Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Kristin Pulaski. Kristin Pulaski is a Professional Nail Artist and the Founder of Paintbucket, a self-owned and operated nail salon based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She has over five years of experience running Paintbucket and is licensed as a nail technician. Paintbucket offers nail art manicures, pedicures, and soft gel extensions along with customized packages for wedding and bridal parties. She holds a BA in Managerial Science from Manhattan College.
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Attempting to remove nail polish while you are wearing acrylics can damage your acrylic nails or even cause them to come off. Most nail polish removers are made with acetone, which is the same ingredient used to strip off acrylics. Therefore, using non-acetone remover is a good option for regular nail polish. However, gel polish is difficult to remove without acetone, so you will need to use a nail file to remove gel polish. Also, keep in mind that it is important to get touch-ups at a salon every two to three weeks while wearing acrylic nails. This will help to prevent nail infections and keep your nails looking great.
Steps
Use a non-acetone based nail polish remover. Since acetone may remove your acrylics, it is important to use a non-acetone nail polish remover. Many brands, such as Cutex, make non-acetone nail polish removers. Check the bottle to ensure that you are getting the right kind.
Apply nail polish remover to a cotton ball. Add enough so that the ball is moist, but not dripping. If you prefer, you can also use surgical gauze pads, which leave less fuzz on your nails as you take off the nail polish.- You can also use Q-tips for smaller areas on your nails.
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Hold the cotton ball over the nail to dissolve the polish. Press the cotton ball down for 3-5 seconds before wiping it up the nail. Repeat, pressing the ball again to the nail and wiping away. Keep doing this until all of the polish is gone.
Replace the cotton balls as needed. You will probably need to use at least three cotton balls to take the nail polish off of your nails. However, you might need more, depending on the amount of nail polish on your fingernails. You should get a new cotton ball if the cotton gets caked with your old polish, starts to dry, or if it drags on the surface of your acrylic.
Get a 150 or 180 grit nail file. You will need a nail file that has enough texture to file off the gel polish. Using a 150 or 180 grit file should be enough. You can fine this type of file in a beauty supply store.[1]- Move the file in one direction over the nail polish. While holding the nail file in one hand, press the file onto the surface of one of your nails. Then, begin to move the file in swift strokes going in one direction. As you do this, you should start to see the nail polish come off of your nails.[2]
- Make sure that you move the file over different parts of the nail as you file. Do not focus on just one area. This is important to avoid generating heat over one part of the nail due to friction caused by the file.
- Continue to file each nail until the gel polish is gone. After you finish removing the gel polish from your first nail, move to the second one. Then, continue to file each nail until you have filed the polish off of each of them.
- This will take a while, so you might want to do it while listening to a podcast, chatting with a friend, or watching a TV show.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionCan I take acrylic nails off at home?
Kristin PulaskiKristin Pulaski is a Professional Nail Artist and the Founder of Paintbucket, a self-owned and operated nail salon based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She has over five years of experience running Paintbucket and is licensed as a nail technician. Paintbucket offers nail art manicures, pedicures, and soft gel extensions along with customized packages for wedding and bridal parties. She holds a BA in Managerial Science from Manhattan College.
Salon Owner & Nail SpecialistIt really isn't a good idea. Acrylic is a pretty tough product and the adhesive is basically a type of cement. I'd recommend getting them removed at a nail salon so that a professional can take them off, if possible. - QuestionCan I change my nail polish on gel nails?
Laura MartinLaura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.
Licensed CosmetologistI wouldn't recommend it. Since gel polish is made of the material as the gel nails, anything that breaks down the polish will begin to disintegrate the nail as well. - QuestionCan you use nail polish remover to take off acrylic nails?Laura MartinLaura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.
Licensed CosmetologistYes, acetone polish remover works best, but you can use non-acetone as well, just be prepared for a longer soak.
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Tips
Warnings
- Remember to use only non-acetone nail polish remover.Thanks
- Don’t try to pick off your nail polish. This may damage your acrylics. This is especially important if you have gel polish over your acrylics because picking at it can cause layers of your nail to peel off.Thanks
- Be aware that acrylic nails can cause serious damage to your natural nails. To reduce the damage, you may want to consider only wearing acrylic nails for special occasions.[3]Thanks
References
About This Article
To remove nail polish from your acrylic nails without the nails coming off, soak a cotton ball in non-acetone nail polish remover, then hold the cotton on top of your nail for 3-5 seconds. This will allow the remover to dissolve the polish. After a few seconds, wipe the cotton ball across the nail and repeat until the polish is gone. Remove the polish from all of your nails, replacing the cotton ball as needed. To learn more from our Cosmetologist co-author, like how to file off any gel nail polish, keep reading the article!
Reader Success Stories
"I had nail tips put on with Christmas colors. I thought it was a very simple design, but the girl managed to mess it up. The info told me what to use and how to remove polish, not the nails."..." more
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