VIDEO: The Painted Nail Steam-Off Gel Removal System Review

Introducing the latest in nail technology… Steam Off Gel Removal by The Painted Nail.  Many of you have asked for a review of this product, so I purchased one and have been testing it over the last few weeks.  I did a full video review with a demo, which you can watch below.

The kit includes:

• Steam Off Gel Removal System
• Power adapter
• 4 oz bottle of bubble-scented gel remover
• Orangwood stick
• Instruction booklet

How it works:

• File the top coat off of your nails with a coarse grit nail file.  Basically you have to break the seal, just as with a regular soak-off.
• Plug in in the system.
• Remove the lid, turn the finger cap to the open position and remove it.
• Pour 5ml of the remover or acetone into the reservoir. There is a small plastic container with a line that has a 5ml marking so you know how much to pour in.
• Replace the finger cap.
• Turn the switch to ON.
• Wait until you hear a beep.  This means the system is warmed up and ready to steam.
• Place all five fingers into the finger cap.
• Steam.  The steamer will beep twice at the 5 minute mark, and then there will be one long beep at the 10 minute mark.
• Use the orangewood stick to remove the flaking polish.  If the polish is not loose, continue steaming.

I’ve tested a few different brands of gel polish with this system so far: Gelish, CND Shellac, Pink Gellac and Couture.  Pink Gellac and Couture both removed very easily, as you will see in the video demonstration.  Gelish and CND Shellac took about 15 minutes total.  Basically the unit warms up the acetone liquid and turns it into a vapor, and the heat and vapor combination cause the polish to soften and lift.

I had a very bad experience the very first time I used this steam-off system.  I was removing the Pink Gellac Luxury Gold glitter polish with a Gelish base after my vacation and I ended up with a LOT of damage done to my nails.  As I’m sure you can understand, my nails take a lot of abuse from trying so many different products for this blog so there was some existing damage prior to this soak-off.  I had been doing IBX treatments on my nails regularly and they seemed to be in pretty good shape before this removal… but this is what they looked like after 15 minutes or so of steaming. YIKES, right?!

I was really upset about the state of my nails as I’m sure you can imagine.  The top layers seemed to be just peeling right off.  After getting the remaining polish off, I filed them down, took a buffer to them and then did another IBX treatment (that’s a topic for another day), and they looked much better.  I was really hesitant to use the steam-off again, but I knew I had to take one for the team so that I could report it all back to you.  ;)  Below is what my nails looked like after the second removal.  Much, much better!  This was after removal of a Couture gel manicure, which generally soaks off pretty easily for me using the traditional method.  This steam-off took less than 10 minutes.

I’ve used the steam-off system a few other times since and have not had the issue of damage again, so I’m really glad I stuck it out and gave it another shot.  It seemed during that first experience that the heat and vapors softened my nail beds and really highlighted the existing damage.  I think that in the end my nails are healthier now that I’ve been able to buff away the damaged top layer.

Due to my experience, I’m hesitant to say whether I recommend this product or not.  I’m going to list some of the pros and cons and let you decide for yourself if it’s a worthwhile investment.

Pros:

• It works as stated.  Most gels steam-off in 10-15 minutes, which is comparable to traditional soak-offs.
• The system is lightweight, portable and easy to clean.
• Steaming is a more pleasant experience than soaking because of the warmth.
• Steaming is less drying and harsh on your skin and nails.

Cons:

• Since it’s a one-hand system you can only remove the polish from one hand at a time, unless you purchase two units.  This is essentially doubling the removal time.
• You can’t multi-task while steaming since your hand has to remain in the system.
• It’s essentially warming up the acetone and creating vapors which may become airborne.  While most of it is contained within the system, I’m not sure that it’s healthy to be breathing in these vapors.  There is a warning that comes in the box that says “breathing large amounts may be harmful”.
• It’s rather expensive at $99.99/unit.

The Steam-Off Gel Removal System can be purchased from www.everythingnailz.com.  I also purchased the swatch strips and will be testing those out soon!

So what are your thoughts on the steam-off removal?  Will you, or did you buy it?