Soaked cotton pads, aluminum around each finger, strong odors and sometimes a sander that heats up too quickly… For many fans of semi-permanent varnish, removing it at home remains the most painful step, even if it avoids paying around ten euros at the institute each time. What if a simple box connected to the mains replaced all this complicated ritual?
This is exactly the promise ofsteam device for removing semi-permanent varnish at homelike the Pink Gellac Steam Gel Remover Device or the WingFly machine seen on the networks. These devices heat a nail polish remover with acetone to turn it into hot steam that softens the gel. The idea: to make removal faster, more comfortable, and limit damage linked to friction or the sander.
How the Pink Gellac steam device and its cousins work
Pink Gellac describes a very simple operation: pour 5 to 10 ml of nail polish remover with acetone into the tank, close it, then the device heats up in about 1 minute to 53°C. Five orifices with silicone finger guards concentrate the steam on the nails, for 5, 10 or 15 minutes depending on the timer, the brand recommending 10 minutes for a classic semi-permanent. Pink Gellac claims that its device allows you to “gently peel off the gel from the natural nail”, which avoids long curls.
On the Ophélie’s Journey blog, the WingFly steam engine is described as a compact device where you slide your hand under a cover, for removal in 5 to 10 minutes depending on the varnish. For its part, Beauty-Tech summarizes the use of its O2MVRS01 model with this promise: “Thanks to this innovative device, no more repetitive struggles with foils or removal clips”while ensuring that it acts “all while preserving the original structure of the nail”. Each brand therefore offers the same idea, with a different design and price.
Papillotes, sander or steamer: what you really gain
The classic method described by Femina requires 10 cotton pads soaked in acetone, as many pieces of aluminum and a prolonged exposure time finger by finger. In the salon, removal costs around €10, but the Pink Gellac Steam Gel Remover Device is sold for €69, “the equivalent of six to seven salon applications”. Beauty-Tech offers an alternative around €45.90 excluding tax. For those who wear semi-permanent all year round, the amortization occurs quite quickly.
Another issue: the health of the nail. The papillotes remain a bath of pure acetone on the skin, and poorly adjusted sanders can weaken the keratin. Steam devices promise gentle heat and more limited contact with the liquid, even if the acetone remains present. A ventilated room, the absence of a flame and the refusal to scrape off a gel that is still attached remain essential.
Using a steam device for semi-permanent varnish at home
Femina recommends starting by lightly filing the top coat with a 180-grit file, without touching the natural nail, to help the steam penetrate. Then pour 5 to 10 ml of nail polish remover with acetone, close the lid, turn on the device, then wait for the “Steam” light to indicate that the temperature of 53°C has been reached. The fingers then remain in the device for approximately 10 minutes.
The decisive part comes at the exit: Pink Gellac recommends removing the softened varnish within 15 seconds with a cuticle pusher or a boxwood stick, then, if residue remains, repeat a short steam bath without insisting or scratching. The Dutch brand indicates that its device is compatible with all semi-permanent varnishes, whatever their origin, which makes it a potential ally for all fans of home manicure, as highlighted by Femina on August 28, 2026.