How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide [Video]

How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone: There are the highly durable acrylic nails, and then there are the natural-looking gel nail polishes. And somewhere in-between these are the dip powder nails.

Therefore, dip powder nails offer both durability and natural beauty. They may not be as durable as acrylics, but they perform better than gels.

Also, while they are not as natural-looking as gels, they offer more beautiful colors than acrylics. They also have been around for a long time, and even though they are no longer a raving trend, they are still prevalent.

Additionally, dip powder nails can either be fixed by a professional nail technician or done by yourself at home. After carrying them for 3 – 4 weeks, they can also be removed at home if you don’t have the luxury of running to the salon.

However, you will need to exercise caution when trying to remove these nails. Biting, picking, peeling, and pulling them may sound appealing, but any of these will ruin your healthy nail layers and strip the nail’s natural color away with it.

Chemicals such as acetone make the job easier and help you remove dip powder nails without damaging your nails.

But even these chemicals are not the most readily available commodities in many households, so what if you can lay hands on a bottle of acetone just when you need to remove those dip powder nails?

Not to worry much, as there are still several alternative ways to remove dip nails. We will now explore how to remove dip powder nails without acetone and answer other common questions you might have been asking.

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How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone

How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide
How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide

Acetone is widely known as a corrosive chemical that is used in many types of industrial manufacturing. And while it can help get your nails off, it can also damage your nails and cuticles at the same time.

It is, therefore, helpful to find other ways of effectively removing dip powder nails. Some of the safest and less painful products to use instead of acetone include alcohol, white vinegar, or nail polish remover.

Using Alcohol

You will need alcohol, a nail file, a towel, cotton balls and foil/ small bowl, nail buffer, and cuticle oil for this met

hod.

Step 1: Place one hand on the towel and file the top layer

To avoid making a mess, spread the towel and place one hand on it. Then using a nail file, rub the top layer of the nail back and forth until the shininess disappears.

You should be left with a white and powdery appearance on each nail before you move to the next step.

Step 2: Pour some alcohol into the bowl.

Pour a generous amount of your alcohol into the small bowl. You don’t have to empty the entire bottle in but pour enough to cover the nails when inserted.

Step 3: Soak the nails in the alcohol

Now dip your fingernails into the bowl containing the alcohol and allow remaining until you see the nail polish start to get soft and melt off.

When you see the polish coming off, use a cotton ball to see if you can gently nudge the nails to come off. They should come off without force, but if they do not, you will need to soak the nails much longer.

Repeat the above until the nails come off with no force. Generally, it takes 10 minutes of soaking for the nails to remove without effort.

Step 4: Wash your hands.

You will need to wash the alcohol off your hands for the next step. Wash properly with soap and water.

Step 5: Buff the nails

Once the nails are dried, use a nail buffer to smoothen your natural nails and give them any desired shape. Remember to buff as carefully as possible to prevent any damage to the now delicate nails.

Step 6: Rub some cuticle oil.

As soon as you finish buffering the nails, you will need to follow up with cuticle oil. Apply the oil on each nail thoroughly. This is important in ensuring that you don’t end up with nails that become too dry too quickly.

Be aware that inhaling the alcohol product for too long could leave you feeling sick. If you can’t stand the smell of alcohol for that long, you may choose to use white vinegar.

You can follow all the above steps but with white vinegar instead.

Using Nail Polish Remover

To use this technique, you will need a preferred nail polish remover, a small bowl, a paper towel, nail file, cuticle pusher, cotton ball, nail buffer, and cuticle oil.

Step 1: File the nails

Spread the paper across the working surface, place one hand on it, and file the nails. You will need to keep filing until all of the shininess has been removed.

Step 2: Pour in the nail polish remover.

Pour the nail polish remover into the small bowl. Most nail polish removers generally contain acetone; hence you should use a glass bowl for this process.

However, polish removers only contain a particular percentage of acetone while also featuring oil, perfume and other chemicals. This makes them less harmful yet equally as effective.

Step 3: Soak the nails.

Dunk your nails into the bowl of polish remover and allow standing for some minutes. Generally, the amount of time you will need to leave your fingernails in the bowl depends on the thickness of the dip nail powder layer.

A thin layer would require 15 minutes of soaking, while thicker layers would take longer. However, you must never leave your nails in the bowl for more than 15 minutes at a time, as the acetone contained in the product can still cause some damage.

