Gel manicures offer a long-lasting finish that looks shiny, glossy, and chip-free for up to three weeks or so. Unfortunately, while their long-wearing appeal is a definite bonus, removing gels from your nails isn’t exactly an easy feat. Usually, it’s advised to head to the salon and seek the help of a pro manicurist to adequately remove the polish without risking damage or breakage to weakened nails, but we all know that sometimes—whether due to a time crunch or other circumstances—-it’s not always possible. While it may be tempting to peel them off (or let’s be honest, rip them off) due to lack of patience or time, but this can lead to severe damage—we’re talking wounded cuticles, those unsightly ridges that are basically impossible to buff away, and of course, torn or broken nails.

The good news? It turns out, you actually can safely take off your gel manicure at home without destroying your fragile nails underneath with the help of a few handy products and some good old fashioned patience. These at-home gel removal kits aren’t your average acetone polish remover—they’re designed specifically to erode gel manicures without causing your natural nails to suffer as a result. Ahead, we’ve highlighted a few foolproof products to help you gentle get rid of your chipped gel manicure without causing harm.

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