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Nail How-To Guides

Applying nails at home is doable. Removing them without damage is harder. These 35 guides cover both, along with shaping, care, and the supplies you actually need before you start.

Common Nail How-To Questions

How do you paint your nails at home?

Clean and dry your nails first. Apply a base coat and let it dry. Apply two thin coats of polish, waiting 2 minutes between coats. Finish with a topcoat. Avoid thick single coats, which cause smudging and uneven coverage.

How do you shape your nails?

File in one direction from the outer edge toward the center. Avoid sawing back and forth, which weakens the nail. The five main shapes are square, round, oval, almond, and coffin. Start with a coarse file to remove length, then switch to a fine-grit file to smooth the edge.

How do you remove shellac nails?

Buff the surface of the shellac lightly to break the seal. Soak a cotton ball in pure acetone and place it on the nail. Wrap each finger in foil and wait 10 to 15 minutes. The shellac should lift off easily. Never force or peel it, which can remove layers of the natural nail.

How do you file your nails correctly?

Use a fine-grit nail file and move in one direction from the side toward the center. Filing back and forth splits the nail edge. File at a slight angle to match your chosen shape, then finish with a buffer to smooth any roughness.

How do you remove acrylic nails at home?

File off the top coat and as much of the acrylic surface as possible. Soak nails in acetone for 20 to 30 minutes, either in a bowl or using acetone-soaked cotton wrapped in foil. Once the acrylic softens, push it off with a cuticle pusher. Do not force or rip it off.

How do you do nails at home without a salon?

Start with clean, dry nails. Push back cuticles with a wooden pusher. File to your preferred shape. Apply a base coat, two coats of color, and a topcoat. For gel results at home, a UV lamp and gel polish kit replicate most of what a salon does at a fraction of the cost.

How do you paint your nails perfectly?

Start with a base coat to protect the nail and improve adhesion. Apply the first coat of color in three strokes: one down the center, then one on each side. Let it dry for 2 minutes. Apply a second thin coat the same way. Finish with a topcoat and run it along the tip of the nail to seal the edge. Thin coats dry faster and chip less than thick ones.

About These Guides

Each guide includes a supply list, an estimated cost, numbered steps, and a section on what tends to go wrong. Nancy Davidson wrote all 35 of them.