Do you have naturally short and thin nails? Is it hard to grow them as long as you would like? Acrylic nails may be the answer for you! They are strong, durable, and nail polish lasts for weeks on acrylics and never chips. They always look perfect! Of course, as with any good thing, you would need to know how to take them off. In this article, we shall see how to get acrylic nails off without harming your natural nails.
You may opt to go for acrylic nails because your own are too brittle to grow out. This is actually a common phenomenon amongst women. Others opt for this cosmetic enhancement because it makes them feel good. And honestly, there’s nothing like a sleek set of nails to tap into your inner diva. Of course, there are many alternatives – like press on nails – but those tend to peel off easily and are not as durable as acrylic nails. Moreover, acrylic nails are cheaper in the long run. But, every rose has its thorns and so does these beauty products. As soon as your natural nails start growing out, it upsets the order of the acrylic nail. Hence it loses its glamorous appeal. And the time has come to remove acrylic nails.
Ways to Get Acrylic Nails Off:
Getting these cosmetic enhancements off can be a messy or expensive business. If done incorrectly, you can even damage your natural nails permanently. And sometimes, you may rather save the money you would spend on an expensive removal at the nail salon. Fortunately, there are easy, and safe methods to remove acrylic nails at home. Read on for safe and easy methods to get acrylic nails off.
1. Use Acetone to Remove Acrylic Nails
- Use a Nail cutter: Firstly, clip off unwanted corners of the acrylic nails and cut them short. If the acrylic nail is too thick to take off then use a nail file to file away the unwanted corners. You can even file away the top part of the acrylic nails. Thinning the nail makes it easier to remove.
- Coat Cuticles with Petroleum Jelly: This step is to protect the skin around the nails. Acetone is a strong chemical and can damage the soft tissues of your skin. Use a q-tip for precise application.
- Prepare Acetone: Fill a bowl halfway with acetone. Place this bowl into a bigger bowl of warm water. This will keep the acetone warm and double the effect. (NOTE: Acetone is highly inflammable. Do not use direct heat.)
- Soak Nails in Acetone: Soak a few cotton balls in the warm acetone. Place these over every nail and secure with the help of aluminum foil. Leave it for 30 minutes.
- Remove the Wraps: Take these off after 30 minutes. If the acrylic nails are still hard and stuck firmly, then reapply with new soaked cotton for another 20 minutes.
- Scrape the Remains off: Use a nail file for this. In case the remaining acrylic starts to harden, use a cotton ball soaked with acetone to dampen them again.
Now, all that is left is to give your natural nails the desired shape. Do this with the nail file. Remember to file in a single direction to avoid breakage. Most of all, make sure to moisturize your nails and cuticles. Acetone is prone to drying out nails and skin.
2. Get Acrylic Nails Off with Hot Water
Acetone can be damaging to already dry and brittle nails. Not to mention, you may have sensitive skin that does not react well to the harsh acetone. This is another method to get acrylic nails off without acetone.
- Prepare the Hot Water: Place some water on the heat till it starts to boil. Take it off the heat. Check to see that the temperature does not burn your skin. The simplest way to check the intensity is to let the water cool down a bit and then dip one finger to check the temperature. However, you must remember that the water should be hot enough to get acrylic nails off.
- Soak in Hot Water: Dip your fingers into the hot water. If the water is too hot for your skin, immerse only the acrylic nails. Soak them for 30 minutes till you see the acrylic nails swell a little. This indicates that it is ready to be pried off.
- Pry Them Off: Once the nails are soaked and soft, they are ready to be pried off. This must be done with the utmost care. You do not want to pull too fast and rip your natural nail as well. Do this with an orange stick or toothpick. Start from beneath the front tip of your nails. Scratch off the nails one after the other. If there is a resistance, then re-soak your nails in hot water to soften them up once more. You may be required to brush off extra acrylic from your natural nails with the help of a nail file.
- Moisturize Your Nails: Apply petroleum jelly, or some moisturizing lotion or nail cream once you remove acrylic nails with hot water. If you can, apply a nail oil that contains vitamin E. This will replenish and nourish your natural nails.
3. Use Dental Floss to Get Acrylic Nails Off
Another method to get acrylic nails off without using acetone is to use dental floss. Do make sure to use dental floss rather than any old string. This is because the dental floss will glide easier under the nails.
- Grab a Partner: For this method, you will need a partner. This requires 2 pairs of hands rather than just you own 1 pair. The other pair will help to pull the dental floss and get acrylic nails off easier.
- Position the Floss: Your partner will use the cuticle stick to gently lift the edge of the acrylic nail from near the cuticles. Now loop the floss under the lifted edge. Hold the two free ends of the floss with both hands.
- Move the Floss, to and fro: Now, ask your partner to slide the floss back and forth under the acrylic nail. Make sure they perform this gently. This will slowly loosen the nail and free it off the natural nail surface. Continue the movements until the whole nail is free from the original nail surface. (NOTE- Do not yank the floss upwards too quickly. This can damage the natural nail.)
- Buff the Nails: After you get acrylic nails off using floss, you will need to buff off the remains of the acrylics. They may appear a little torn from the floss so, use a good and effective moisturizer to restore the natural appearance back.
4. Remove Acrylic Nails with a Nail File
Sometimes, the simplest method to get acrylic nails off without acetone is simply to file them away. You may not have a partner on hand to help with the above method. And acetone can be damaging to the soft, sensitive skin of the cuticles. So this is another safe method to remove acrylic nails.
- Use a Nail Clipper: Trim off unwanted corners of the acrylic nails using a nail clipper. Do this to shorten the length of the nails. Cut as much as possible without cutting into your nail bed. Be careful of this as it can lead to bleeding and infections.
- File Your Nails: File each of the acrylic nails, working on one at a time. Filing the nails will help to take off acrylic nails away leaving behind your natural nails. Continue filing until the acrylic nail has thinned out. But do not over-file as it can scrape off the original nail causing long-term damage.
- Pry Up the Sharp Edges: Now that you have filed away all the remains of acrylic nails, it’s time to lift the sharp edges. Do this safely using a cuticle stick. Simply lift the edge of the acrylic nail and place the tip of cuticle scissor under it. Using the scissor, clip away the acrylic part. Repeat until all of the acrylic nails are removed. Slowly work on each of the nails.
- Buff them off: The last step is to buff the remains of acrylics on the nails and remove them. Give you nails the desired shape using a nail clipper and file. Finally, apply an effective cuticle cream and a moisturizer to restore the moisture of your nails and the skin around them. Preferably use a nail oil or nail cream with Vitamin E to fortify your natural nails.
