Acrylic nails are a stylish way to up your nail game. Known for their long-lasting durability, acrylic nails allow you to make a trendy statement, even if the rest of you is not so put together. Whether you opt for a solid nail colour, fun nail art or nail gems, there are so many ways to get creative with acrylic nails. The problem comes at the end of the acrylic’s life when they’re ready to come off. Peeling off your acrylic nails is not only painful, but will also leave your natural nails underneath damaged, soft and weak. That’s why we’re letting you in on our best tips for how to remove acrylic nails at home!
How to Remove Acrylic Nails at Home: 7 Supplies You’ll Need
1. 100 Grit Nail Files
You need a really good nail file to thin out the entire area of your acrylic nails. An emery board is pretty much useless when it comes to acrylics, but a 100-grit nail file is coarse enough to file them down and get them to where they need to be before soaking them in acetone.
2. Acrylic Nail Clipper
Although you can use a regular nail clipper to cut acrylic nails, it’s ideal to use high quality acrylic nail clippers. Clipping your acrylic nails down makes the entire process a lot easier, saving you a lot of time. With this pair, you can use the nut on the edge cutter to adjust the blade’s tension to the degree you want!
3. 100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Soaking your filed down nails in pure acetone nail polish remover helps to dissolve the product so you can take it off more easily. You can place it in a bowl to soak your nails in it or wrap each fingertip in foil with an acetone-soaked cotton pad.
4. Cotton Balls and Foil
If you choose to go the wrapped nail route, you’ll need cotton balls or squares to soak the acetone in and foil to wrap around the cotton pad.
5. Nail Soaking Tray
On the other hand, if you go the route of soaking your nails, you’ll need a nail soaking tray to place the acetone nail polish remover in. This one is safe to use, sturdy and secure, and is suitable for most hand sizes.
6. Metal Cuticle Pusher
A metal cuticle pusher can be used to gently scrape the softened acrylic nails away. There may be a few areas that refuse to go, so make sure not to get rough with them. It’s important to use as much care as possible so you don’t do too much damage to your real nails.
7. Foam Nail Buffer
For the stubborn acrylic product that won’t budge, use a soft foam nail buffer to buff it away. This will help smooth out your nails and leave them looking refreshed.
How to Remove Acrylic Nails at Home: 5 Tips and Tutorials
Remove Acrylic Nails at Home: Step by Step How-To Tutorial | cutepolish
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to remove acrylic nails at home without the use of a drill, like they use at the salon. You’ll need acrylic nail clippers to cut off the length. You’ll also need a nail soaking tray to place your acetone in and a metal cuticle pusher to clean off the nail polish from the cuticle to the edge. Follow her step by step tips to ensure your acrylic nails come off without damage.
Clip the Acrylic Nails as Short as Possible
The less acrylic nail you have to work with, the easier the removal will be. Clip your acrylic nails as short as possible to your real nails with a nail clipper. This way you’ll have less acrylic to remove. Don’t skip this step as it will make the entire process go faster and more smoothly.
Be Patient
Don’t rush the removal process. You may have to try a technique a few times in order for the acrylic nails to get as soft as they need to be to scrape off. Soak them multiple times if you need to and don’t try scraping them off before they’re ready. You want to make sure the product has been dissolved before you scrape and buff to prevent any damage to your real nails.
How to Remove Acrylic Nails At Home (Without Damaging Your Real Nails) | DIYholic
This removal process only takes about 10 minutes and demonstrates how to remove acrylic nails quickly and safely. She uses aluminium foil, cotton squares and 100% pure acetone nail polish remover for this technique. Although the process takes 10 minutes, note that you may have to repeat it several times if the acrylic doesn’t soften enough the first time.
Hydrate and Strengthen Your Nails Post-Removal
Once your acrylics are off, rehydrate your fingers by applying cuticle oil on your cuticles and around the front side of your fingers. This will moisturize your cuticles, skin and nails. Consider skipping nail polish for the next few weeks so your nails can regain their strength, and make sure to use hand lotion and cuticle oil regularly to prevent dry, brittle nails from breaking.
Ready to give yourself a DIY manicure? Use these tools and tips to remove your acrylic nails without doing damage to your natural nails!