How To Get Acrylic Nails Off Completely

Need to get your acrylic nails off, simply don't accept the fourth dimension or patience to go to the salon? We've all been there — simply it pays to remove that manicure correctly instead of, say, prying them from your natural nails (ouch!) or mindlessly biting them off while absorbed in a TV-watching session. If you're wondering how to take off your acrylic nails apace at abode, we've got you covered — and we've fifty-fifty got an acetone-gratis option.

Unfortunately, removing acrylics forcefully ways removing some of the many layers of your natural nail plate, as well, co-ordinate to Savannah Walker, a professional nail artist and owner of Manifest Nail in New York Metropolis. "Usually this results in thin, flimsy, damaged nails, which last for months until they grow out," she says. And that's the best possible scenario! So, if you cull to wear acrylics, we propose keeping this handy tool kit at abode for a damage-free removal:

Tools You'll Need to Safely Remove Acrylic Nails

100% Pure Acetone Nail Shine Remover

EC Labs amazon.com

$12.99

Cotton Assurance

Heaven Organics amazon.com

$5.99

Wrap Aluminum Foil

Reynolds amazon.com

$17.56

Small Basin

Youngever amazon.com

$15.99

How to remove acrylic nails at dwelling house with acetone

Keep in heed, fifty-fifty if you follow these five steps, you may be left with somewhat compromised natural nails, depending on how the technician applied them the acrylics in the first place and how carefully you execute the removal. Nonetheless, "if the acrylic process is done patiently, it can be nearly damage-free," Walker says. At present, follow these uncomplicated steps from nail pros to have acrylics off fast without damage:

1. File off every bit much of the acrylic boom every bit possible

Instead of filing your nails in the usual way (along the top edge of the nail), you'll need to thin out the entire area the acrylic covers. "Using a fibroid grit file , file off as much of the acrylic product as possible," Walker says. "You demand a really skillful file for this; an emery board would exist useless." Look for a 100-grit smash file, which is coarse enough to file downward the surface of the acrylics, or a nail drill.

Pro safety tip: "Exist conscientious non to cutting the skin around the nails with the edges of the file," she advises. "Always 'flavour' a new file by using another file over the edges to soften them."

2. Soak off whatever remaining acrylic smash

Close up of woman's hand in bowl of soapy water

altrendo images Getty Images

Once the acrylic has been filed down much equally possible, Walker recommends soaking the nails in 100% acetone nail polish remover for as long as information technology takes to dissolve the production.

In that location are two ways to do this. I method is to place an acet0ne-soaked piece of cotton fiber over each smash, then wrap each fingertip in foil, Walker advises. "This is the superior technique," she says. Otherwise, you lot tin can try soaking fingers in a basin of acetone. Information technology's simpler, but "the bowl technique is very harsh on your peel and takes longer," Walker notes.

If you exercise become this road, "simply dip your nail tips in the bowl to avoid drying out the peel on your fingers and easily," says Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. "Exist certain to only use acetone in a well-ventilated area, because information technology is very volatile and tin can easily irritate your respiratory system."

3. Gently scrape or buff off the last $.25 of acrylic

Afterwards soaking in acetone, cheque nails "every 20 minutes or so to scrape off the softened acrylic using an orange stick or cuticle pusher, repeating this process until all the product has been dissolved," Walker says.

In that location may exist a few small areas of acrylic that remain, only don't get rough with them! "If there are any picayune bits of acrylic that won't budge, a soft foam nail buffer can be used to vitrify those little stubborn $.25 polish," she says.

five. Protect your nails from future acrylic harm

Acrylic isn't necessarily bad for nails, but it can take a toll on natural nails. For acrylics devotees, effort to take a weeklong break from them every month so your nails' health doesn't completely dwindle. During that time, brush on one coat of a strengthening smash treatment every day to prevent breakage, like this moisturizing oil created past nail creative person Deborah Lippmann.

To give them an even more than intensive handling, "cover your nails with cuticle oil and cuticle cream, and so wrap each mitt in a warm washcloth for five minutes," says manicurist Deborah Lippmann, founder of Deborah Lippmann nail collection. The result: shinier, stronger nails in no time.

How to remove acrylic nails at home without acetone

You can remove acrylic nails without acetone using an acetone-free nail polish remover as a soak-off solution. Just know that "if you wish to avoid acetone, it will take longer to remove acrylics," says Anastasia Totty, a LeChat Nails Educator in Saint Johns, Florida. Hither's how:

Get-go by trimming the actress length of the enhancement using smash clippers to cut down on the soaking time, she advises.
Employ a 100-grit nail file to remove equally much product every bit possible without filing into the natural smash. "This volition remove whatsoever top coat, gel smooth or nail art making it easier for the solution to penetrate the enhancement," Totty explains.
Soak a piece of cotton wool in the remover and wrap your fingertip in a piece of foil nigh two inches long, with the piece of cotton in straight contact with the acrylic, repeating on each finger. Wait fifteen to xx minutes, then remove the foil and cotton and gently push the soaked product away from the cuticle using an orange wood stick or cuticle pusher. "Be patient and don't scrape or peel whatever of it if information technology'southward not soaked plenty," she says.
If yous have acrylic left on nails, wrap them again using more of the remover.
Use the file to shape nails, gently vitrify if necessary, and launder hands to remove any remaining solution.