How to Take Off Your Press-On Nails the Right Way

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Two easy methods for removing press-on nails + nail care tips

Co-authored by Mia Rubie and Aimee Payne, MFA

Last Updated: December 5, 2024 Fact Checked

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Removing Fake Nails with Acetone & Foil

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Removing Press-On Nails with Soapy Water

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Repairing Damage Caused by Press-On Nails

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Press-on nails can give you a professional-looking manicure in minutes, but removing them can be a pain and may damage your nails. However, you can do a few things to make removing press-on nails easier and less damaging, such as soaking your nails in acetone and loosening them with a cuticle pusher. Read on to discover the best ways to remove your press-on nails to prevent damage to your nail beds.

How to Remove Press-on Nails

Soak your press-on nails for 10-15 minutes in soapy water if you want to reuse them, or acetone if you plan to discard them. Then, use a cuticle pusher to gently lift the press-on nails off your nail beds. Lightly buff your natural nail to remove residue.

Section 1 of 3:

Removing Fake Nails with Acetone & Foil

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1
Soak a cotton ball with acetone and press it to your nail. Acetone breaks down nail polish and adhesives, so your press-ons will no longer be usable after taking them off with this method.^{[1]
X
Research source} If you have very long press-on nails, cut them down with nail tip clippers to make them easier to wrap with foil.
- Be careful not to purchase a non-acetone nail polish remover, which won’t be helpful in dissolving adhesive.
- Acetone can dry out your cuticle and the skin around your fingernail. Use cuticle oil to protect your skin. As a bonus, the oil may also help break down the adhesive under the press-on nail.
2
Wrap a square of aluminum foil around your fingertip. While holding the acetone-soaked cotton against your fingernail, wrap a 3 inches (7.6 cm) x 3 inches (7.6 cm) square of aluminum foil around the tip of your finger to keep the cotton in place. The foil holds in heat and slows evaporation, making the acetone work faster.
- Plastic wrap or nail clips are also effective for holding the cotton ball to your nail.^{[2]
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  American Academy of Dermatology
  Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
  
  Go to source}
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Place an acetone-soaked cotton ball and wrap on each nail. Then, wait for the acetone to break down the press-on nail and adhesive. When using this method to remove press-on nails, place wraps on only one hand at a time so you have one hand free to remove the foil.
4
Lift off nails as they start to loosen. The press-on nails will loosen up as the acetone starts to dissolve the adhesive. Use your fingers to remove the press-on nails if possible. Or, you can use a cuticle pusher to work the press-on off your natural nail slowly.
- Take your time, even if the nail seems loose. Pulling a press-on off too quickly can cause damage to your nails.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Mia Rubie
  Nail Artist
  
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
The acetone in nail polish remover can dry out your skin, so make sure that you give them some special attention after you get the press-on nails off.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source

American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists

Go to source} Wash your hands and nails with warm water and mild soap. Then, dry them well and use hand cream on your hands and nails.^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist

Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}

Section 2 of 3:

Removing Press-On Nails with Soapy Water

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1
Soak your nails in warm, soapy water or acetone for 10 minutes. If you plan on reusing your press-on nails, soak them in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of dish soap. Place your fingertips in the water and let your nails soak for about 10 minutes.
- If you plan to discard the press-ons or they won’t come off after soaking in soap and water, soak them in a bowl of 100% acetone to dissolve the adhesive.
- Rock the nails back and forth slightly while soaking to the water or acetone loosen the adhesive.
- Don’t try to force off the nail if it will not come off easily.
2
Use a cuticle pusher to loosen the nail. After soaking, place the end of an orange stick or wooden cuticle pusher between your natural nail and the press-on nail. Then, slowly rock the cuticle pusher back and forth to loosen the nail.^{[6]
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Research source}
- Don’t start at the tip of the nail. Start at the cuticle and then work the orange stick towards the tip.
3
Gently buff off any leftover adhesive. After you’ve removed the press-on nails, go back over your nailbeds and buff off any remaining adhesive with a buffing block or fine-grit nail file. A cuticle pusher can also scrape adhesive off your nails.^{[7]
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Research source}
- If the adhesive still doesn’t budge, try soaking your nails in warm water again or applying a bit of acetone with a cotton ball.

