The Way to Eliminate Acrylic Nails at Home — Professional Tips

Giving yourself an at-home manicure could be intimidating since it is, but needing to eliminate your acrylics without the support of a professional nail technician? Many folks wouldn’t even dare (and many manicurists would normally dissuade you from doing this at the first place). However, these are uncertain times and the simple fact is, in case you’ve got acrylic nails which have grown outside and require removal, you’re not likely to have the ability into get to a salon at this time. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, grab some acetone and nail clippers, and take things into your own hands.

The very first thing you want to consider about eliminating your acrylic nails is it’s going to take a while. Divide an hour on your day, put some music on (or perhaps your latest Netflix show), and take a deep breath — this is going to require all your patience. But according to nail experts, removing acrylics at home isn’t as impossible as you may have originally thought. While it’s a bit more involved than taking off your gel polish, it can be done. Here’s exactly how to do it safely and with as minimal damage to your nails as possible.

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Set Up Your At-Home Salon Station

Throughout that process, you’ll likely be asking yourself, “what would my manicurist do?” For starters, they’d set up a clean, ventilated work area. Remember, you’ll be using a lot of acetone and clipping off extensions, so it’s a good idea to cover the table you’re using so as not to stain or ruin any of of your surfaces. Take a hand towel, fold it in half, and place a paper towel on top, advises Kristin Gyimah, owner and CEO of Dime Nails salon in Los Angeles. You might also want to consider opening a nearby window or setting up a fan, as the acetone will have a strong scent.

As far as tools go, you’ll need:

• nail clippers
• a nail file with two grits (100/80, if possible)
• a nail
• buffer pure acetone (not just regular polish remover)
• an orange stick or metal pusher
• cotton balls
• foil
• a small bowl

If you’re not able to go to your local drugstore to buy these tools, Gyimah suggests reaching out to a local nail artist who might be selling kits.

Cut Down Your Acrylics As Much As Possible

We hate to break it to you, but you’re going to be losing a lot of your length. We’re assuming you can’t fill your acrylics at home by yourself, so cutting them down is your best option. Using sharp nail clippers, cut down your extensions, leaving about two centimeters of nail above your nail bed for safety. This is the fastest and easiest way to get down to your natural nail length, says nail artist Ashlie Johnson.

File, File Away

If you have regular polish on top of your acrylics, you can remove them now with a nail polish remover. However, if you have gel polish on, Gyimah suggests using the coarse 100 grit side of your file to file off the shiny top coat and into the bulk of the acrylic. “The more of your acrylic you file off, the less time you have to soak in acetone later,” says nail artist Amy Le. But don’t go too HAM with your file — Le advises leaving a thin layer of acrylic to avoid damaging your natural nail.

Soak Your Nails In Acetone

There are two ways you can do this. The first method involves cotton balls and foil, similar to how you would remove your gel manicure. Place a cotton ball soaked in acetone over the acrylic-covered nail bed and wrap it with foil tightly. Gyimah says to give it a squeeze. “There should be a little of acetone dripping out of your foil when you squeeze — that is how you know you have enough at the the cotton ball,” she says. Soak each nail for a minimum of 10 minutes to ensure the acrylic is breaking down properly. If you want to take things a step further, Le suggests placing a hot towel on top of your wrapped foils. “The warm acetone works faster,” she says. (Friendly reminder: Do not microwave acetone, as it is flammable.) You may have to repeat this step if it seems like the acrylic has not softened. Be patient! Having to wait is better than having some weak, damaged nail afterwards about.