This Is the One Way to Remove Acrylics Without Damaging Your Own Nails

To get the best results, you have to play by the rules.

With so many options for a manicure out there — regular polish, gel, shellac, press ons — you might wonder why acrylics are still an option for nails. After all, they've gotten such a bad rep over the years and are known to cause so much damage to your natural nails, however, they are a much more affordable option for someone who wants to play with their nails, compared to say, safer gel extensions. Which is why I made an appointment to get acrylics, and then later, have them removed by a professional. Keep reading to see why professional removal is the best way to take off your acrylic nails.

Related: What to Know Before Getting Acrylic Nails

First thing's first: If you want your natural nails to still be intact after removing your acrylics, make sure to go to a reputable salon. Secondly: If you end up at a spot where you notice they're being abrasive, or seem to be in a rush — leave immediately. And last, but certainly not least: Even if you're at your wit's end, never try to take acrylics off yourself.

"A professional will have the knowledge to properly remove acrylics so the process doesn't take forever and won't compromise your natural nails," says Natalia Urbina, a head nail tech at Local Honey, the Brooklyn-based salon where I got my overlay removed. "At home, people tend to lose patience with the process and scrape or rip the product off the natural nail plate; which rips off layers of the nail and weakens the nail."

For my appointment, I worked with manicurist Dolkar Lama at Local Honey. She was gentle, patient, and thorough — everything you should be looking for in a nail tech when removing harsh acrylics. Not once was the process painful or uncomfortable, which is how you know you're in good hands.

To begin the removal, Lama started off by taking off the nail color I had on top of the overlay, then she used a sanding drill to buff the actual acrylics. Next, she soaked my nails in 100 percent pure acetone that was placed in a bowl of warm water. "It helps the acrylic to break down faster," she tells me. "When it's cold, the acrylic — it's like a wax — hardens up."

The manicurist let my nails soak for about 10 minutes, and once I lifted up my hands, I could see the acrylic melting off. She then went in with the sanding drill once again to gently remove the overlay layer by layer, soaking my nails in between, until it was all gone. The entire process took about 30 to 40 minutes in total.

It's been exactly a week since I got my acrylics removed and went back to my regular manicure (see above photo). And believe it or not, not a single nail has broken or even cracked — everything is still in perfect shape.

So trust me on this one: When you're ready to remove your acrylics, make an appointment and go to the professionals. It is always worth the trip.

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