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Nail hardener is clear and goes on like nail polish. Once applied, it interacts with the keratin protein in your nails and makes it bond together more tightly. It also hardens your nail plates, so that you end up with harder, stronger nails that won't bend easily.^{[21]
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Biotin is a protein that occurs naturally in the human body and is one of the building blocks of your nails.Studies show that biotin, when taken daily, can strengthen your nail beds, which will make them more resistant to splitting.^{[22]
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PubMed Central
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Exposing your nails to water and chemicals for long periods of time can weaken the nails and cause them to split. Not only will this compromise your nail health, but it will also make it more difficult for you to wear gel nails in the future.^{[23]
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Mayo Clinic
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