Soak Your Nails In Acetone
There are a couple different methods of doing this. King recommends ripping a cotton ball in half, soaking it in acetone until its fully saturated, and pressing it on top of each nail. Then, wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around each cotton-topped nail, and wait. I set a timer for 10 minutes, then check the nail, King explains. If it still has a long way to go, I reapply the cotton and foil and soak for an additional five minutes.
The length of time youll need to leave the foil on depends on how many layers of polish you have painted on, as well as the type of dip powder used . When you remove the cotton after soaking, the dip powder should just wipe off, King explains. Gels will have chunks of polish that come off, with acrylics you have to scrape with a cuticle pusher, but dip powder typically just dissolves.
The second removal method is to literally soak your nails in a chemical bath of sorts, using a small bowl filled with acetone. The time frame is similar for this approachbetween ten and twenty minutesafter which your nail color should be able to dissolve or flake off easily .
Remove The Old Dip Powder Nails
This is the longest part of the process, mostly because I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. After seeing my wife’s nails get ruined with cleaning supplies, I assumed straight acetone would chew right through the old nails. The two internet tutorials that I watched on this process also GREATLY exaggerated how fast this process was. The order that I’m going to put down is not the order that I went with but would probably provide the fastest results.
Step 1: Mechanically remove as much of the old powder as you can.
As you can see in the first photo, soaking the nails doesn’t work as well as I was led to believe. So, go straight to mechanical methods. Turn your drill on and get to filing! Don’t worry about getting clear down to the nail in this step, just remove what you feel like makes sense. I could have removed more but decided against it because I don’t have a clue as to what I’m doing and preferred to not have a story that started out with “hey, remember that one time that you sanded my nail off?”
Step 2: Acetone Wrap
Cut 10 large aluminum foil squares. Dip your cotton balls in the acetone, place it on the nail, and wrap it in foil. Twist the ends so that it looks like you know what you’re doing. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. Remove one foil cap at a time and rub the nail with the cotton ball, re-soaking as needed.
Step 3: Acetone bath and scrub
Dip Nails At Home: Tips Tricks And How To
Attempting a dip mani at home can be intimidating for a lot of people. And its true, going the D.I.Y. route with your dip powder manicure is a lot more involved when compared to traditional nail polish, or even a gel manicure. However, the benefits a dip manicure also called an sns manicure has to offer your nails is definitely worth the time spent learning how to do it properly. Fortunately, weve come up with a few tips and tricks that will help give you glamorous nails even on your first dip mani attempt!
Getting Started.
The first thing you need to do is to get all your stuff together. Yes, this might sound extremely obvious but youd be surprised at how many people dont actually pay attention to this detail! Make sure you have all the necessary finishes on hand, as well as the dip powder lined up and ready. If you happen to be using a Rossi Nail Glam Powder Kit, youre in luck as this kit has everything you need to get started. In line with this, familiarize yourself with the products and read the instructions! This is again an obvious tip that a lot of people dont do.
Use a Kabuki brush to brush away excess powder.
Prepping Your Nails.
Use a cuticle tool to push back your cuticles.
Let The Dipping Begin.
Apply the base coat 3/4ths of the way across your nails for a more natural look.
While optional, cuticle oil is great at refreshing cuticles after a manicure.
Practice Makes Perfect.
Don’t Miss: Vicks Rub Toenail Fungus
How To Use Isopropyl Alcohol To Remove Your Dip Nails
Isopropyl alcohol is another popular choice as an acrylic powder remover. You may be wondering well, whats the difference between Isopropyl alcohol and acetone?. Acetone is a chemical solvent and isopropyl alcohol is an alcohol and they are two completely different compounds. Simply put, acetone dissolves a lot more stuff than isopropyl .
Isopropyl alcohol helps soften the nails so that they can be filed down or wiped away easier. Acrylic nails are much thicker than normal nail polish, so youll need to leave your nails in the alcohol for quite a long time if you want them to soften all the way . While acetone will make your polish “peel-able”, isopropyl will just soften it enough for buffing away. Most people dont want to wait this long however, so they usually spend around 10 minutes soaking their nails, then file them down the rest of the way.
Dip Nail Removal Is Easy If You Do It Right
Dipping powder nails are well-loved because of their durability. It is this durability, however, that makes them so difficult to remove intentionally. In addition to having the proper supplies, you need to have a fair amount of time set aside to dedicate to removal. This is true whether you use acetone or not.
Acetone is certainly the most effective solvent used to remove dip powder nails and tips, but its totally understandable if you dont want to use it. It is very drying and gives off a harsh smell. If you use alcohol, you will experience some drying as well, plus longer soaking time.
Regardless of what you use, you need to prioritize aftercare to ensure that your skin and nails are left in good condition. A cuticle oil and a quality hand moisturizer are key to post-manicure aftercare. They offer hydration and vitamins that strengthen nails and help to restore their shine. After youve taken care of your manicure, you should give your hands a week or more to rest and recover before getting a new manicure.
