Things You'll Need:
- Plastic garbage bag
- Acetone polish remover
- Petroleum jelly
- Nail buffer
- Nail clippers
- Glass bowl
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Step 1
Find a good work area where you can sit down and be comfortable. A kitchen table works perfectly for this. Be sure to cover the surface of your table with a plastic garbage bags and a thick layer of newspaper to soak up spills and prevent damage to your table’s surface.
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Step 2
Get all your supplies ready at hand. You don’t want to be hunting for them mid nail removal. Have them all spread out in front of you on the table.
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Step 3
Using a pair of nail clippers, cut the acrylic nails down as short as possible to make the removal easier.
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Step 4
Fill a glass bowl with nail polish remover (the type with acetone in it). This will be used to soak your nails in and dissolve the nail glue which attached your acrylic nails to your natural ones.
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Step 5
Before dunking your nails apply a coating of petroleum jelly to the skin surrounding your nails. This will help prevent the skin from drying out while soaking in the polish remover. Just be sure you don’t get any on the nail or it will block the polish remover from loosening the glue.
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Step 6
Dip your fingers into the bowl of nail polish remover and continue to soak them for 15-20 minutes.
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Step 7
Remove your hands and try to gently peel the acrylic nails off. If you are met with resistance and any or all of the acrylic nails do not easily peel off, submerge your fingers in the polish remover again and soak for another five minutes. Never force a nail to come off if it’s not ready.
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Step 8
After re-soaking you should be able to remove any stubborn acrylic nails and will now be left with only your natural nails.
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Step 9
Thoroughly was your hands in order to remove any polish remover residue and the petroleum jelly.
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Step 10
If any of the nail glue remains on your nails, simply buff this off with a nail buffer. Be gentle and use a light touch to avoid damaging your natural nails.
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Step 11
Apply a moisturizing hand cream to your hands and massage in well. This will help replace any lost moisture from the acetone polish remover.
Comments
sparkleshoes said
on 10/14/2009 thanks so much for that, the last time i got my nails removed they used a fake nail it hurt soooo bad for days!! and this time i have been dreading it as its time for my nails to ahve a break again.. but thanks to you now i dont need to stress thanks!!
mechelepellebon said
on 9/13/2009 I'm going to bookmark this article. I've tried to remove my own acrylic nails and it was a disaster. Thanks for writing this detailed and informative how-to.
beachchika945 said
on 9/1/2009 You should be cafeful. If your nails can be pried off with another fake nail then they were not put on properly to begin with. I have been getting my nails dont for years at various nail salons, and always had my acrylics removed that way. Then I started to frequent the salon I have been going to for the past 2 years and my nail tech told me that if a nail can be pried off that way then it was not put on properly to begin with or the salon is using cheap products. Also prying can take some of your natural nail with it leaving behind paper thin nails. this happened to me and it was awful and painful. So buyer beware.
gsds said
on 5/15/2009 I love the Internet! I'm removing my nails this weekend and I am glad I researched this first. Great advice from all...Thank you!!
paycheckdoll said
on 12/27/2008 I once had a set removed and the tech just took one of those cuticle trimmers and chopped away. It was so painful and my natural nails were purple for days. The only relief was to massage Vaseline into my nails, they were like tissue paper. I didn't know any better but now I would insist on soaking them off.