removing acrylic nails

A better way to remove acrylics- spare the abuse and stem the damage! Rather than nipping, try soaking them off. It's a great way to get a fresh start with a new set or remove them for good! Here are the nail details:

Step One: Prep the Nails
Soaking off a set of acrylic nails generally takes about 30 minutes to an hour, but it's time well spent. Regular nail soaks will save you time in the long run by avoiding the clipping and cleaning of built-up acrylic. Because acetone can be drying to the skin, the first step to a great acrylic removal treatment is to apply petroleum jelly to the clients' fingers and cuticles. This will prevent the acetone from irritating the skin. You may also want to integrate a hand massage into this phase of the service as you lather the hands in lotion.

Step Two: Apply Acetone
There are actually two methods to applying acetone. You can place the nails in a bowl of warm acetone. Or, soak cotton balls, apply them to the individual nails and wrap in aluminum foil.

In either case, heating the acetone hastens the removal process. If opting for method No. 1, this is usually best accomplished by placing the soaking bowl in another bowl of hot water. Do not put acetone in the microwave! Once the hands are soaking, cover the bowl with a towel and leave them alone until the acrylic melts. Removing the nails prematurely will cause the acrylic to set up again once exposed to air, so caution the client to leave them undisturbed, Peters warns.

Also, be aware that methyl methacrylate (MMA) nails will require more soaking time - at the very least an hour - than ethyl methacrylate (EMA) nails, which should only take about 30 to 40 minutes. Even then, MMA nails can take unusually long periods of time to soak. JANET SMITH of THE NAIL PORT, Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, finds warming the acetone in another bowl with extremely hot water soaks off her clients' acrylic in about 20 minutes, whereas MMA nails take her at least one-and-a-half hours. On the other hand, fiberglass nails will take much less time. (Don't try soaking gel nails - they need to be buffed off.)

If using the cotton ball method, use 100 percent cotton, as synthetics won't absorb as well. Saturate the cotton with acetone, apply to each nail and then wrap each nail snugly in foil so that it's tight enough to prevent leaking but not so tight that it squeezes out the acetone. Wrap hands in a warm towel.

Step Three: Remove Acrylic
Remove towel and aluminum foil as you apply slight pressure to the nails. If you've waited a sufficient amount of time, the acrylic should slide off effortlessly. To clean up any remaining debris, you can also use some tissue to ease off the acrylic. Try a nail brush and scrub lightly at the sink.