How to remove acrylics, gel nails at home during coronavirus quarantine

My nails were in desperate need of a fill after four weeks

Peace out, long nails. It's been fun!

Now that nonessential businesses like hair and nail salons have temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are left in our natural state to fend for ourselves while coming up with homemade beauty regimens. 

The struggle is real right now for us who normally rely on professionals to do our hair and nails. And, who knows when things will return to normal again. 

I had acrylics and gel polish on my nails, and I waited as long as I possibly could before I finally budged and soaked them off. 

READ: 20 things to do while social distancing at home in coronavirus quarantine

Soaking off acrylics and gel polish isn't a hard process, it just requires a little bit of your time and patience. The entire process for me took about an hour and a half. The amount of time it takes to soak off your nails depends on the type of nails, acrylic and gel you have. 

So, sit down, get comfy and turn on your favorite movie. Here are the steps to remove your acrylics and/or gel polish...

You'll need:

- Nail file
- Acetone nail polish remover
- Aluminum foil
- Cotton balls
- Nail clipper
- Wooden nail stick or metal scraping tool
- Cuticle oil or olive oil

(Note: The links included below (marked 'recommended product') are included in my Amazon storefront. If you click/buy items from these ads, I receive a certain percentage. These items can also be bought from local drugstores: Walgreens, Harmon Face Values, Rite Aid, etc.)

1. Cut/file the nail down as low as possible.

2. File the gel topcoat off of your nails.

Recommended product: Professional acrylic nail clipper 

3. Cut little pieces of aluminum foil which you'll use to wrap each of your nails in.

Make sure you grab a towel to place under your hands for the next parts...

4. Completely dip cotton balls in the acetone and place one soaked cotton ball on top of each fingernail.

Recommended product: Onyx Professional Coconut Scented Nail Polish Remover

5. Wrap each nail (with the cotton ball on top) in aluminum foil. Keep on for about 10-30 minutes.

Excuse the dryness of my hands (it's the acetone)

6. Remove foil and check to see if the gel/acrylic softened up enough to scrape off. If not, soak the nails in a non-plastic bowl for an additional 10-30 minutes. 

7. Use a wooden nail stick or metal scraping tool to carefully scrape off the remaining gel/acrylic. 

Recommended product: Nail polish removal kit

8. Once the gel and/or acrylic is completely off, use a file to shape the nails (and if you have one, use a nail buffer).

Success!

9. Massage nails with a good cuticle oil (substitute: soak nails in warm olive oil for 10 minutes)

10. Top off the job with clear nail polish or a cute color polish. 

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links in which OooLaLaBlog receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. OooLaLaBlog is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon.com. Pages on this site may include affiliate links to Amazon and/or its affiliate sites on which the owner of this website will make a referral commission. 

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