Section 3 of 3:

Repairing Damage Caused by Press-On Nails

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1
Go polish and press-on free for a few weeks. Slightly damaged nails may heal themselves in 1-2 weeks. To give them time to heal, don’t apply any nail polish or other press-on nails during that time.^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source

American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists

Go to source}
- Use a few drops of cuticle oil to moisturize your nails and give them a natural shine while you let them heal.
2
Cut your nails short to prevent breakage. Your nails may be brittle after you remove the press-on nails, so cutting them short may help prevent them from breaking or chipping. Use nail clippers or scissors to trim straight across the nail. Then, file sharp corners with a nail file, moving in one direction rather than back and forth.^{[9]
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Trustworthy Source

American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists

Go to source}
- Use a nail file to smooth out jagged edges if your nails are already short.
Press-on nails can pull off layers of your nails and leave them looking rough and jagged. Smooth out some of the damage by gently buffing your nails with a buffing block or fine-grit nail file.^{[10]
X
Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist

Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
4
Replenish lost moisture in your cuticles and nailbeds. Apply cuticle oil and hand cream after you remove the press-on nails and reapply at least once a day or after you wash your hands as your nails recover. ^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Keep a small bottle of hand cream in your purse or desk at all times to reapply it as often as you need.
- Slugging or slathering your nails and cuticles with petroleum jelly after putting on cuticle oil is a great way to rehydrate your nailbeds.^{[12]
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  Research source}
Nail hardening treatments brush on like nail polish and help repair and strengthen brittle, damaged nails.^{[13]
X
Research source} Use them once a day or as often as directed on the packaging.
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Take a biotin supplement. Studies have shown that taking a daily biotin supplement improves damaged, brittle nails. In some cases, there was a 25% increase in nail plate thickness in patients with brittle nails.^{[14]
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Trustworthy Source

PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source}
- As with starting any supplement, talk to your doctor about the best way to add biotin to your diet.
Protect your nails before your next press-on application by applying a couple of layers of a clear base coat. This will help to create a barrier between your nails and the nail adhesive.^{[15]
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Research source}

Expert Q&A

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Question

What is the easiest way to remove fake nails?

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Mia Rubie is a Nail Artist and the Owner of Sparkle San Francisco, a nail studio based in San Francisco, California. She has over eight years of nail artist and management experience and is known for her push-the-envelope designs and artistic eye for colors. Her clients include Sephora, Target, and Vogue. Her work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and StyleCaster. She holds a BBA focusing on Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from San Francisco State University. You can find her work on her Instagram account @superflynails.

Mia Rubie

Nail Artist

Expert Answer

In most cases, it's easy enough to just soak your nails in acetone for a few minutes. Do your best to not use force to peel them off, since this can seriously damage your nails. Another option is to just go to a nail salon and ask a professional to take them off for you. They'll usually do a great job.

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Will nail polish remover ruin your press on nails?

Hieveryoneitsme

Community Answer

If your press-ons are good quality, any type of nail polish remover should not ruin them. However, if they are cheap or bad quality (you normally can tell if they are discolored, have snagged edges or have paint chips here), be careful if you are planning on re-using them.

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Question

I recently got acrylics, and they completely destroyed my nails. (Thin and crack/break easily.) I was looking into using press-on nails temporarily; is this a good idea, or should I avoid it?

Cecilia Flores

Top Answerer

Avoid. The glue will destroy your nails even more. Just paint your nails with regular polish at home, and keep cutting your nails until the damaged part fully grows out.

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Tips

If your press-on nails were applied with an adhesive tab, you may be able to remove them using rubbing alcohol. Simply apply rubbing alcohol around the edges of the press-on, wait 30 seconds for the adhesive to loosen, then gently rock the press-on back and forth until it comes loose.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Always keep the nail glue after applying your nails, just in case you decide to re-use it or if a nail falls off, so you can fix it.
If you don't have cuticle oil, don't worry. Another oil may still work. Try olive oil, jojoba oil, or whatever you may have.

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Warnings

Never pop press-on nails off without loosening the glue. This removes layers of your natural nails, making them weak and brittle.

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Be careful when using acetone. It can damage unprotected surfaces and cause lung irritation if inhaled.

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