Removing Fake Nails at Home: With and without Acetone

Tired of your nail look? While heading to the salon is an easy way to get fake nails removed, sometimes, you just want to do it yourself at home. That’s where we come in! We’ll give you 3 different methods for removing fake nails that you can do yourself without damaging your real nails. Read this article to take off your nails with or without acetone and try a new nail look in no time.

Things You Should Know

To remove fake nails with acetone, put an acetone-soaked cotton ball on each nail and wrap them in tin foil. Use a cuticle pusher to remove your fake nails.
To take off fake nails with dish soap, mix olive oil, dish soap, and hot water in a bowl. Soak your nails in the mixture for 10 minutes.
Try removing fake nails with dental floss in a pinch. Slowly pry up the edge of your fake nail with a cuticle pusher, then wiggle the flosser underneath.
Buff your nails and moisturize your cuticles afterward to let your natural nails recover.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Acetone

1
Trim your fake nails with nail clippers. Clipping your nails first reduces the amount of surface area that the acetone has to penetrate, which makes it much easier for your nails to come off. Cut the acrylic nails down to the level of your natural nails, but don’t trim your natural nails just yet.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
2
File the top of your nails to remove the topcoat. Grab a nail file and go over each nail in a back and forth motion. On acrylics, file near the cuticle bed where the fake nail meets your natural nails. For gel nails, file over the entire surface of the nail. Keep filing until you expose the adhesive under your acrylics or remove the shiny protective coat of the gel nails.^{[2]
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- While it may be tempting to skip filing, doing this step is crucial: it will help the acetone penetrate faster to remove your nails much easier.
- Be careful not to file down to your natural nails, since this could hurt.
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3
Place a cotton ball soaked in acetone over each nail. Add enough acetone to the cotton ball or gauze so that it’s wet, but not dripping. Then, place the cotton directly over your nail.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
- For acrylics, make sure the cotton is centered over the area where you filed to expose the adhesive.
- For gel nails, make sure that the acetone-soaked cotton is covering the entire nail.
- Keep in mind that you can also use non-acetone nail polish remover, but it will take longer than using pure acetone.
4
Wrap each nail in tin foil. Place your fingertip onto the center of a foil wrap. Then, wrap the top of the foil over the tip of your nail and bring the sides up over your nail like a tent. Fold the ends over a few times to tighten the foil around your fingertip and the cotton.^{[4]
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- Don’t worry if the foil doesn’t look as neat as the way they do it in the salon. As long as the foil is secure around your fingertips, the acetone-soaked cotton will stay put and do its work.
- Don’t have any foil? Use plastic wrap instead.^{[5]
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  Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
  Go to source}
5
Wait 20 minutes to remove the wraps. Now is a great time to catch up on your favorite podcast or watch an episode of TV. Set a timer on your phone and leave the acetone in place for at least 20 minutes so it can work its magic.^{[6]
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- The acetone will break down the acrylic or gel polish on your nails, making it much easier to scrape off.
6
Use a cuticle pusher to scrape off the remaining adhesive or polish. Remove 1 of the wraps, and try to pull off an acrylic by gently inserting the tip of a cuticle pusher between the acrylic and your natural nail. For gel nails, try to scrape off some of the polish using a cuticle pusher. If the acrylic or gel nail polish comes off easily, then remove the wraps 1 at a time and use the cuticle pusher to remove the adhesive or polish from each nail.^{[7]
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- If the acrylic or gel polish will not come off easily, redo the wrap you just took off. Leave the rest of the wraps in place for another 5 minutes, and then check again.
- Remember, only remove 1 wrap at a time and scrape away the adhesive or gel polish immediately.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Dish Soap and Olive Oil

