How To Remove Acrylic Nails

Last updated Sep 25, 2021 | Beauty Tips | 17 comments

How to Remove Acrylic Nails

Acrylic nails seem to be the craze these days, but removing them may be a bit challenging especially if you haven’t taken proper care of them. The good news, however, is that you’ve arrived at the right page if you’re wondering how to remove acrylic nails because we’re going to show you not one but two ways to get the job done.

How to Remove Acrylic Nails:

Method 1 – Things you will need

Steps:

  1. For the first step, you’ll want to start with trimming your nails down as short as possible and carefully so that you don’t hurt yourself. This will make the process easier and quicker as there will be less acrylic nails to clean up.
  2. The second step is simply getting a glass bowl and filling it partly with acetone nail polish remover, and setting it aside before getting any substances or lotions on your hands.
  3. The third step is using the nail file to buffer your nails to remove the gloss. Make sure you move around the nail often and uniformly, and not focus on a single spot. Clean off the dust once you’ve completed this step.
  4. The fourth step of removing acrylic nails with method 1 is applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly around the skin that is in contact with the nail bed. This will make sure your skin is protected from the acetone nail polish remover. It is best to use more petroleum jelly than to skimp out on it.
  5. In step 5, you want to dip your nails into the bowl of acetone nail polish remover for about 15-20 minutes or until the glue that binds the acrylic nail to your natural nail bed starts to come off.
  6. When the glue comes off after dipping your nails in acetone nail polish remover, you will notice that your nails have gotten mushy. So gently try to remove the acrylic nail, and if you feel some sort of resistance, repeat step 5. Whatever you do, never attempt to force or pry your acrylic nails off because it can cause some serious damage to your nail and lead to infection.
  7. In step 6, remove your acrylic nails and wash your hands thoroughly with water to get rid of the petroleum jelly and the acetone nail polish remover from your hands.
  8. If there’s any leftover glue, simply use a buffer to remove it.
  9. Step 10 is the last step and involves applying cuticle oil or olive oil to moisturize your nails after being dried out by the entire nail removal process.

Another Method of Removing Acrylic Nails

Things you will need:

Steps:

This method of removing acrylic nails is fairly simple, but you will need two people to do it. It is faster, but not recommended for those who suffer from peeling or brittle nails.

  • In the first step, take the metal nail file and use it at the tip of the nail to lift it just enough to slip the dental floss underneath it.
  • Wrap about 12 inches of dental floss around the index finger of each hand of the second person.
  • Now slip the floss under the edge you created in step 1.
  • Get the second person to gently pull towards the end of the nail bed in a sawing motion.
  • The acrylic nail should pop right off.

The second method is obviously much quicker but may cause far more injury than the first method. But these are the best answers to how to remove acrylic nails at home, without visiting a nail salon.

17 Comments

  1. Awesome very helpful to take off acrylic nails.

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  2. this works soo, well.

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  3. The first method sucked for me but the second method worked extremely well

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  4. this is very useful thank you

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  5. NOPE. dont do it. I did exactly what they said. Clipped Nails down; filed off polish almost to my nail bed; soaked 20-25 minutes in acetone; wiped clean. Nails did not come off. Tried dental floss; not. Tried trimming for the last 9 hours. It did not work. Go to a pro! I wasted all day on this crap and my nails are now fried.

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  6. What don’t have these things so should I do

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  7. The first method worked well for me, but I’d had my nails on for a little over a month. I can imagine this makes a difference.

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  8. this sounds so harsh why get them done if you’re gonna waste your time and money on getting them removed

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    • Why are you looking up this article? Just to find something negative to say? The wasted time lies with you…

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    • True that. painwhat

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    • I got mine done for a special event and weeks later they are a pain to type with etc, so I’d rather remove them than maintain them. In other news; who cares whether someone gets acrylics then changes their mind?

      Reply
  9. hmm I’m going to try the second method when i get home.

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  10. You have to use pure acetone not just acetone the acetone is just for the nails polish,use pure acetone also for the for the gel or shellac you have to use pure acetone.

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  11. This worked very well for me but I recommend soaking your nails for 25-30 minutes instead of 15-20 so you do not have to waste time and keep dipping them back in.

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  12. I did the second one. Easiest thing to do. Took me less that 10 mins to take off all acrylic nails.

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  13. We just removed my daughters acrylic nales using the second method. It is a little tricky, I trimmed the nales down to her finger nail length and then worked form the corner. It took 20 minutes. They did just pop off, and i am sure it will be easier next time now we have the knack. Thanks heaps.

    Reply

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