How Do You Soak Off Acrylic Nails

Demand to get your acrylic nails off, simply don't take the time or patience to go to the salon? Nosotros have been there — but it pays to remove that manicure correctly instead of, say, prying them from your natural nails (ouch!) or mindlessly bitter them off while absorbed in a binge TV-watching session.

Removing acrylics forcefully ways removing some of the many layers of your natural smash plate, as well, according to Savannah Walker, a professional blast creative person and owner of Manifest Nail in New York City. "Unremarkably this results in sparse, flimsy, damaged nails, which last for months until they grow out," she says. And that's the best possible scenario! So, if you lot opt for acrylics, we suggest keeping this handy tool kit at home for a damage-gratis removal:

100-dust smash file
100% pure acetone blast smooth remover
Cotton balls
Aluminum foil
Pocket-sized bowl
Orange sticks or cuticle pusher
Foam smash buffer

Tools You'll Need to Safely Remove Acrylic Nails

100% Pure Acetone Blast Smooth Remover

EC Labs amazon.com

$12.99

Cotton Balls

Sky Organics amazon.com

$5.99

Wrap Aluminum Foil

Reynolds amazon.com

$17.56

Modest Bowl

Youngever amazon.com

$15.99

Orangish Sticks Wooden Cuticle Sticks

Keep in heed, even if you follow these steps, yous may be left with somewhat compromised natural nails, depending on how the technician practical them the acrylics in the outset place and how advisedly you execute the removal. Still, "if the acrylic process is done patiently, it can exist about damage-free," Walker says. Now, follow these simple steps from nail pros to easily take acrylic nails off at habitation fast without harm:

1. File off as much of the acrylic nail as possible

Instead of filing your nails in the usual way (along the top edge of the blast), y'all'll demand to thin out the entire expanse the acrylic covers. "Using a coarse dust file , file off as much of the acrylic production as possible," Walker says. "You demand a actually skilful file for this; an emery board would be useless." Look for a 100-grit blast file, which is fibroid plenty to file downwards the surface of the acrylics, or a nail drill.

Pro safety tip: "Be careful not to cut the skin effectually the nails with the edges of the file," she advises. "Always 'season' a new file by using another file over the edges to soften them."

two. Soak off whatever remaining acrylic nail

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

altrendo images Getty Images

Once the acrylic has been filed down much as possible, Walker recommends soaking the nails in 100% acetone nail shine remover for as long as it takes to deliquesce the product.

There are two ways to do this. I method is to place an acet0ne-soaked slice of cotton over each nail, then wrap each fingertip in foil, Walker advises. "This is the superior technique," she says. Otherwise, you tin can try soaking fingers in a bowl of acetone. It's simpler, but "the bowl technique is very harsh on your pare and takes longer," Walker notes.

If you practise go this route, "only dip your blast tips in the basin to avoid drying out the peel on your fingers and hands," says Skilful Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. "Be sure to merely use acetone in a well-ventilated area, because it is very volatile and tin can hands irritate your respiratory system."

iii. Gently scrape or buff off the last bits of acrylic

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

There may be a few small areas of acrylic that remain, just don't get rough with them! "If in that location are any little bits of acrylic that won't budge, a soft foam nail buffer can be used to vitrify those little stubborn bits smooth," she says.

5. Protect your nails from future acrylic damage

Acrylic isn't necessarily bad for nails, merely it can take a toll on natural nails. For acrylics devotees, endeavour to accept a weeklong break from them every month so your nails' health doesn't completely dwindle. During that fourth dimension, castor on ane coat of a strengthening nail handling every day to preclude breakage, like this moisturizing oil created by nail artist Deborah Lippmann.

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil

To requite them an even more intensive treatment, "embrace your nails with cuticle oil and cuticle cream, then wrap each manus in a warm washcloth for five minutes," says manicurist Deborah Lippmann, founder of Deborah Lippmann smash collection. The result: shinier, stronger nails in no time.

How to remove acrylics without acetone

You tin remove acrylic nails without acetone using an acetone-free nail polish remover as a soak-off solution. But know that "if y'all wish to avert acetone, it volition take longer to remove acrylics," says Anastasia Totty, a LeChat Nails Educator in Saint Johns, Florida. Hither'south how:

Start by trimming the actress length of the enhancement using blast clippers to cut down on the soaking time, she advises.
Apply a 100-grit blast file to remove as much production equally possible without filing into the natural boom. "This will remove any summit coat, gel smoothen or blast fine art making information technology easier for the solution to penetrate the enhancement," Totty explains.
Soak a piece of cotton in the remover and wrap your fingertip in a piece of foil nigh two inches long, with the slice of cotton wool in straight contact with the acrylic, repeating on each finger. Expect 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the foil and cotton and gently push the soaked product abroad from the cuticle using an orange wood stick or cuticle pusher. "Be patient and don't scrape or pare any of information technology if it's non soaked enough," she says.
If y'all have acrylic left on nails, wrap them over again using more of the remover.
Use the file to shape nails, gently vitrify if necessary, and wash hands to remove whatsoever remaining solution.