How to Remove Acrylic Nails?

Removing acrylic nails can be challenging because of how strong the adhesive is. Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to get your acrylic nails off without making a trip to the salon.

1. Clip your nails. Use a nail clipper to trim the tips of your acrylic nails short. Cut off as much of the acrylic as possible. If cutting is difficult due to the thickness of the nails, use a coarse nail file to file them. But make sure you don't cut any of your nail bed because it will bleed.

2. File the top coat off of the nails. Use a fine-grade buffer to file off the nail polish and remove as much of the acrylic as possible. Use long strokes that run the length of the nail.

Take care not to file or damage your natural nail as you do this.

3. Pour the acetone into a bowl. Fill a medium glass bowl halfway with acetone. Do not microwave the acetone or use it near any source of heat. Acetone is extremely flammable.

Since acetone has strong fumes, make sure the room is well ventilated.

Do not light a cigarette near acetone.

4. Apply petroleum jelly to the skin surrounding your nails. Acetone dissolves plastic and is also hard on skin, so it's important to protect yourself. This step will prevent your skin from becoming irritated by the acetone, particularly if you have hangnails.

Take care not to get any petroleum jelly on your nails as doing so will prevent the acetone from reaching the surface of the acrylic nail and dissolving it.

Use a cotton-tipped wooden applicator if you need help applying the petroleum jelly more precisely.

5. Apply the acetone to your nails. Saturate one cotton ball per nail in the acetone, then place the cotton balls on the tips of your fingers. Wrap them tightly against the acrylic nails using strips of aluminum foil. Let your nails soak in the acetone for 30 minutes.

You can use a non-plastic tape to fasten the cotton balls if you don't have aluminum foil.

You can also simply soak your nails in the bowl of acetone if you know that acetone doesn't irritate your skin.

6. Remove the foil and cotton balls from your fingertips. The cotton ball and the nail will come off with some gentle manipulation.

If you soaked your acrylic nails in the bowl of acetone, gently pry the nails off using an orange wood stick.

If the acrylic nails are still firmly stuck, repeat the process for another 20 minutes and attempt to remove them again.

7. Scrape off the leftover acrylic with the nail buffer. The acrylic should be soft from the acetone bath, so take the opportunity to buff the rest of it away. If the acrylic begins to harden again while you're buffing, use a cotton ball soaked in acetone to dampen it.

8. Shape your natural nails. Use nail clippers and a nail file to smooth the edges. Buff your nails lightly with a fine-grade nail buffer, moving from the base of the nail to the tip.

To avoid damaging your nails, file in one direction only, and avoid using a sawing motion.

The top few layers of your nails may have been removed with the acrylic. Be careful not to tear or damage them further when file and buff them.

9. Restore the moisture to your hands. Acetone causes skin to become extremely dry. Rinse off the remaining traces with soap and water. Dry your hands and rub them with body oil, olive oil or a moisturizing lotion.

Rub the moisturizer into your nails, cuticles, and skin to keep them hydrated.

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