How I Removed My Acrylic Nails At Home

I am not a nail expert, so do not hold me accountable if this doesn't work for you. I know a lot of you, like me, get acrylic nails.  Whether they are acrylic tips or powder dip acrylic layers, there's a good chance they're growing out right about now, and you're struggling to keep your hands clean and go about your everyday routine.

Before you take clippers to them or try to peel them off and damage your natural nail, try my nail removal hack below. This is how I removed my acrylic powder dip nails at home this past weekend. It worked like a charm and kept my nails healthy and damage-free. This should also work to remove acrylic nails at home, too.

This post may look familiar, and that's because I republished it so I could update it with the most current information.

How to Remove Acrylic Nails At Home

What you Need:

• Some sort of disposable absorbing item.  Paper towels, cotton balls, fast food napkins, you get the idea. You don't need anything fancy, but you want to be able to layer it up so it can be an absorbent pad/sponge
• Acetone nail polish remover. Acetone is needed to remove the acrylic. You can find acetone nail polish remover at any drugstore, Ulta, and Amazon.
• Aluminum foil
• An old nail file you don't care about.  It can be one of those cheapy foam ones that often come free in swag bags at conferences or in a manicure set.  You will either want to throw it away after this or hold onto it for future projects like this one.
• Vaseline/petroleum jelly

Instructions for Acrylic Nail Removal:

If you have a second person who can help, all the better. It can get awkward when prepping your second hand.

1. Lightly file the tops of your nails.  Do not file your actual nails; file the glossy polished part of the powder dip or the polish on top of the acrylic. The goal is to sand off the topcoat so the acetone can penetrate better.
2. Tear or cut aluminum foil into pieces about the size of a playing card. 
3. Rub vaseline on the skin around your nails, including the tops of your fingers behind the nails. This will protect your skin from the drying acetone.
4. Soak your cotton balls or little folded sections of paper towel or napkin in the acetone polish and place them on top of your nail. Then, wrap the top of your finger with the aluminum foil, which will hold the acetone pad in place. Do not press or squeeze the acetone pad; make sure it's held in place.
5. Hang out for a while. At the nail salon, this can take about 10 minutes; at home, it will take longer. You can open the foil on one finger every 15 minutes to check to see how they're doing.
6. If the acrylic is getting really gummy, you can use the acetone pad to try to rub it off.  Then, use the nail file to file only the acrylic to try to get it off (do not file your actual nail). If there is still acrylic left, soak a new pad and use the same foil to hold it in place—let it sit a while longer.
7. Continue until all polish and acrylic are removed. This can take up to two hours; it's a good activity to do while watching a movie. 
8. I recommend placing your hands in a large bowl (not plastic, choose something like ceramic that won't be hurt by the acetone) and then place a towel between the bowl and your lap to catch any drips if you move your hands. If the smell bothers you, place another towel over your hands to hold the vapors in the bowl.
9. Dispose of acetone, pads, and foil. Wash hands extremely well with a nail brush.  Wash any towels that were used only with rags or items that won't be hurt by acetone. If a towel gets very saturated, rinse it before adding it to the washing machine.
10. To keep hands happy afterward, consider applying cuticle oil (or honestly, any oil—olive and almond are good) on the nails and a thick hand cream (I'm a fan of O'Keeffe's).  If possible, let the hands rest overnight before applying any other color or products.

Other Methods For Removing Acrylic Nails At Home

• Dental floss: This method is up in the air. Some say dental floss seamlessly removes acrylic nails, while others say it can damage natural nails. I haven't personally tried this trick, but I would recommend doing this if your nails are already lifted. Maybe use this method after you've been soaking for a while, and it seems like your acrylics can pop right off with a little push.
• Soap, Oil, and Water: I actually just recently found this hack trending on social media, so I'm curious to see if any readers can attest to it. Mix soap, warm water, and some form of oil, and plan to be soaking your nails for at least 10 minutes. The oil helps loosen that sticky glue seal between your natural nail and the acrylic, and the water seeps underneath and softens any residue. If you have any additional glue that didn't come off, gently use a cuticle pusher to remove as much as possible.
• Baking soda and lemon juice: Try the old baking soda and lemon juice trick if you're seeking a more natural alternative. It isn't the most successful approach, but it's favorable for those who aren't the biggest fan of soaking their fingers in acetone. The lemon juice loosens the acrylic, while the baking soda's abrasive texture scrubs away at some of the material. While it uses natural ingredients, be mindful of possible irritation around your cuticles and nail bed.

There may be better methods out there, but this is what I figured out after watching my nail tech for years remove my nails.  This may also work for gel or lacquer polish. Please note acetone is like paint remover; keep it away from most everything because it will eat away paint, plastic, and finishes on wood. I haven't tried the hacks listed at the end, but I figured they would be helpful to include in case someone out there has successfully used one of these methods.   

If you have any tips on removing gel or lacquer polish or better methods for removing acrylic tips or powder dip acrylic layers, please share them in the comments! 

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