According to Mazz Hanna , a professional manicurist who works with A-list clients like Julia Roberts , our fears aren't unfounded. "There’s this misconception that gel ruins your nails and that's really not the case — it's gel removal that can ruin your nails," she says. But it's what she said next that really got to us: Not only can we easily remove our gel manis at home, it can often be safer than the practices you'll find in many salons.