How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water (5 Easy Ways)
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Acrylic nails are a popular choice for many women who want to have long, beautiful and strong nails. However, sometimes you may find yourself needing to remove acrylic nails at home when you just can’t make it back to the nail salon and your nails are looking less than stellar. We’ve all been there! One of the most effective ways to remove acrylic nails is with acetone, but if you frequent the nail salon, you probably don’t keep pure acetone on hand. So here’s a guide on how to take off acrylic nails with hot water at home.
What Are Acrylic Nails
Acrylic nails are made with a combination of liquid and powder monomer that’s brushed onto the natural nail and shaped and filed. Acrylic nails are popular because they are strong and durable, but they can also be problematic because they can be difficult to remove.
Why You Should Use Hot Water To Remove Acrylic Nails
If you’re wanting to know how to take off acrylic nails without acetone, using hot water is your best bet.
Although it will take a little longer to remove your acrylic nails this way, it’s much gentler on your natural nails.
Hot water can help to loosen the bond between the acrylic and your natural nails, making removal easier. It’s important to note that you should not use hot water that’s too hot, as this can cause damage to your skin.
While acetone is normally used to remove acrylic nails, it’s a harsh chemical that can dry out the skin and cause irritation, especially when you end up soaking your nails and fingers in the acetone for several minutes.
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water
You may have seen this Tik Tok trend about removing acrylic nails with hot water, but does it actually work? Yes! Not only is it super easy to do, but it’s also more gentle on your nails and skin than acetone or nail polish remover is. So wondering how do you remove acrylic nails with hot water? Keep on reading!
What You’ll Need
- Bowl
- Hot water
- Cuticle Nail Pusher
Steps
- Heat Water – for best results, you’ll want to get the water as hot as you can stand. Remember, you will need to leave your hands in the hot water for at least 10 minutes and you don’t want it so hot you will burn yourself
- Soak nails – you’ll need to soak your nails for 10-20 minutes, but you may need to soak them longer if needed
- Remove the acrylic nail – using a cuticle nail pusher, take the pointed end gently push it underneath the acrylic nail to gently pry it off. If it hurts or is too hard to pry off, you’ll need to soak your nails for another 5-10 minutes. It should be easy to pop the nail off if they’re soaked enough. Never forcefully pry the nail off.
- Moisturize – use a nice hand cream, cuticle butter or cuticle oil to moisturize the cuticles and nail beds. The hot water tends to dry out the skin so it will need a little replenishing
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water And Soap
What You’ll Need
- Bowl
- Hot water
- Dish Soap
- Cuticle Nail Pusher
Steps
- Heat Water – for best results, you’ll want to get the water as hot as you can stand. Remember, you will need to leave your hands in the hot water for at least 10 minutes and you don’t want it so hot you will burn yourself
- Add Soap – add a small amount of dish soap to the hot water and mix it around. You don’t need a ton of soap, just enough to get the water a little sudsy
- Soak nails – you’ll need to soak your nails for 10-20 minutes, but you may need to soak them longer if needed
- Remove the acrylic nail – using a cuticle nail pusher, take the pointed end gently push it underneath the acrylic nail to gently pry it off. If it hurts or is too hard to pry off, you’ll need to soak your nails for another 5-10 minutes. It should be easy to pop the nail off if they’re soaked enough. Never forcefully pry the nail off.
- Moisturize – use a nice hand cream, cuticle butter or cuticle oil to moisturize the cuticles and nail beds. The hot water and soap will dry out the skin so be sure to moisturize afterwards.
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water And Oil
What You’ll Need
- Bowl
- Hot water
- Oil
- Cuticle Nail Pusher
Steps
- Heat Water – for best results, you’ll want to get the water as hot as you can stand. Remember, you will need to leave your hands in the hot water for at least 10 minutes and you don’t want it so hot you will burn yourself
- Add Oil – add about 1/4 of oil or more depending on how much water you are using. You can use any oil like olive oil, cooking oil (canola oil), coconut oil, really just whatever you have on hand. Mix the oil in with the water.
- Soak nails – you’ll need to soak your nails for 10-20 minutes, but you may need to soak them longer if needed
- Remove the acrylic nail – using a cuticle nail pusher, take the pointed end gently push it underneath the acrylic nail to gently pry it off. If it hurts or is too hard to pry off, you’ll need to soak your nails for another 5-10 minutes. It should be easy to pop the nail off if they’re soaked enough. Never forcefully pry the nail off.
