Gel polish remover: types and features of application

One of those tools, the presence of which can significantly facilitate the work of manicure masters, are cutters - special nozzles designed to solve a variety of problems. Removal of gel polish also refers to the latter - a procedure that is performed using many types of this equipment, which differ in material, shape and other characteristics. Particularly noteworthy are the features of working with such mills, the knowledge of which helps the master to avoid mistakes and achieve the desired result with the least time.

Today, there are two main ways to remove gel polish. The first involves the use of special fluids called removers, and the second involves the use of a manicure device - a milling cutter. Practice shows that both methods have a lot of staunch supporters, but experts consider the latter to be much more progressive. This is explained by the fact that gel polish remover fluids make the nails too dry, gradually weaken them and often provoke delamination of the plates, while milling cutters do not lead to similar problems.

Given this circumstance, masters increasingly prefer cutting off coatings using milling machines - rotating tools equipped with durable tips.To solve this problem, they use the same device that is designed to perform hardware manicure, changing nozzles to more suitable ones. Removing gel polish in this way involves treating the surface of the nail with a mill, which has a very high rotation speed.

If the device is in the hands of an experienced technician, hardware cutting does not last long - an average of 5 to 15 minutes - and does not cause any discomfort to the client. Provided that the master correctly performs this procedure, it does not damage the nail (due to the fact that the rotating parts do not come into contact with its natural surface). Moreover, the preservation of the base coating only strengthens the plate, increasing its resistance to negative external influences.

As for the shortcomings of the gel polish remover using milling cutters, they are listed below:

• inadmissibility of the processing of nail plates, characterized by pronounced dystrophy and increased sensitivity;
• the high cost of the milling cutter and nozzles that meet international quality standards (low-grade products are cheaper, but their performance and durability leave much to be desired);
• inability to use in situations with customers who are allergic to dust.

Despite the many types of nozzles successfully used by masters of hardware manicure, only two of their varieties are most often used to remove gel polish - metal and ceramic. The reason for this is the properties of the materials from which such mills are made, allowing to solve the tasks with maximum efficiency.

The materials used in this type of nozzles are hard alloys - relatively inexpensive and have a decent operational resource. Other features of such cutters are the following characteristics.

• Different shapes of notches. They can be straight, oblique or made in the form of a cross.
• Cutting material to form chips. The use of carbide tips does not cause dust.
• Possibility of rotation: as soon as clockwise, and in two directions. The first type of nozzles is called normal, and the second - reversible.

The described type of cutters appeared relatively recently, but now it can boast of impressive popularity. Such nozzles are made of ceramics, which include plastic clay, bone ash, feldspar and other ingredients, allowing to obtain a material with optimal strength and resistance to wear.

Ceramic cutters have the following key features:

• impressive hardness, allowing you to serve 3-4 times longer than the best carbide tips;
• soft action, thanks to which the master can perform work requiring special accuracy and delicacy;
• minimum heating in contact with the treated surface, avoiding the appearance of unpleasant sensations at the client;
• absence of problems caused by clogging (the coating removed by a ceramic mill turns into dust, but not into chips).

The first thing you need to pay attention to when buying a gel polish remover is the reputation of its manufacturer. This means that the purchase of products of dubious origin that do not have a certificate should be discarded so as not to risk the health of the client and the operability of the equipment used. Another significant criterion that must be considered when choosing a cutter is the shape of the head. Its main varieties are:

• cylindrical (can be straight or rounded);
• needle-shaped;
• equipped with a small ball at the end;
• conical (classical or truncated);
• curly (may be in the form of peaks or bullets).

Special attention should be paid to the rules for choosing a cutter in accordance with the tasks performed:

• in order to remove gel polish from a surface having a large area, it is most rational to use a cylinder-shaped nozzle;
• to put in order the places that are most difficult to get to, a mill with a pointed tip is suitable;
• if you need to get rid of a thick layer of gel polish, located under the growing edge of the nail plate, you should use a needle-shaped or peak-shaped tool.

Equally important is the correct selection of the rigidity of the cutter. So, for working with artificial nails, it is necessary to give preference to harder nozzles, and vice versa with natural ones. To find a tool with suitable rigidity to the master will help a special “belt” - marking, which is applied to the shank of the product. The mills marked with yellow have the smallest hardness, followed by (red) blue, green, and green tips, and the hardest tools are those with black marks. Depending on the manufacturer, the tones used may vary, but the principle remains unchanged: the darker the marking, the higher the hardness of the nozzle.

Also, experts advise to acquire several mills for removing gel polish, which differ not only in shape, but also in rigidity. Having 4-5 different nozzles, the master can improve the quality of work performed and significantly reduce their duration. If the owner of the device plans to carry out procedures at home, at first he should make a choice in favor of a ceramic tool. Such products are optimally suitable for natural nails and are better perceived by sensitive skin.

