It can seem almost impossible to take off acrylic nails on your own. When all the nail salons closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, it seemed like many women had no way to get their acrylic nails filled or removed. This is because most fake nails can only be taken off by a nail salon professional.
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Most people use acetone to take off their acrylic nails. Acetone is a strong chemical solvent that isn’t good for your nails (or your health).
Even though acetone is the most common and effective way to take off acrylic nails, there are other ways that don’t involve this strong chemical that you can try.
If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals to take off your acrylic nails, you could try warm water instead.
You can even add a couple of drops of soap. Before you try to take them off, you need to soak your nails in warm water for 20 minutes. You can try to loosen the nails by moving them around while they are soaking. In 20 minutes, the glue should be loose enough that you can peel off the nails with the help of an orange stick.
If they still won’t move, try soaking them for an extra 10 minutes and repeating the process until they are loose enough to be removed.
A nail polish remover without acetone
You might think that acetone is in all nail polish removers, but that’s not always the case. Even though acetone is a strong and effective ingredient that helps remove regular nail polish and fake nails like acrylic nails and gel nails, there are other, less harsh ways to do it.
Solvents like ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and propylene carbonate are found in many nail polish removers that don’t contain acetone. Even though these are still chemical solvents like acetone, they are easier on your nails. Even though this makes it harder to take off your acrylic nails because it isn’t as strong as acetone, it’s better for your nails because it doesn’t dry them out as much and isn’t as harsh as acetone.
CUTICLE OIL
You can also use cuticle oil instead of harsh chemicals like acetone or isopropyl alcohol.
Obviously, this is a better way to do it, since you are using something that will heal and feed your nails instead of stripping them and hurting them. You can hold a Q-tip soaked in cuticle oil against each nail for about five minutes, making sure to get the oil under any parts of the nail that have already started to come up.
DENTAL FLOSS
Check out this method that uses dental floss if you’re looking for a creative way to take off your acrylic nails.
This method works best if your acrylic nails have already started to come loose. If that doesn’t work, you can try to loosen them with warm water or even cuticle oil. This is almost impossible to do on your own, so you’ll need help from a friend.
Once the nails are a little bit loose, use a cuticle stick to lift the edges of the fake nail and slip some dental floss under it. Have someone else move the floss back and forth along your nail until the whole thing becomes loose and pops off. This method might hurt your nails, so make sure to buff them, put some cuticle oil on them, and put some lotion on them afterward to help them heal and grow.
If you want to get the job done faster, you can soak a whole cotton ball in the oil and hold it in place, or wrap it in tape or tin foil for a few minutes until the nail is loose enough to be pulled out with an orange stick.
Repairing Damaged Nails
Even if you do everything right when you take off your fake nails, some types can leave your real nails weak and damaged. This is especially true for gel nails, acrylic nails, and dipped nails. Experts say that every few months or so, you should take a break from having super-strong acrylic nails. Even though it’s easier to just get another fill and avoid having to deal with your weak natural nails, it’s very important to let them get stronger on their own. If you don’t, you’ll keep hurting your nails and get stuck in a cycle of bad habits.
So, when it’s time to take a break, here are some things you can do to fix your broken nails quickly:
- Breakage is a very common result of nail damage from acrylics. In order to help prevent this, you need to keep your nails trimmed relatively short so that there’s really no opportunity for them to break. This might be difficult to do if you are used to super-long acrylics, but it’s a necessary evil at this point.
- Buff out your nails to even the surface that might contain a lot of bumps and ridges due to damage from the acrylic nails.
- Apply a strengthening top coat to your nails for the first two weeks after you remove your acrylics. This will help heal your brittle and damaged nails and you can even use it as a topcoat for nail polish once your nails have had a moment to breathe on their own.
- Religiously moisturize your entire nail area and cuticles with cuticle oil, Vitamin E, or aloe vera to help the area retain moisture and heal properly.
- Avoid acetone in the area at all costs since it can further weaken your nails and just exacerbate your existing issues.
HOW TO AVOID DAMAGED NAILS
There’s nothing worse than dealing with damaged nails. And even though you think that damaging your real nails might be worth rocking an amazing set of fake nails – that doesn’t have to be the case!
In fact, not all fake nails cause damage to your real nails. Acrylics are probably the most popular type of fake nail that you can have applied in a salon but they are also one of the most damaging because they are so strong and durable. We also have gel nails that are a more natural alternative to acrylic nails. They are applied using special polishes that are hardened by exposing them to UV light. Removing them still needs to be done in the salon and it can cause some damage to your natural nails in the process.
Finally, we have press on nails. These nails do not have to be applied or removed in a salon – you can do everything at home on your own time.
Press-on nails are a great option for those looking for a less expensive and less damaging alternative to fake nails like acrylics or even gel nails. Applying them on your own is super easy and all you really need is a bit of nail glue and you’re good to go!
Many people think that press-on nails are cheap-looking and flimsy, but high-quality ones from companies like Clutch Nails can look just as good as acrylics and can last up to two weeks if you really take care of them.
Here are some tips to get press-on nails to last as long as acrylics:
- Clean your nails and wash your hands before you apply the press to your nails.
- Apply a bit of nail glue both on the fake nail and your natural nail as a backup to the adhesive strip that comes on the nail.
- Press down on each fake nail for at least 30 seconds while the glue is set so that it’s sufficiently hardened and will be totally durable.
- Make sure that your hands avoid all contact with water for at least two hours after applying the press to nails.
- Apply a top hardener coat to your finished set of fake nails to help seal any gaps and harden the surface of the nail.
Clearly, press-on nails are a great alternative to acrylics that you can apply and remove on your own without damaging your nails. You can even get your beloved nail art through press-on nails as well!
Companies like Clutch Nails make tons of classy press-on nail products with fun designs like flames, cherries, cheetah print, rainbow, stars, and so much more! On the other hand, there are also more natural options available if you’re looking for a more low-key look.
CONCLUSION
There are several different ways that you can remove acrylic nails without using acetone.
However, even if you don’t use acetone your real nails can still experience damage from acrylic nails and gel nails.
If you are looking for less damage in the first place, you should definitely try out press-on nails from a specialty company like Clutch Nails. These nails can look just as good as acrylics and last just as long, but with none of the damage or salon visits! Worry less about acrylic nail removal with our easy-to-remove press nails that are delivered right to your doorstep.
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