How To Take Off Acrylics Yourself

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

Summary: "How do I take off acrylic nails?" In this blog, learn how to take off your acrylic nails without damaging them. Learn what not to do, and how to get fake nails off...

Many of us swear by gel and acrylic nails. But if you're waiting for pay day or you're running out of time in your busy schedule, your fingertips may be looking a little worse for wear and need addressing quicker than your salon's appointment book will allow... We bet you’re wondering how to take off acrylic nails at home!

If you always have your digits regularly cared for and looking tip-top, you’re probably the one we should be asking about caring for our falsies without a professional present.

But, there’s those of us in the world who only fiddle with the look of their fingernails at certain points in the year: Birthdays, holidays, weddings etc. If you have this kind of relationship with the nail salon, then we bet you’re also not too patient when it comes to removing them!

How To Get Acrylic Nails Off At Home: What Not To Do!

Whatever you do, do not bite, chew or rip them off no matter how strong the temptation is in this busy world. If you remove your acrylics by force, it means you’re also removing some of the natural nail plate too. This will result in flimsy, thin, unhealthy and damaged nails, which will take a longer time to repair.

Ideally, we’d recommend that one should always head back to the salon to have them removed properly by a pro. However, we understand that sometimes funds, transport issues, or simply a lack of time can get in the way, so we’ve collated the following steps to safely remove your acrylics and nurture and nourish your natural nail in the best way possible.

How do you take off acrylic nails?

How To Take Off Acrylic Nails At Home: With Acetone or Without Acetone?

This may be a surprise to you, but acetone actually occurs naturally in the environment. It can be found in plants, trees, and volcanic gases. However, because it evaporates rapidly, even from water and soil, the majority of acetone you can buy is of industrial origin.

Acetone can definitely be used for occasional removal of acrylic nails without stressing out your nails too much. But organic and natural nail polish removers are available if you’re electing to remove your false nails more regularly.

Acrylic Nails At Home: How To Take Off Acrylics Step By Step

1. Carefully clip: Using a clipper, cut off your excess acrylic and get as close to your real nails as possible.
2. Buff up: Now you need to rough up the polish surface until the shine has disappeared with a nail buffer. Removing the top layer of your polish like this helps the acrylic to soften faster in the soak.
3. Soak it: Pour your natural nail polish remover, or acetone if you decided to use it, into a bowl and submerge your nails. If you’re going natural, it does take longer so sit for 30-40 minutes. 100% acetone should take about 20. However, be sure to only dip your nail tips in a bowl of acetone so as not to dry out the rest of your fingers and hands – acetone can be super tough skin!
4. Push it: With a metal cuticle pusher, gently press the acrylic off each nail. Make sure to push from the cuticle downwards.
   ( Here you may find you need to repeat Step 3 for a further 5 minutes. Then return to gently pushing the acrylic down the nail again.)
5. Buff off: There might be some residue of smaller acrylic pieces, so here, grab your buffer again and work them off (but don’t be too rough!)

When Removing Acrylic Nails, Patience Is Key

Even if you follow these steps to a T, you still may be left with compromised natural nails. This will depend on how the salon applied the nail originally, but also on how delicately you remove them. If you’re patient - this can be a completely damage-free process.

So, Now You Know How To Get Acrylics Off, How Do You Protect Your Nails From Future Damage?

Acrylics aren’t natural, but they’re not necessarily bad for your nails. They most certainly can take their toll on your nail health though.

Commit to nourishing your nails and load up with Cel’s 100% cruelty-free and hypoallergenic Nail Pen, perfect for rejuvenating damaged nails. Infused with Panax Ginseng Root, this formula can nourish and hydrate the cuticles, enhance skin elasticity and strength, and protect against further damage.

Ginseng stem cells also increase cell turnover to encourage faster, stronger nail growth. The inclusion of Bisabolol (extracted from the Chrysanthemum flower), means this product also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects to protect and heal the nail from any infection. It repairs brittle or cracked nails, and recuperates any breakage that may have been caused by the acrylic cycle.

It’s easy to use. With the specialised applicator, simply spread the Nail Pen evenly onto either fingernails or toenails and massage lightly for a few seconds until absorbed.

Devoted to your acrylics? This short time away from the chemicals in acrylics, polish and/or acetone can work wonders so use lockdown as an opportunity to give them a well-deserved break. In the future, try to take a week off every month and in that time coat on the Nail Pen every day to prevent breakage.

Final Thoughts On How To Take Off Acrylic Nails...

We get that acrylic nails can give you confidence and make you feel amazing. But if you wan to keep up the gel and acrylic habit, to ensure longevity, just be sure to be looking after the nails that lie beneath with as much care and attention too. It will be worth it in the long run.

Now that you know how to get acrylic nails off safely, check out our blog How To Give Yourself A Manicure At Home here!