Expert warns about dangers of at-home acrylic nail removal as 'hack' goes viral
Getting your nails done is one of the most satisfying treats around. When you're mid-mani, you can feel the boost to your mood as you watch your nail tech do their thing. Whether you get acrylics or gels, when it gets to three weeks post-nail appointment and you realise you haven't made another booking, panic may begin to set in as your realise there's no appointments and you'll wonder how you're going to get a removal booked in.
But this panic mustn't drive you to take your nails off yourself - as biting and peeling nails can be dangerous. Instead, you should wait until you can book in to see someone and get them removed professionally.
Experts have warned that it's really important you don't take your acrylics off at home (Stock Image) (Getty Images)A video has been doing the rounds on TikTok showing people how to remove their false nails, and at first glance, it looks as if they are acrylics. But, they are press-on nails, so this method should not be used for the removal of acrylic.
The video shows someone putting soap and oil into a bowl of water, and soaking their hand - then the nails are lifted with a tool and seem to almost fall off the natural nail without any visible damage.
But if you attempt this with acrylics, experts have warned it will not have the same effect, and will indeed cause damage to the natural nail - in more ways than one.
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Marion Yau from the Harley Street medical foot and nail clinic said: "Peeling and biting off acrylic nails can be exceedingly harmful to the epidermis, nail bed, and nail plates.
"When your artificial nails are nearly ready to be bitten off or peeled off, this indicates that your nails have grown and you want the acrylic to come off.
"But peeling or biting acrylic nails may cause the nail plate to separate from the nail bed and cause trauma to the nail, which may result in infection, harm to the nail bed, and nail plate deformity.
"Peeling with unclean hands and biting the finger can spread bacteria and fungus from those regions, which can lead to unattractive nails and skin problems.
"Nail infections are difficult to treat and may require oral medication, laser treatment, or even nail surgery."
When it comes to how to soak nails off safely, Marion says: "Professionally soaking off acrylics is the best technique to remove them.
"The expert would be aware of the best remover to use and how long to use it in order to avoid needless harm to the nail plate and nail bed.
"This is significant since acetone bases, which are typically used to remove acrylics, can damage and dry out the nail plate and even trigger allergic reactions when used improperly or for an extended length of time.
"The acrylic can then be removed by a professional carefully using a gouge pusher and clippers.
"The professional can then prepare the nail by smoothing out any ridges with a buffer and using nail oil to keep the nail hydrated. By doing this you can maintain the health of the nails after wearing acrylics."
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You also shouldn't remove acrylic yourself as doing it correctly can take a couple of hours, and you can over-file your natural nail, leaving it extremely thin and more prone to further breakage and infection.
Salon booking app Booksy Ambassador Alice McNails reiterated the importance of seeking a professional, saying: "I'd always recommend seeking out a professional to remove acrylic nails as doing it at home is not the easiest, and will take well over an hour, plus it is very easy to over file the natural nail.
"If you're going to bite or pull off gels, acrylics, builder gel (or any nail coating) it's going to cause significant damage to the nail. At a salon visit your nails have been prepped, buffed, and scored so the product will stick. If you then rip the layers off, you're also taking several layers of your natural nail.
"This will leave you with incredibly sore and thin nails, you might not even be able to get your nails re-done straight away, as the nails won't hold onto any product if they're too thin - your nail tech could even turn you away.
"Pulling/biting your acrylics can even cause nail trauma - getting them professionally removed at the salon is always the right thing to do."
Have you ever had a nail fail? Let us know in the comments.
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