So you’ve had those cute nails for a while now and unfortunately it’s time for them to go. The safest way to remove them is definitely to go to the salon. But what if you are too busy? Or maybe you are just in the mood for some ‘diy’. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Removing acrylic nails is quite easy but only if you follow the right steps.

There are very many tips and tricks when it comes to removing acrylic nails. One of the being, warming up your acetone before starting to help it work effectively on your nails. Well, you could do this but just note that acetone is highly flammable so don’t heat it in a microwave. Instead, run it under some warm water for a few minutes.

Anyway enough talking, let’s just get right into it.

The tools you will need include;

• Clippers
• 100% acetone polish remover
• Nail file
• Buffer
• Foil
• Cotton balls
• Orange stick or Metal pusher
• Small bowl

1. Clip off the excess acrylic

Use nail clippers to trim off the excess acrylic at least two centimeters above your nail bed for safety. This will also make the whole process easier since it will cut down the soaking time.

2. File off the top layer

Buffing the top layer of the polish will help the polish soften faster in the acetone. Instead of filling your nails in the usual way, thin out the entire area the acrylic covers. Use a coarse grit file to file to remove as much acrylic as possible till all the shine is gone. Though be careful not to cut the skin around the nails with the edges of the file.

3. Soak your nails in acetone

After filling off the acrylic as much as possible, use 100% pure acetone to soak the remaining acrylic for as long as it takes to dissolve the product. You could do this either by taking an acetone-soaked cotton and wrapping over each nail while covering with an aluminum foil or soak your fingers in a bowl of acetone (this technique is very harsh on your skin and takes longer). Be sure to use acetone in a well ventilated area since it’s volatile and could cause harm to your respiratory system.

4. Scrape off the polish

After about 10-20 minutes of soaking, use either an orange stick or a metal cuticle pusher and gently push the remaining products off your nails. Push away from your cuticles downwards towards the free edge.  The acrylic should come off easy without much force, if they don’t maybe you didn’t soak enough.

5. Resoak your nails

Soak your nails once more for about five minutes and gently push the remaining pieces of acrylic. Repeat this until your acrylics have completely soaked off. Then finally buff off the extra polish don’t be too rough with them.

6. Hydrate, strengthen and repair

Since acrylics aren’t really that good for nails, try to take at least a week long break from acrylics. During this time massage cuticle oil on your cuticles at least once a day. Your nails will also feel dry after this process so you could also use nail strengtheners and moisturizing oils to help recover your nail’s health.