By day 11 of having acrylic nails [1], your fingertips might feel uncomfortable — borderline painful — from having the heavy material sitting on top of them for so long. But before you try picking, peeling, or prying them off of your nail beds, consider the damage that you'll be doing.
Attempting to remove your acrylics at home without the proper materials can weaken and damage your nail [2], according to professional manicurist and Gelish Educator Danielle Candido. "It literally pulls pieces of the nail off with [the polish] if you remove [them] improperly," she previously told POPSUGAR.
The best way to remove your acrylics is to have a licensed technician do it for you, but if you can't wait, there are safer ways to do so than ripping them off. Celebrity nail artist Elle [3], who has done the nails of Blake Lively [4], Jennifer Lopez [5], and Jessica Chastain, explained how to remove acrylic nails safely.
The Safest Way to Remove Acrylic Nails
"You should really have them removed from a licensed professional working in a reputable salon," Elle said. "A nail tech's education is very important. A tech can use an electric file to remove most of it, stopping before the file hits the nail plate. Then the rest can be soaked off in around 10-15 minutes as the layers of acrylic have been thinned down by the file."
Elle also mentioned that the removal is based on the type of acrylic that was used. "If it wasn't a great acrylic product, it will be more difficult to remove," she said.
How to Remove Acrylic Nails at Home
"If you're going to do it at home, soak your nails in 100 percent acetone," such as Mylee 100% Pure Acetone Nail Polish Remover [6] (£5) she said. "You will need to have patience and let it soak for 45 minutes to an hour (at least). Once it's gummy, you can try to push it off of your nail, but never pry. If the acrylic doesn't move, it's not ready and you need to soak longer."
How to Remove Acrylic Nails at Home Quickly
"A helpful tip is to mimic a double-boiler method by placing a bowl of acetone inside a larger bowl filled with hot water. Just make sure the acetone doesn't mix with the water, as that will dilute the efficacy," she said. "This will help speed up the soak-off process."
How to Heal Nails After Removing Acrylics
"Finish by washing your hands and adding cuticle oil to get the moisture back in your nails," Elle said. "If you've been wearing acrylics for a while, I recommend adding a nail strengthener as well."