For impatient beauties who want a five-minute manicure, nail stickers are a fresh update of the 1980’s press-on nails.
Typically, to remove these colored decals at home, all you need is a few swipes of an acetone-based polish remover to get the job done quickly.
But stickers that feature glitter or sequins, can settle into the ridges of your nails, totally wreck your nail bed, and trap lacquer underneath.
Yikes!
Thankfully, there are two goof-proof ways to remove your nail stickers quickly, without damaging your natural nail plate.
Or stepping into a salon.
Things You’ll Need to Remove Your Nail Stickers:
- Pure acetone
- Small plastic bowl
- Towel
- Orangewood stick
- Cotton balls
- 10 small pieces of foil
- Moisturizing cream
- Acetone Bath
- Cuticle Oil
Acetone Bath
- First, rub a few drops cuticle oil into your nails to protect your skin from acetone’s drying effects. Rub the oil around your cuticles and underneath your nails for maximum protection.
- Pour 1/ 4 of a cup of acetone into a small plastic bowl. Don’t use a metal bowl to avoid the acetone and your nail decals reacting with the metal.
- Place the bowl filled with acetone on a table in a well-ventilated area. Submerge nails in the bowl of acetone for 10 minutes to loosen the nail stickers.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel, and then gently pull the decals from the nails starting at the base of the cuticle. You can also use an orangewood stick to lift the stickers off the nails.
- If large remnants of the decals remain on the nails, proceed to wrap them in foil and acetone-soaked cotton balls.
Foil Soak
- Soak 10 cotton balls in the acetone. Place the cotton on your nail.
- Wrap the nail with a small piece of aluminum foil. Proceed to cover all the nails on one hand with the foil.
- Let the foil and the cotton balls remain on your nails for five minutes. Remove the foils off your fingers and gently lift the decals by pulling the stickers from the base of the nails to the tips.
- Place the cotton balls and foils, on the other hand, to remove the decals from your nails. After you’ve detached the stickers from the nails, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- Rub hands with another few drops of oil or a thick moisturizer. Because acetone tends to dehydrate the skin, apply a thick moisturizer to your hands after using this chemical.
How to Remove Nail Stickers & Glitter: Do’s and Don’ts
- Purchase your 100 percent acetone from a professional beauty supply store.
- It’s safe to remove your nail stickers using acetone because the chemical removes oil and decals from the natural nail without damaging it.
- If after soaking and applying the foil, the decals do not come off easily with a gentle tug, see a licensed nail technician for proper removal.
- To avoid ingesting the chemicals in your nail decals, do not attempt to bite them off with your teeth to remove them.
