What's Removal Like?

No matter your goals, only go to someone who is familiar with the product for removal. First, the tips are cut down to just above the tip of the natural nail, then it looks a lot like normal gel removal. “The process is quite similar to soft gel removal," Nguyen says. "It is best to file down 80% of the product and leave 20% of it on the nail for soak off. The technician needs to be very careful so that she or he doesn’t file the product down excessively and touch the natural nail plate — this is crucial." In my case, the removal took a good 45 minutes, so they definitely take longer to soak off than soft gels, but don’t let anyone rush this process.

After removing my Orly extensions, I didn’t suffer from any breaks, but my nails were very thin. I had to baby my digits for a week or two before trimming them down a bit and going back in for regular gels.

Would I Do It Again?