1
File down the surface of the acrylic or gel nail with a coarse nail file. Take a coarse grit emery board or nail file and rub it back and forth over the top of each of your nails. For acrylics, file the area where the acrylic meets your natural nail (near the cuticle bed) until the adhesive is exposed. For gel nails, file the entire surface of the nail until they are no longer shiny.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
2
Fill a bowl with hot water, olive oil, and dish soap. Grab a shallow bowl and fill it up about halfway with hot water. Then, add about 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of olive oil and 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of dish soap.^{[9]
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- The olive oil helps protect your cuticles from getting dried out while you soak. The dish soap will break down the acrylic or gel polish, making it much easier to remove your nails without damage.
3
Soak your nails in the mixture for 10 minutes. Grab your phone, set a timer, and put on a good podcast, because it’s time to let your fingers soak! Make sure your nails are fully submerged so the polish starts to disintegrate.^{[10]
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- The dish soap is doing most of the heavy lifting here: since it’s meant to break down grease and grime, it takes care of your nail polish easily.
4
Pop off your nails with a cuticle pusher. When the timer is up, take your fingers out of the water and pat them dry on a towel. Use a cuticle pusher to gently go underneath the acrylic nails, pushing them up and off your natural nails one at a time.^{[11]
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- If your nails are still fairly stuck on, put them back in the water mixture and let them soak for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you had gel nail polish on, use the cuticle pusher to scrape the polish off your nails.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Dental Floss

1
Loosen your fake nail with a cuticle pusher. Stick the end of a cuticle pusher underneath the gap between your fake nail and your real nail. Gently pry the nail upward to create a small gap to work with.^{[12]
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- Having trouble loosening your nail? Soak your nails in hot water for 20 minutes first.
- The dental floss method may damage your natural nails. Always use caution with this method, and go slowly to avoid ripping or tearing your natural nail.^{[13]
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2
Press a flosser against your natural nail and move it under the acrylic nail. Position the floss against your natural nail where the acrylic nail begins. Then, press down and move the floss under the acrylic.^{[14]
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- If you have someone helping you using regular floss, then have them hold the floss taut and press it against your natural nail.
3
Use a back and forth motion to work the floss under the acrylic. Move the flosser back and forth like you would to floss your teeth. Hold the acrylic nail down with 1 finger to keep it still as you do this. Continue working the floss forward until you reach the end of your natural nail and the acrylic nail comes off.^{[15]
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- Make sure that you go slow! If you go too quickly, then you may pull off part of your natural nail.
- Once you have 1 nail off, repeat the process on all your other nails.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

After Removal

1
Buff the top of your nails to smooth them out. You may notice that after removing fake nails, your natural nails look a bit rough. Use a buffing tool to gently and slowly buff them out and make them feel smooth again.^{[16]
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- Wearing fake nails does have the potential to damage your natural nails slightly, especially if you remove them at home. Be sure to give your natural nails a break and be gentle with them so they can heal properly.
2
Rub petroleum jelly on your cuticles for 1 week. Your cuticles may be slightly dry or feel rough after using acetone or other products. To protect your fingers from damage, rub petroleum jelly or cuticle oil into your cuticles every day for at least 7 days.^{[17]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
Go to source}
- Plus, petroleum jelly helps reduce irritation that may come from using acetone.
3
Lock in moisture with hand cream or moisturizer. Give your hands some much-needed TLC with hydration after removing fake nails. Try to use lotion or hand cream at least once a day (but twice is even better!).^{[18]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
Go to source}
- Moisturizing your hands will also keep them looking younger longer, so it’s a win-win.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you get fake nails off without acetone?

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Mia Rubie is a Nail Artist and the Owner of Sparkle San Francisco, a nail studio based in San Francisco, California. She has over eight years of nail artist and management experience and is known for her push-the-envelope designs and artistic eye for colors. Her clients include Sephora, Target, and Vogue. Her work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and StyleCaster. She holds a BBA focusing on Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from San Francisco State University. You can find her work on her Instagram account @superflynails.

Mia Rubie

Nail Artist

Expert Answer

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Honestly, there are probably a bunch of hacks out there, but I wouldn't recommend them. Soaking your nails in acetone is just the easiest way to take fake nails off. You can try filing it off, but beyond that I wouldn't suggest skipping the acetone.
Question

Can the nail salon take off my acrylic nails?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

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Yes, many salons will provide this service free of charge if you are getting a new set. If you just want removal, they will do it for a fee (usually $15-30).
Question

How do I take off acrylic nails at home?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

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Soak cotton balls in acetone and wrap them around your nails. Wrap the cotton in foil and wait 20 minutes, then pry off nails with an orangewood stick.

Warnings

Removing fake nails at home can damage your natural nails. Experts recommend getting your nails taken off at a salon.^{[19]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
Go to source}

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Pure acetone can stain or discolor surfaces and clothing. Cover your work surface with a towel before you get started and put on an old t-shirt.

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