- Moisturize – use a nice hand cream, cuticle butter or cuticle oil to moisturize the cuticles and nail beds. The hot water tends to dry out the skin so it will need a little replenishing
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water And Acetone
What You’ll Need
- Bowl
- Hot water
- Ziplock bag
- Acetone
- Cuticle Nail Pusher
Steps
- Heat Water – heat up the water, you can do this in a bowl or in the sink
- Add acetone to zip lock bag – just enough for you to soak all your nails in. Place the ziplock bag in the hot water
- Soak nails – stick your hands in the ziplock bag with the acetone and soak your nails for 10-20 minutes
- Remove the acrylic nail – using a cuticle nail pusher, take the pointed end gently push it underneath the acrylic nail to gently pry it off. If it hurts or is too hard to pry off, you’ll need to soak your nails for another 5-10 minutes. It should be easy to pop the nail off if they’re soaked enough. Never forcefully pry the nail off.
- Moisturize – use a nice hand cream, cuticle butter or cuticle oil to moisturize the cuticles and nail beds. The acetone can really dry out and irritate the skin and nails.
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water And Nail Polish Remover
What You’ll Need
- Bowl
- Hot water
- Ziplock bag
- Nail Polish Remover
- Cuticle Nail Pusher
Steps
- Heat Water – heat up the water, you can do this in a bowl or in the sink
- Add nail polish remover to zip lock bag – just enough for you to soak all your nails in. Place the ziplock bag in the hot water
- Soak nails – stick your hands in the ziplock bag with the nail polish remover and soak your nails for 10-20 minutes
- Remove the acrylic nail – using a cuticle nail pusher, take the pointed end gently push it underneath the acrylic nail to gently pry it off. If it hurts or is too hard to pry off, you’ll need to soak your nails for another 5-10 minutes. It should be easy to pop the nail off if they’re soaked enough. Never forcefully pry the nail off.
- Moisturize – use a nice hand cream, cuticle butter or cuticle oil to moisturize the cuticles and nail beds. The nail polish remover can really dry out and irritate the skin and nails.
How To Remove Excess Glue After Removing Acrylic Nails
If you have any glue leftover on your nails after removing the acrylics, don’t worry, it’s easy to remove! There are a few ways you can remove the excess glue.
Soaking
If there’s glue leftover on the nails you can simply just re-soak them in hot water. You can also add oil or soap to the hot water. Soak the nails for at least 10 minutes or until the glue is softened and is easy remove. You can use a cuticle nail pusher to gentle scrape off any of the leftover glue
Buff Nails
Another way to remove leftover glue from acrylics is to gentle buff the glue off the nails using a nail buffer or file. Be careful not to use too much pressure when can damage your natural nails
How To Remove Acrylic Nails At Home Tips & Tricks
Although removing acrylic nails with hot water takes a little bit longer than removing them with acetone or nail polish remover, it can be done safely and easily. Here are some tips to keep in mind to make sure you remove the nails with ease and keep your natural nails healthy and strong.
- Be patient! Don’t try to rush the process by soaking your nails for less time and then forcing the acrylic nail off. This can damage your natural nails.
- Soak, soak, soak! Make sure you soak your nails long enough so that the acrylic nail is soft and easy to remove. You’ll likely need to soak for at least 10 minutes and it may even take 15-20 minutes or longer.
- Be gentle! Gently pry off the acrylic nail with a cuticle pusher. Don’t force it off as this can damage your natural nails.
- Moisturize! After you’ve removed the acrylic nails, make sure to moisturize your natural nails and cuticles. The hot water or acetone can really dry out your skin so it’s important to replenish it with a good hand cream, cuticle butter or oil.
- If you aren’t immediately re-doing your nails, it would be a good idea to use a nail strengthening polish to fortify the nails and make sure they stay health and strong
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water FAQ’s
Is It Safe To Remove Acrylic Nails At Home?
It is safe to remove acrylic nails at home as long as you’re careful and take your time. Be patient and make sure you soak the nails long enough so that the acrylic nail is soft and easy to remove. Gently pry off the acrylic nail with a cuticle pusher and never force it off. Forcing the nail off can cause damage to your natural nails but as long as you follow the instructions and never forcefully pry off the nail, it’s perfectly safe to remove acrylic nails at home.
How do you get acrylic nails off quickly?
The quickest way to remove acrylic nails is to use acetone or nail polish remover. Place a cotton ball soaked in acetone on each nail and wrap the finger in foil. Leave the foil wrapped around for 10-15 minutes and then carefully remove and the nail should come off with ease.
How do you remove acrylic nails without ruining your natural nails?
If you want to remove your acrylic nails without damaging your natural nails, the best way is to soak them in hot water and then gently pry off the nail with a cuticle pusher. Don’t force the nail off as this can damage your nails. Instead, be patient and make sure you soak the nails long enough so that they are easy to remove.
How To Take Off Acrylic Nails With Hot Water: Wrap Up
Removing acrylic nails can be a challenge, but with these tips, you should be able to take them off easily and without damaging your natural nails. It’s essential to follow instructions and never force the acrylic nail off your natural nail so that you don’t cause any damage. Removing fake nails at home is generally a very simple process and can save time and money as opposed to going to the nail salon to get them removed.