1 /5 Dawn Kaur: I recently went to have my gel manicure removed, but the removal process was not done properly. Instead of the standard method involving soaking in acetone and wrapping the nails with foil, the technician used only a drill with a high setting to remove the gel polish. The drilling was quite painful during the process, and by the next day, my nails appeared brittle and damaged, with a bruised, throbbing sensation coming from my fingertips. It was a very uncomfortable experience, and the improper technique seems to have caused harm to my natural nails.