The dreaded soak-off! I know my clients HATE when I say it's time for a soak off, but when it's time, it's time. First and foremost, though, the amount of clients I have had sit in my chair and tell me they didn't know the proper way to remove nail enhancements was by soaking them off with acetone has been truly appalling. So many have genuinely thought that whenever the techs in the salons they were going to put a nail tip under their enhancement and popping their enhancements off was normal. If it hurts, IT IS NOT NORMAL.
Before I became a nail tech, I'd known about soak-offs for awhile. However, I also knew that if i were to go into a salon in my area and ask for a soak off and a brand new set, the tip under my acrylic ripping my natural nail to shreds is what the first step would be and the soak off would never happen. I knew it was going to be incredibly painful, but I never said anything... Rarely anyone does- because a lot of us don't like confrontation. At least, I THOUGHT that was the reason. It wasn't til I became a nail tech that I realized clients really think that ripping enhancements off in a salon is normal. I'm here to tell you, IT ISN'T.
Hear me out, I know people hate the feeling of a soak off, and not only that... they hate that it's time consuming. Sometimes, clients can't afford the extra $10-$15 for the soak off, or maybe they just don't want to pay that because they can do the removal for free. I completely understand. Hear me out, I have been in a position on multiple occasions where my acrylic was lifted, my hair was getting caught under my nail and i was about to flip my lid- and I ended up just finishing the job. I get it, I'm impatient, too. I also hate the feeling, and sometimes the extra cost isn't feasible. HOWEVER, I would NEVER in a million years advise my clients to do remove their nails forcefully by ripping them off, and I would never EVER pop one of their nails off like this. It's incredibly damaging to your nail plate and it HURTS. What if I told you I can help you save money in the long run and give you some helpful tips for at home soak-offs to be a lot easier, and definitely faster?
First and foremost, GET A SOAK BOWL. These are what I use in my salon and since I've had them it has been an absolute game changer. The bottom part of the bowl holds warm water, the top is where the acetone belongs and it makes for a MUCH quicker and actually, a more comfortable soak off. The warm water helps SO MUCH.
You can find this kit on my amazon storefront. It comes with 2 soak bowls, a cuticle pusher and a scraping tool for just $10!
For a soak off to work, you HAVE to use 100% pure acetone. Regular nail polish will NOT work with gel polish or acrylic removal. You can find 100% pure acetone at your local beauty supply like sally's!
Something else you will need is a file. I use 80/80, but it is very abrasive and can damage your nail plate if you're not very careful. Once you get most of the acrylic removed and only a thin layer is left, it's really easy to hit the natural nail after a couple of swipes with the file. Be cautious. 100/180 file would be sufficient for at home soak-offs as well. You can get a 25 pack of good quality nail files off of amazon for $7.99, these are also available on my amazon storefront as mentioned above!
One thing I DO NOT recommend to a non professional is an e-file. An e-file is the "drill" that is used during the service for multiple different steps like prep-work, de-bulking, polish removal from acrylics during a fill, etc. This can be a very dangerous tool. It's just safer to stick with a regular file for de-bulking the acrylic at home.
The last thing you may or may not need depending on the length of your nails is a pair of nail clippers, most people already have them handy. This is just to clip off the length, otherwise the soak off will take longer.
STEPS:
Clip your nails, be careful to not clip too close to the hyponychium or the"quick", because if you end up with a cut, once you place your hand in the acetone, it will send you out of your chair.
Take your 100/180 file and remove the top coat, and de-bulk the acrylic as much as you can. At the very least, just make sure the top coat is no longer a barrier between the acetone and your acrylic. Otherwise it's gonna be a long day!
Take your soak bowl apart and put hot water in the white bowl. Then pour your acetone into the top where there are 5 individual places for each of your fingers. Snap the bowl back together and put your hands in! Wait at least 10-15 minutes before taking them out and scraping.
Once you take your hands out and scrape off the acrylic that has begun to flake off, take your file and de-bulk again. Be cautious to not file at your natural nail plate.
Repeat until all is removed!
I would also recommend cuticle oil all around your cuticles and on your nail plate after this as the acetone is incredibly drying.
I know soak-offs are annoying, but they can be a little less annoying with these tips. Once you have all the equipment, you can also save money over time by at-home removal! I hope this helps! ❤️
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