Buzz
Shellac nail polish lasts a long time, but there are times when you might want to change the color. In that case, rather than going to a nail salon, you can try removing it yourself at home. This guide will show you two methods to remove shellac nail polish.
Steps
Soak your nails
Apply cuticle oil to your cuticles. Apply cuticle oil around the skin surrounding your nails. Do not wipe off any excess oil.
- Cuticle oil is a product used to soften and moisturize the cuticles, available at most pharmacies. Applying it before removing shellac nail polish creates a protective barrier from the drying chemicals in acetone used during this process.
Pour some acetone into a bowl. Pure acetone is the most effective, but nail polish remover with acetone will also work if its concentration is around 60% or higher.
- Non-acetone nail polish removers or those with low acetone content are not effective for removing shellac nail polish.
- Pure acetone can be purchased at most pharmacies, but it can be extremely drying to nails and skin. Therefore, it is best not to use it frequently.
- The bowl you use for acetone should have a wide opening, enough for your hand to fit in. You need to pour about 1.25 cm of acetone into the bowl.
Soak your nails in acetone. Gently curl your palm with your nails facing outward. Hold your hand in this position and dip it into the acetone. Soak your nails for about 10 minutes.
- It is important to avoid letting your skin touch the acetone, as it will dry out your skin. By keeping your hand in this position, only your nails and cuticles will be submerged in acetone, not your entire fingertip or hand.
- Soak your nails in acetone for the full 10 minutes, even if you notice the shellac peeling off before the time is up.
Scrape off the shellac nail polish. After 10 minutes, remove your nails from the acetone and use a wooden stick or nail tool to gently scrape off the shellac.
- To scrape off the shellac, place the flat edge of the stick under the nail and gently push along the length of the nail, underneath the polish. Repeat the process until all polish is removed from each nail.
- You can also start scraping off the shellac after 8 minutes of soaking in acetone. This allows the acetone to continue working on any stubborn spots while you can remove the loose polish.
Wash your hands. Use warm water and a mild soap to gently wash away the acetone and any remaining shellac on your hands.
- After removing the shellac, you may notice some white patches on your nails and fingers. This is leftover acetone, which will be washed off with soap and water.
Apply hand cream and cuticle oil. Generously apply hand cream to both hands when you're done. You should also apply cuticle oil around your nails.
- Even if you're careful, acetone will dry out some areas of skin. Hand cream and cuticle oil will help replenish the moisture lost, and you should apply them after cleaning your hands for the best results.
Wrap your nails
Cut the cotton pads and aluminum foil. Cut sterilized cotton into small square pieces the size of your nails. Next, cut the aluminum foil into squares about 7 cm on each side.
- You will have 10 square cotton pads and 10 square pieces of aluminum foil. You will need one of each for each finger.
- The aluminum foil squares should be large enough to tightly wrap around each finger.
- You can also use cotton balls instead of the cotton pads. If you use balls, there's no need to cut them. However, the aluminum foil will need to be slightly larger to wrap around the thicker cotton ball.
Apply cuticle oil to your cuticles. Apply oil to the skin around your nails.
- Cuticle oil is used to protect, soften, and moisturize the cuticles. Applying oil before removing nail polish will help prevent your cuticles from drying out excessively.
Soak the cotton in acetone. Dip the cotton pad or cotton ball into nail polish remover acetone until it is fully soaked.
- There is some debate about whether to use pure acetone or diluted acetone for nail polish removal. Pure acetone is the most effective but can dry out nails and skin significantly. Generally, it is best not to use pure acetone too frequently.
- Non-acetone nail polish removers are usually not strong enough to remove shellac polish.
Place the cotton on your nails. The cotton should be placed directly on and cover the entire nail.
Wrap aluminum foil around your nails. Tightly wrap the foil around your fingers to keep the acetone-soaked cotton in place.
- However, make sure not to wrap the foil too tightly as it could tear or cause circulation issues.
- The foil generates heat, which enhances the effectiveness of the nail polish removal.
- Gently press each nail to help the acetone adhere to the nail.
Wait for 2 to 10 minutes. Shellac polish will begin to peel off after 2 minutes, but waiting the full 10 minutes will yield better results.
- The stronger the acetone concentration, the sooner you can remove the cotton.
- If you wait longer than 10 minutes, the cotton will dry out. In that case, the cotton will stick to your nails and be difficult to clean.
Scrape or wipe off the shellac polish. Gently scrape off the loosened shellac with a wooden stick or nail tool.
- Place the flat edge of the stick under your nail and gently scrape along the length of the nail to remove all the polish.
- You can also wipe off the polish with another cotton pad soaked in acetone nail polish remover.
Buff your nails, if necessary. If there are any dry patches or stubborn spots left on your nails, use a soft cloth or a gentle buffing tool to smooth them out.
- Avoid using electric buffers or tools with hard surfaces as they can weaken your nails.
Wash your hands. Clean off any remaining residue from your hands with warm water and soap.
Apply hand cream and cuticle oil. After washing your hands, it's essential to hydrate your hands with hand cream. Also, apply cuticle oil to your cuticles and nails to lock in moisture.
- No matter how careful you are, dry skin can still occur. Hand cream and cuticle oil will help restore lost moisture.
Tips
- If you regularly use shellac nail polish, it's recommended to have the polish removed professionally. Soaking your nails in acetone frequently can cause long-term damage to both your skin and nails.
- Use a glass or ceramic bowl. Acetone can dissolve plastic.
- Be gentle when using a wooden stick to scrape off the polish to avoid damaging your nails.
Things You'll Need
- Acetone
- Cuticle oil
- Small bowl
- Wooden stick or nail tool
- Hand cream
- Cotton pads or balls
- Aluminum foil
- Soft cloth
