To remove gel nail paint, you need to file off the top coat, soak your nails in acetone, and gently push the softened gel away with a cuticle pusher. What most guides skip is why so many people end up with thin, weak, or peeling nails afterwards, and it almost never comes down to the gel itself.

The fastest way to make at-home gel nails last longer is to fix your prep and your product system, in that order. Most guides stop at prep. Prep matters. But it's not the whole problem.