I hope that this guide to dip powder nail removal has been helpful to you fellow manicure enthusiasts out there! While removing dip powder nails certainly takes a lot of time, these methods will easily and safely break down the product on your nails.
Read Also: Cetaphil Dollar General
Gently Scrape Off The Remaining Polish
For the scraping process, utilize the wooden cuticle pusher and scrape away from your cuticle bed toward the top of your nail. “If there is still dip powder on your nails, repeat this process again until it is fully removed,” Suga says. And be patient: “Don’t rush the removal process because you can damage your nail beds,” she warns. “Also, don’t ever rip the dip powder nails off, as you can cause severe trauma to your nails.”
Your Dip Nails Should Be At Least 3 Weeks Old:
Your new set of dip nails has fresh adhesive bonds to your natural nails so they are still very strong. Trying to peel these new dip nails off will result in peeling your own nails also and you will ruin their lengths and shapes that you want to keep in the first place.
Only when these dip powder nails are at least three weeks old, these adhesive bonds are weakened as they are undergoing stress and strain during the normal use of the hands and fingers.
Also, these adhesive bonds go through changes in temperatures when you wash your hands or take showers. These changes in temperature cause the hard dip nails and your own nails to expand and contract at different rates. These differences in expansion and contraction will weaken the bonds further.
These are the reasons you should only remove your dip nails at home if you do not have acetone available.
Also Check: How To Remove Powder Nail Polish
Soak Nails In Acetone
Prep: Apply an itsy-bitsy layer of petroleum jelly to each nail cuticle to help protect your skin from the acetone.
There are two ways to do an acetone soak:
Allow your nails to soak for about 10 minutes.
Pro tip: Remember that acetone can damage surfaces, so protect your work area with a towel.
If Youve Just Started Getting Dip Nails & Dont Know How To Remove Them Have No Fear We Have All The Tips You Need To Easily Remove Them Yourself At Home
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, we may receive an affiliate commission.
Dip powder is the latest nail trend to take the world by storm and its quickly replacing gel manicures. A dip powder manicure is a technique where you actually dip your nails in colored powder, , and then seal that color in with a clear top coat. The manicure can last up to one month and it is praised for being chip-free, plus, you dont have to use a UV light to seal it to your nails, unlike gel manis. A UV light isnt the only difference between the two dip manicures tend to be thicker, which is why they last longer, and therefore, may seem harder to remove. However, we have all the tips you need to remove your dip powder on your own, from home, and you can see them all below.
You May Like: Removing Kiss Impress Nails
Not Allowing Nails To Heal
When your fingernails are covered with any kind of polish, they arent afforded the opportunity to breathe. If youre a serious lover of a good manicure, you might be tempted to set yourself up with a new dip powder manicure right after removing your old one. Dont do this! Instead, let your nails recover from the manicure and the removal process. Even taking a week-long break from manicures can help restore natural nail health.
How To Remove Powder Dip Nails With The Foil
Take off your powder dip manicure quickly at home with the safe foil-wrap method. No hand drill required! This method prevents too much exposure to acetone.
Step 1: Gather all your materials mentioned above.
Step 2: File down the polish.
- Buff the top of each nail evenly with a nail file. Keep buffing till only a thin layer of polish is left on your nails.
- If you have any nail extensions, make sure you cut them off to your original nail length using a nail clipper.
Step 3: Wrap your nails in acetone-soaked cotton balls and foil.
- Cut the foil paper in tiny square shapes so that they wrap around your nails snugly.
- Soak a cotton ball in acetone and place it right on top of the nail. Wrap a piece of foil around it.
- Leave your nails wrapped this way for at least 10-20 minutes as this will help the powder dip to flake off easily.
Step 4: Remove the foil.
- Gently remove the acetone-soaked cotton balls and foils from your nails.
- If the polish has not come off, leave the cotton balls and foils on for an additional 5-7 minutes. Make sure you focus on one nail at a time.
Step 5: Buff and nourish.
- Once the entire powder dip polish comes off, gently buff the whole surface of your nails. Buffing will give proper shape and texture to your nails. It is preferable that you keep your nails short after this.
- Brush away the excess dust.
Step 6: Massage and moisturize your nails.
Read Also: How To Take Out Contacts With Long Acrylic Nails
Can You Remove Dip Powder Without Acetone
As for the more “natural” dip powder nail removal techniques some online, nail pros say steer clear. “There are hacks that suggest soaking nails in acetone substitutions like white vinegar and alcohol or using baking soda and toothpaste mix, but I do not recommend these options,” she explains. “If you want to fully remove the dip powder safely and effectively, I strongly suggest utilizing acetone.”
