Here at ele, we know the pain of needing to remove your acrylic and shellac nails at home. In my previous experience as a broke student, it’s usually been budgetary issues keeping me out of the salon.
What you’ll need
Acetone
A nail file
A nail buffer
Nail clippers (acrylic only)
Either:
Aluminium foil squares, a cuticle pusher and cotton balls, or
A medium bowl, a small bowl, hot water and some paper towel
Cuticle Oil
Hand Lotion
Nail Strengthening Polish
Method 1 (Aluminum Foil and Cotton Balls)
Step 1 – If you have acrylic nails, then you will want to clip your nails down to your natural nail. If you have shellac, you can skip straight to step two.
Step 2 -File the face of the polish as though you’re buffing your nails. You want to rough up the surface of the polish so that the acetone can sink more deeply into the polish.
Step 3 – Just like in a salon, you will soak half a cotton ball in acetone and then wrap the top of your finger in foil. Do this to all ten fingers and then leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Step 4 – Remove the acetone fingertips and put them to the side; you will reuse them.
Step 5 – Use the cuticle pusher to scrape the polish off your nail. You won’t get all of the polish off this round, so don’t damage your nail scraping too hard.
Step 6 – Place the acetone fingertips back on and leave them to soak for a further 30 mins (this may take up to 45, you can pull one off and test it at the 30-minute mark).
Step 7 – Repeat Step 5 until the polish is mostly gone.
Step 8 – Buff and files your nails until the polish is completely gone.
Step 9 – Apply the strengthening nail polish and when fully dry apply the cuticle oil and hand lotion as acetone is very drying.
11. Here is a YouTube tutorial that follows roughly the same process I’ve described:
Method 2 (Bowls and paper Towel)
Step 1 – If you have acrylic nails, then you will want to clip your nails down to your natural nails. If you have shellac, you can skip straight to step two.
Step 2 – File the face of the polish as though you’re buffing your nails. You want to rough up the surface of the polish so that the acetone can sink more deeply into the polish.
Step 3 – Place a small amount of hot water into the medium-sized bowl.
Step 4 – Place a piece of paper towel at the bottom of the small bowl and fill with acetone an inch deep.
Step 5 – Place the small bowl into the medium bowl like you’re stacking them to put away in a cupboard. This will allow the hot water from the medium bowl to heat the acetone without mixing with it and diluting it.
Step 6 – Place your fingers into the small bowl with your hand curled into a fist. Rub your nails on the paper towel as they soak to remove the polish. Soak until the acetone is completely dissolved.
Step 8 – Buff and files your nail to your desired shape and apply the strengthening nail polish. When dry apply the cuticle oil and hand lotion.
This video below uses a really similar method, except she substitutes the small bowl and paper towel for a ziplock bag.
Here at ele, we know the pain of needing to remove your acrylic and shellac nails at home. In my previous experience as a broke student, it’s usually been budgetary issues keeping me out of the salon.
What you’ll need
Method 1 (Aluminum Foil and Cotton Balls)
Step 1 – If you have acrylic nails, then you will want to clip your nails down to your natural nail. If you have shellac, you can skip straight to step two.
Step 2 -File the face of the polish as though you’re buffing your nails. You want to rough up the surface of the polish so that the acetone can sink more deeply into the polish.
Step 3 – Just like in a salon, you will soak half a cotton ball in acetone and then wrap the top of your finger in foil. Do this to all ten fingers and then leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Step 4 – Remove the acetone fingertips and put them to the side; you will reuse them.
Step 5 – Use the cuticle pusher to scrape the polish off your nail. You won’t get all of the polish off this round, so don’t damage your nail scraping too hard.
Step 6 – Place the acetone fingertips back on and leave them to soak for a further 30 mins (this may take up to 45, you can pull one off and test it at the 30-minute mark).
Step 7 – Repeat Step 5 until the polish is mostly gone.
Step 8 – Buff and files your nails until the polish is completely gone.
Step 9 – Apply the strengthening nail polish and when fully dry apply the cuticle oil and hand lotion as acetone is very drying.
11. Here is a YouTube tutorial that follows roughly the same process I’ve described:
Method 2 (Bowls and paper Towel)
Step 1 – If you have acrylic nails, then you will want to clip your nails down to your natural nails. If you have shellac, you can skip straight to step two.
Step 2 – File the face of the polish as though you’re buffing your nails. You want to rough up the surface of the polish so that the acetone can sink more deeply into the polish.
Step 3 – Place a small amount of hot water into the medium-sized bowl.
Step 4 – Place a piece of paper towel at the bottom of the small bowl and fill with acetone an inch deep.
Step 5 – Place the small bowl into the medium bowl like you’re stacking them to put away in a cupboard. This will allow the hot water from the medium bowl to heat the acetone without mixing with it and diluting it.
Step 6 – Place your fingers into the small bowl with your hand curled into a fist. Rub your nails on the paper towel as they soak to remove the polish. Soak until the acetone is completely dissolved.
Step 8 – Buff and files your nail to your desired shape and apply the strengthening nail polish. When dry apply the cuticle oil and hand lotion.
This video below uses a really similar method, except she substitutes the small bowl and paper towel for a ziplock bag.
Want more? Click here for Alex’s review of Lip Products She Can’t Live Without and here for The Best Hair Oils For Every Budget.
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