How to Remove Acrylic Nails Without Acetone, Nail Clippers or (Destroying Your Nail Bed)!

Yes, it's possible, to skip the drying, smelly alcohol finger bath typically used to remove your acrylic nails.

By following a quick, and chemical-free step-by-step process, you can rid your digits of the fake tips– and get a perfect 10 on the cheap.

Your Acrylic Nail Removal Toolkit

  • 4-sided nail buffer
  • Course grit file
  • Cuticle oil
  • Soap and water
  • Base coat nail polish
  • Favorite nail polish colors
  • Hand cream
  • Nail Clipper
  • Cuticle Scissors
  • Cotton ball
  • Cuticle pusher
  • Orange stick
  • Argan oil
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Dental floss
  • Cuticle stick
  • Acetone-Free Nail Polish Removers

The biggest downside of wearing acrylic nails is the real damage you can do to your digits if you rip the falsies off incorrectly.

Here's how to remove your acrylic nails without acetone:

non-acetone nail removal toolkit

  1. Remove any nail polish from the nails.
  2. Clip the tips off your acrylics. The nails should then be clipped as far as possible using an acrylic nail clipper.
  3. File your nails down using a buffer with four sides.
  4. Using a coarse grit file, remove some of the hardened acrylic coatings. Typically, the higher the coarse grit number, the smoother the file. Coarse files (80 to 150 grit) are best for acrylic nail removals extensions. Here's the #1 Professional Coarse Grit Nail File that is a Best-seller on Amazon.com, that I used to remove my acrylic nails.
  5. Before the overlay gets too thin, switch to a fine grit file to remove more of the acrylic residue.
  6. Buff your nails to restore shine.
  7. Apply cuticle oil to your nails.
  8. Wash the oil off your nail bed with soap and water.
  9. To protect your natural nails, polish them with a base coat and two coats of your favorite nail polish.best nail file to remove acrylicis

Can you remove your acrylic nails at home with oils?

Yes, a bowl of oil mixed with soapy, warm water can remove your acrylic nails.

Here's how:

  1. To remove acrylic nails by mixing three to five drops of pure argan oil with warm soapy water.
  2. Let your nails soak for a minimum of 20 minutes in the soapy oil and water mixture.
  3. Soak both hands in the warm water for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Then pull the your nails out of the water and gently remove the softened acrylics by peeling  it back from each nail.

Because the soapy warm water and argan oil mixture loosened the glue from the nails, you can easily remove the acrylics from your natural nails.

Can I use rubbing alcohol to remove the acrylics off my nails?

When you’re looking for the best ways to remove your acrylics at home, try rubbing alcohol.

  1. Use a nail file to remove the top layer of acrylics off your natural nails.
  2. Smooth vaseline around the edges of your nail ben to protect your skin from direct contact with the alcohol.
  3. Grab 10 cotton balls and a pack of clear tape.
  4. Tape each of the cotton balls to your fingernails  using the tape. The cotton balls will also protect your natural nails from direct conact with the rubbing alcohol.
  5. Place one cup of alcohol into a large plastic bowl. The bowl should be wide enought to submerge the tips of all of your fingers into it.
  6. Make sure that the alcohol covers the cotton balls completely.
  7. Soak your acrylic nails into the bowl for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  8. Gently remove the cotton balls and tape from the nails.
  9. Use an orange stick or dental floss to scrape the softened acrylic residue from the top of your nails.

Can you use dental floss to remove your acrylics?

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to remove your fake nails, try dental floss.

If your acrylic nails have loosened a little bit, dental floss is a great way to remove them fast.

If not, you can try to remove your fake tips using warm water or cuticle oil methods mentioned above.

  1. Once the base of your acrylic nails are slightly loose, raise the edges of each acrylic nail with a clean cuticle stick and then slide some dental floss under your fake nail.
  2. Have your assistant move the floss back and forth along your nail until the entire nail is loosened and eventually pops off. This method may cause some damage, so make sure to buff your nails, apply some cuticle oil, and put on some lotion afterward to help heal and nourish your nails.

Once you have removed your fake nails, massage the hand with a good hand cream to restore moisture to your dry nail beds.

Why Shouldn't I use Acetone to Remove My Acrylic Nails?

ways to remove acrylic nails without acetoneThere's no denying that a very popular, cheap and easy way of removing the acrylic nails is to use acetone.

Acetone works well because it is a good solvent.

But, it is highly flammable, will dry out your natural nail bed, and must be used in a well-ventilated area.

Be aware that using a fan when using acetone as a remover does not improve ventilation, it simply circulates the air and the acetone fumes.

You've just removed your acrylic nails, and your natural nails feel as thin as eggshells?

weak acrylic nails What can you do to strengthen them?

If the extensions were removed properly, using the techniques described above, the eggshell texture will be temporary.

But, your natural nails may be split, ridged or have white splotches.

No worries — they just need some TLC.

How to Take Care of Your Natural Nails

  1. Clip your nails often to keep them looking even. File gently to smooth any rough edges.
  2. Step away from the harsh soaps. Instead, opt for hand soaps that contain moisturizers.
  3. Slather a moisturizing lotion or nail treatment onto your nails every day.
  4. Go bare for several weeks. Polishes and acetone removers dry out fragile nails.
  5. If you see any yellowing or thickening of your nails, see a dermatologist pronto — it could be fungus.

To restore your natural nails, use a nail strengthener to help toughen them up.

The cuticle and nail oils in the strengthener will help to plump the layers of the natural nail that have been repeatedly dehydrated by the use of antiseptics before the nail technician applied the nail extensions to your natural nails.

Get a Manicure

Just because you no longer wear acrylics doesn't mean that you can't take a trip to the nail salon.

Go ahead, indulge in a manicure, but wait until your natural nails are healed.

Try a French manicure to make your natural nails look extra special with just polish.

Essential Do's & Don'ts to Remove Acrylic Nails without Acetone

  • Removing artificial nails by buffing can be time-consuming, and if done improperly or excessively, can cause severe damage to the nail plate. But buffing the nails, it is the safest way to remove your nails without any exposure to harsh chemicals.
  • To thicken and harden nails, allow acrylic nails to grow out, and don't wear them again until your own nails have regained strength. (Even then, wear them for a month at most, then give nails one week's rest.)
  • Help nails restore their optimal health by stimulating cuticle area with a nightly olive-oil massage.
  • Do not pry off nails with acrylic nippers, as this will damage the natural nail plate.
  • Nail plates may appear to be thinner after you've removed the acrylic nails. Thin nail plates are the result of removing the acrylics because there is more moisture in the natural nail plate, which makes them more flexible. It is not an indication that the nail enhancement has weakened the nail plates.
  • Solvents, such as acetone and nail varnish removers, can remove natural oils and water and can be the cause of dryness if overused.
  • Remove your acrylic nails every three months to give your natural nails time to breathe.

Don't get discouraged. Healthy natural nails won't happen overnight. Instead, several weeks may go by before you like the looks of your unadorned nails.

If you need to give your acrylics a break, you don't have to rip them off with nippers, dip your digits in chemicals or use your teeth to break your natural nails free from those hard-to-remove, hardened tips. I've found a gentle way to remove your acrylic nails without acetone, that'll help you skip the salon and remove your acrylics on the cheap.