Clipping your nails will help the acetone dissolve the acrylics more easily. This may take some time, depending on the size of your nails and how much product is on them, so sit tight and persevere. Take care not to file or damage your natural nail as you do this.
Acetone is highly flammable and produces potent fumes. Make sure the room is well ventilated, and keep the acetone away from heat or sources of flames.
Use a cotton-tipped wooden applicator if you need help applying the petroleum jelly more precisely.
You can use a non-plastic tape to fasten the cotton balls if you don’t have aluminum foil–acetone will dissolve plastic tape! You can also simply soak your nails in a bowl of acetone for 30 minutes if you know that acetone doesn’t irritate your skin.
If you soaked your acrylic nails in the bowl of acetone, gently pry the nails off using an orange wood stick. If the acrylic nails are still firmly stuck, repeat the process and let your nails soak for another 20 minutes and attempt to remove them again.
If the acrylic begins to harden again while you’re buffing, use a cotton ball soaked in acetone to dampen it. To avoid damaging your nails, file in one direction only, and avoid using a back-and-forth sawing motion. The top few layers of your nails may have been removed with the acrylic. Buff and file gently so as not to tear or damage them further when file and buff them.
When using this method, work slowly and carefully. Removing acrylic nails without chemical assistance (like acetone) may cause damage to your nails. Soak your nails in acetone using the acetone method for easier removal with dental floss.
Use another finger to hold the base of the nail in place so that it doesn’t wiggle uncomfortably as you floss it away. You can also use standard floss, but you may need a partner to help you.
In many cases, the acrylic nail will snap off as soon as you make your first cut with the nail clipper.
Move the filer in one direction–towards you–as opposed to moving it back and forth across the nail.
Once the nail is suitably thin, clip the excess acrylic off the tip of the nail. If at any time you become uncomfortable using the electric filer, opt to use the acetone method to soak off the rest of the nail. It’ll be much easier with much of the acrylic removed already.