Step 4: Remove the nails

Use the cotton ball to try to pull the dip powder nail off gently. However, if it proves hard to dislodge, use the cuticle pusher to remove it carefully.

Be sure not to apply too much force, and if you notice it is not coming off quickly, even with the pusher, you may need to soak the nails for a few more minutes. Exerting a minor force, in this case, is necessary to avoid damaging your natural nails by reinserting them into the polish remover.

Step 5: Clean up with a buffer

Once the dip nails have been successfully removed, use a nail buffer to file and smoothen the nail. This will help correct every crack, remove any remaining dips particle, and give the nail a desired shape and length.

Step 6: Finish up with cuticle oil

Apply cuticle oil to your natural nails to prevent them from cracking afterwards. The cuticle oil will do this by keeping the fingernails moisturized.

Do Dip Nails Ruin Your Nails?

How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide
How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide

Dip nails do not necessarily ruin your natural nails, but they can dehydrate your nails and cause the sealing layer to break temporarily.

And while the application of this type of manicure may not pose any permanent damage to your nails, removing it the wrong way can ruin the roots and cuticle of the nail as well as the surrounding skin.

Hence, you must take caution while removing them. Other measures that you can also take to avoid damage to your nails include:

  • Thoroughly wash your hands with mild soap and water after removing dip powder nails
  • Practice regular moisturizing. Apply a generous amount of cuticle oil, Aloe Vera, or Vitamin E at all times on the entire nails and cuticles
  • Don’t only remove the dips; buff the nails to make them smooth and give them shape.
  • As much as you can, avoid using acetone to remove dips. They often weaken your natural nails and escalate any existing nail problems.
  • Give the nails time to rest after removing dips. A few days or an entire week will help the nails recover enough not to sustain permanent damage.
  • Always apply a strengthening coat during those few days or one week of rest.

Which is better for Nails Gel or Dips?

How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide
How to Remove Dip Powder Nails Without Acetone – A Step by Step Guide

Gels and dips are two trendy manicures, and though they are classified under the acrylic family, they are both distinct and different nail products.

It would then make sense to define which of these manicures is better so that you can easily decide which to lean towards.

When stacked against each other using the parameters defined below, it is safe to say gel nails are better than dip nails.

Application

Gel nails are usually painted the same way regular nail polishes are done. The fluid is painted on the nails and dry for about 45 minutes under UV or LED light.

This nail polish only dries under these two kinds of light and will remain wet when not exposed to either. You may then having trouble doing it yourself if you have neither of these lights at home.

On the other hand, dips are applied using colored powder acrylic mixed with a glue-type resin called cyanoacrylate. As the name implies, the application process involves dipping each finger into a pot containing the acrylic powder repeatedly until the desired thickness is achieved.

An activator polish is used to paint a top coat on top before it can cure in the air. This intricate application may also mean it is practically impossible to install these nail types yourself at home.

Durability

A gel manicure generally lasts for about 2 – 3 weeks, while dip nails last for as long as 4 weeks. This makes dip better than gel nails in this regard.

Sanitation

Dip nails are generally disadvantaged in this regard for two reasons. First, the application process requires dipping fingers into a pot of powder. In many cases, this pot is shared by many other customers. This makes it easy to pass nail infections around.

Secondly, dip nails are thicker than gel nails, making it very easy for them to pick dirt and germs during everyday activities.

Potential Damage to the Nails

Like all enhancements, both nail types can leave the nails feeling brittle and dehydrated for some time. All nails share this shortcoming, and there is no way to decide which is better in this aspect.

However, this effect is only temporary, and the nails recover once they are allowed to rest and given some good aftercare following removal of the enhancements.

Removal

Aside from the intricate method of installations, dips are also usually very thick. This makes them more complex and more challenging to remove than gel nails.

You generally need to spend more time and resources trying to remove dip nails than you would gel nails.

Cost

Fixing dips usually cost more than gel nail. This could be primarily due to the tools and expertise required to fix dip powder nails.

So that whether you are going to the salon to have it done or trying to do it yourself, you end up spending more getting dips than gel nails.

Conclusion

Dip powder nails are almost as durable as acrylics and nearly as natural and beautiful as gel nails. They hang somewhere in between, providing you with the best of both worlds.

And while removing them can be a little tricky, it is possible to do so without acetone. And we have written this article to do just exactly that – teach you how to remove dip powder nails without acetone.