How to easily get acrylic nails off

If you've had acrylic nails, you're likely aware of the number-one cardinal rule: If you're going to remove them, either do it safely or turn to the pros. And if you can't get to a professional, the latter may be your only option. So, if you're wondering how to remove acrylic nails at home, we have good news: It's not difficult, as long as you arm yourself with a few tools and techniques to make sure your natural nails underneath stay strong and resilient.

"One of the most commons mistakes when removing acrylics at home is not being patient enough and peeling or popping off a stubborn acrylic," says Sally Hansen Brand Ambassador Hannah Lee. "This can cause damage to the natural nail." If you can't make it to the salon, follow the expert steps below to remove your acrylic nails easily and without damage.

Step One: Remove Excess Length

The first step is to remove most of the length. "Make sure to not clip your actual nail. The best way to clip is with an acrylic nail cutter but if you don't have that, you can use large toenail clippers which typically provides more strength," says Lee. "Start clipping at one side and work your way to the other, never clipping straight on."

Step Two: Buff The Acrylic

Next, grab two nail files, a rough one for the top layer of acrylic, and one with higher grit as you make your way closer to your natural nail. "Keep gently filing until the shine of the nail is gone. This may take some patience," says Lee. Just beware of buffing too much. "Over-buffing the nail to try and get the remaining pieces off can thin out and weaken the nail," she adds.

Step Three: Grab the Acetone

The next step involves, you guessed it, acetone. There are two ways to go about this, says Lee. The first involves warming a bottle of acetone under the faucet, then pouring it into a bowl, and soaking your fingers for 30 minutes. But if you would prefer to have less acetone-to-skin contact, "You can also use the foil method, which is what is typically seen at salons," adds Lee. "Soak a cotton ball in acetone and place it on top of your nail, then take a piece of tin foil and wrap it around your nail and part of your finger, making sure to fold over the tip to seal in the cotton ball."

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Step Four: Check Your Progress

Check your nails after 30 minutes. If enough of the acrylic has dissolved, you can gently buff away the excess with the finer grit nail file. "If there is still product that can't be buffed off, soak for five more minutes and try again," she says.

Step Five: Hydrate

Pro tip: Have a bottle of Sally Hansen Vitamin E Cuticle Oil nearby, because "acetone is very drying" for your nails and skin. "I would start by applying it once a day, or if you notice your skin is extra dry, up the applications," says Lee.

How to Care For Your Acrylics and Nails

"To care for your acrylics, make sure to not use then as tools like opening cans. You can also get a gel overlay to help them last longer. If you prefer, you can also use a regular top coat, and apply it every two to three days," advises Lee. "Try to avoid water, so when you are doing the dishes, make sure to wear gloves." We love the Sally Hansen Double Duty Base and Top Coat.

Oh, and because acrylics can weaken the natural nail over time, it's never a bad idea to add a nail strengthener to your beauty routine, too.

Jenna Rosenstein is the Beauty Director at BAZAAR.com. While attending NYU, she held internships at Women’s Wear Daily, Bloomingdale’s, Harper’s BAZAAR (as Glenda’s intern!) and Allure, the latter of which she parlayed into her first job as the Beauty Assistant. She left Allure three years later as the Senior Beauty Editor, spent a few months at Refinery29 in the same title overseeing branded content, before finally landing back at BAZAAR to oversee all digital beauty content. When she's not testing every lipstick known to mankind, getting zapped by new lasers, or interviewing experts and celebrities, you can find Rosenstein re-watching Star Wars movies, reading books about new discoveries in science and health, and playing with her Bombay cat named Maddie.

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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. 

   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. 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.[1]

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

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3. 3

   Pour the acetone into a bowl. Fill a medium glass bowl halfway with acetone.[2]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. 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. 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.[3]

   • 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. 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. 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.[4]

8. 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. 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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1. 

   1

   Find a partner. This removal method requires a second person to work, since two hands are needed to pull the dental floss under the nails. If your nails are already very damaged, or if you are worried about damaging your nails, this method probably is not the best option, as it often takes layers off of the natural nail as the acrylic is pried off.

2. 2

   Pry up the bottom edge of an acrylic nail. Use a cuticle stick to gently pry up the entire bottom edge.

3. 3

   Have your partner slide dental floss under the edge. He or she should face you, slip the dental floss under the bottom edge of the nail, and hold the two ends of the dental floss in either hand.

4. 4

   Your partner should begin working the floss back and forth under the nail. Tell him or her to slide the floss back and forth and pull it up, so that the nail begins to come loose. Continue this sawing motion until the acrylic nail is free from the natural nail.

   • Make sure your partner doesn't yank the floss upward too quickly; you don't want your natural nail getting torn off with the acrylic.
   • Repeat the process with every nail until they're all removed.

5. 5

   Buff your nails. Use a buffer to clean up your natural nails, which may be a little torn from the process. Apply cuticle cream and moisturizer.

6. 

   6

   Finished. Your nails should be acrylic free.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can you use rubbing alcohol to remove acrylic nails?

  

  Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

  

  Licensed Cosmetologist

  Expert Answer

  You can; it takes longer than acetone but it will work eventually. Unfortunately, it is just as drying to the skin as acetone.

• Question

  How do you take off acrylic nails with nail polish remover?

  

  Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

  

  Licensed Cosmetologist

  Expert Answer

  Soak the nails in the remover for 10-20 minutes then gently scrape off the acrylics. You can do this by placing your fingertips in a bowl of nail polish remover containing acetone or by applying acetone-soaked cotton balls to your nails and wrapping them in foil.

• Question

  Can you use hot water to remove acrylic nails?

  

  Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

  

  Licensed Social Worker

  Expert Answer

  You can use hot water to remove acrylic nails, but it requires a long soaking time, usually about twenty minutes. Since the water is only softening the acrylic, not breaking it down, you need to wait until it has fully softened before you try to remove the nails.

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• Don't put acetone in a plastic bowl. It will deteriorate and get acetone everywhere.

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• You can buy a professional Acrylic Nail Remover kit in the local drugstore.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Loosen your acrylics a little with acetone to make the dental floss method easier on your nails

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

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• If done poorly, the dental floss method could rip off layers of the natural nail and permanently damage your natural nail.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Acetone is extremely flammable. Keep it away from sources of heat or flame.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• If it is painful to remove the nails or if they aren’t coming off after repeated attempts, stop and consult a nail salon for help.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Using acrylic nails carries a slight risk of infection if a gap between the acrylic and your natural nail develops. If your natural nails become thick and discolored, talk to your primary care physician or dermatologist.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Avoid filing your acrylic nails away, which may result in damage ot the nail bed.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

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Things You'll Need

• Nail clippers
• Nail file
• Fine-grade buffer
• Acetone nail polish remover
• Small glass bowl
• Petroleum jelly
• Aluminum foil
• Cotton balls
• Foil strips
• Orange wood stick
• Mild soap and water to wash your hands
• Moisturizer

• Dental floss
• Nail clippers
• Nail file
• Fine-grade buffer
• Moisturizer

About This Article

Article SummaryX

Before you remove your acrylic nails, cut them as short as you can with nail clippers and apply petroleum jelly to the skin around your nails. Then, saturate a cotton ball with acetone and apply it to the top of each nail. Make sure the cotton ball is completely covering your nail, then wrap each finger in aluminum foil. Let dry for 30 minutes. When you remove the foil, your acrylic nails should come right off! For help dealing with particularly stubborn nails, read the article!

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