What Are Dip Nails
Whether youre a manicure connoisseur or youre just dipping your toes into the beauty trends pool, its always nice to know your options. While dip nails arent new, they have made a recent revival, with many high-profile social media influencers boasting about these bad boys.
The name dip powder nails isnt much of a stretch. You literally dip your fingernails into a tinted powder to apply them. You can use the technique at home or treat yourself at the salon.
When its performed at the salon, though, the process isnt quite as literal. Youll sacrifice the dip experience for the sake of sanitation. Your nail artist will brush the powder directly onto your nails so youre not sharing a pot of powder with anyone else.
Also Check: What Gets Fingernail Polish Out Of Carpet
French Girl Cuticle Oil
Chillhouse, French Girl Cuticle Oil, $22, available at Chillhouse.
Featuring a rollerball application, this cuticle oil is easy to apply after removing polish.
We only include products that have been independently selected by NYLON’s editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Start By Filing Down The Shiny Topcoat
The best way to remove dip at home is to file or buff off the top layerthis will allow the acetone to penetrate, Terrell says. To do so, use a fine emery board in a back and forth, side to side motion until the top layer of your nails look dull and covered with fine white dust. This indicates that the top layer of powder has been removed.
Also Check: Fungus On Acrylic Nails
Grab Your Nail File And Get To Work
The best way to shorten the removal process is to file down the first layer of your dip nails. This allows for the acetone to penetrate the dip powder fully and easily come off. This is not the way to fully remove your nails, though. Using a nail file only can be dangerous to your nail bed and your cuticles, so stick to removing the top layer of the dip only.
Finish Preparing Your Nails
One you have 95% of the old powder off, you’re going to want to start preparing the nail surface for your new powder. This step wasn’t covered very well in the tutorial that I watched so I may have gone overboard. Frankly, I could see how the powder would fill in most of the gaps and since you’ll be smoothing out the top later, maybe this step is skipped in the interest of time. That said, I know from woodworking, auto-body work, and drywalling that a smooth base is key to a great finished product. Let’s get to work!
Step 1: Remove and smooth any residual powder with a rotary tool.
This is where a smaller drill or rotary tool would come in handy. Sand off and smooth any remaining nail color powder. Again, don’t go too deep or else you risk sanding through the nail. You’re just looking to get the nail smooth. Also, don’t stay in one spot too long, barrel sanders and rotary tools can make round indentations. Finally, when using “coarse” grits of sandpaper, always sand with the grain, in other words, the rotation of the tool should go parallel to your finger. This will prevent large gouges in your nail as the tool tears the ridges perpendicularly which will require more time to sand out.
Step 2: The sanding blocks
Repeat this process with the 320-grit until your nail is nice and smooth.
Step 3: Cut and shape your nail
Trim your nail to roughly the shape that you want. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly.
Now you’re ready to start the dipping process!
Don’t Miss: How To Use Dashing Diva Nail Strips
Removing Dip Powder Manicures With Alcohol
You might have something like hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol or even hard liquor lying around the house. These are great for removing dip powder manicures because of the high alcohol content found in these items. Grab your alcohol-based remover of choice, get comfortable, and follow these steps.
Step 1: Prep Your Nails
First, you should wash your hands. Then, use a manicure tool to trim away at the top layer of the coating. This will make it easier for your chosen solvent to dissolve the polish. Make sure that youre working in a well-ventilated area.
Step 2: Soak Your Nails
This is the easiest part, but it is also the most time-consuming. Get a small bowl and pour your alcohol into it. Soak your nails until the polish begins to feel soft. This can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 3: Wipe Away the Polish
Using something like tissue or a cotton round, wipe away the softened nail polish.
Step 4: Repeat if Necessary
Because alcohol isnt the best solvent for this purpose, you may have to repeat this process to get all of your manicure off your nails. Take a break between soaking sessions to minimize the amount of alcohol fumes youre exposing yourself to.
Put Down Your Base Coat
First, wipe again with alcohol and put a coat of Bond Aid on your whole nail. Oil and moisture is your enemy you want the nail as dehydrated as possible before starting.
Put a coat of Pro Base over the whole nail and let dry.
Then, add another coat of Pro Base to each finger, and while wet, dip each nail in Revels Vivien . This gives the nail a nice base and creates a little thickness.
Brush off excess powder from skin around nails and surface of nails with a light brush. This is one I use from one of my kids old geology sets , but you can get a similar one here.
This guy is another one of my secrets for a great manicure. I use that pointy end to go around cuticles after each and every layer of dip to remove excess powder. This step is incredibly important!
Using the pointy tip, kind of grab inward on your cuticle and sweep out any excess powder. There shouldnt be a huge gap between your cuticle and your dip once youre finished, but a tiny one makes sure your dip doesnt pool in your cuticles .
Also Check: Acrylic Nail Tutorial At Home