In order to avoid damage to nails during hardware removal of gel polish, the master must comply with some rules of this procedure.

• When removing the coating from the plate, special attention should be paid to the elbow. It should be located as stable as possible so as not to remove excess from the surface of the nail due to accidental slipping.
• You need to get rid of gel polish carefully, making smooth stroking movements, lightly touching the fingernail with a working tool, and then moving away from it. In a similar way, dentists treat teeth, cleaning them from damaged tissues. Following this recommendation, you can negate the likelihood of overheating of the nail plate and the appearance of unpleasant sensations in the client.

• It is better to start removing the coating from the middle of the nail. In such cases, long and unhurried movements are appropriate, and for processing the outer edge of the plate they must be sawn.
• The milling cutter must be held not vertically, but slightly tilted (for safety reasons). For the same reason, professionals are advised to work not with the tip of the nozzle, but with its middle part.

• Movement should be done only in the direction of rotation of the cutter.Ignoring this recommendation can lead to the slipping of a working tool - a nuisance that does not bode well.
• Nozzles designed to perform hardware manicure should not be used to remove gel polish (and vice versa). Each type of work involves the use of appropriate tools.

• If the coating to be removed involves the presence of a strass, it is most rational to cut them off with a diamond cutter.
• When removing gel polish using ceramic nozzles, it is advisable for the master to use a mask. In this way, it is possible to effectively protect the lungs from dust. In addition, many experts consider it necessary to wear an apron.
• Upon completion of the removal of the outer layer, when the base is already clearly visible, it is necessary to replace the cutter with a polishing one (an alternative solution is a buff) and complete the final alignment of the nail.

It is also worth mentioning the nozzle rotation speed: it should be 10-15 thousand revolutions per minute for mills made of ceramics and not less than 20 thousand for carbide tips. The optimal value recommended by professionals is much greater - from 30 to 40 thousand revolutions per minute. Using a tool that rotates at this speed reduces the heating of the nail plates to a minimum. This circumstance must be taken into account in advance when purchasing a universal device for manicure or pedicure.

For a complete disinfection of nozzles, it is best to use an ultrasonic sink or a dry heat cabinet. As for UV sterilizers, they only partially cope with this task, and therefore cannot be considered the optimal solution.

A separate consideration is the purchase of tools designed for hardware removal of gel polish or other procedures at home. Often, girls take this step for the sake of economy, as many masters charge a separate fee for removing the old cover. Experts believe such acquisitions are very rational, but they advise you not to forget about the continuous improvement of skills and compliance with safety rules when working with the device.

One of the main misconceptions that prevent the use of cutters for removing gel polish is the fear of cutting the nail. To verify the failure of this myth, it is enough to familiarize yourself with some arguments.

• Using the apparatus, you can slightly damage the nail, leaving a barely noticeable groove on its surface (but only theoretically, because even for this you will have to try hard).
• Under the outer color layer of gel polish is the base - a kind of landmark for the master. The scheme of actions of the latter when removing the coating does not provide for removing the base layer. Hardware basically does not come into contact with a natural nail, and therefore cannot harm it.
• Using a buff to work with the base, you can remove 1-2 keratin layers. Given that their number in the nail plate exceeds a hundred, such a loss cannot be called fundamental.

The second common misconception is the opinion of the soreness that accompanies the hardware removal of gel polish. As a rule, this point of view is held by women who once entrusted their nails to low-skilled performers. If the master has the proper competence, his actions will never cause pain in the client.

After reading a lot of opinions about removing gel polish using a cutter, which are present on the Internet, it can be stated that for the most part they are very positive. Most often, the fair sex noted the following advantages of this technique:

• significant time savings (in comparison with the dissolution of gel polish with special liquids);
• the absence of damage to the nail plates and skin, regardless of the frequency of the described procedure;
• many varieties of nozzles for removing gel polish, among which you can always find the option suitable for the client;
• noticeable strengthening of the nail plate, thanks to which it looks more healthy and aesthetic.

In addition, the considered method is preferred by the vast majority of specialists. According to many of them, a correctly selected cutter and skillful hands can achieve the optimal result in almost any situation.

As for the negative reviews, most often they mention the discomfort experienced by some women during the hardware removal of gel polish. Its main manifestations are vibration and burning, often leading to a refusal to carry out the described procedure. As a rule, the cause of such inconvenience is a metal mill, which rotates at low speed. To solve this problem, it is enough to replace the used nozzle with a ceramic one, which has a lower tendency to heat.

Summing up, we can confidently say that the use of nozzles for removing gel polish is a solution that has a lot of obvious pluses with a minimum number of minuses. An experienced master, the availability of the necessary tools and the absence of contraindications - this is all that is required to successfully solve this problem. The validity of this thesis is regularly confirmed in practice - both in specialized salons and in more modest home conditions.

See how to choose cutters for removing gel polish in the next video.