Exposure to acetone can dehydrate the nail plate, cuticles and the surrounding skin – nails can become dry and brittle, and cuticles can become dry, flaky, red and irritated.
If there's one thing you don't want to do to your nails or your skin, it's soaking them in acetone. Soaking your nails for long periods to break down nail polish or gel is far from ideal, and can cause some serious irritations. Acetone can dehydrate the nail bed, cuticles, and skin.
If your nails are already dry and brittle, acetone is only going to amplify that condition. Although it may seem fine for a few treatments here and there, the long-term effects can include splitting, peeling, and breaking, with irreparable damage being a real possibility.
Since acetone dissolves polish faster, it's actually less drying than non-acetone! You'll be scrubbing a lot longer with non-acetone removers. When used only once a week, the drying effect is temporary and quickly corrects itself.
Which is better, nail polish remover or acetone? Acetone is the most effective way to remove nail polish, but it can be very harsh, drying out the skin and nails. Nail polish remover works, but not as effectively as acetone. This means you'll have to spend more time rubbing the polish off your nails.
According to Boyce, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer are two of the best ways to remove polish without needing an acetate remover. "Apply some to a cotton ball or pad and place it on your nail," Boyce says. "Let it sit for about 10 seconds and gently rub it back-and-forth.
To remove your nails, you need to have: Pure acetone which you can purchase from professional salon retailers or hardware stores such as Bunnings.
The Nail Lab Nail Technician Thea Phan added, “In the beauty industry, acetone is great for removing nail polish, gel colour and acrylic nails, and prepping the nail for a new coat of nail polish. Salons normally use a 70- 90 per cent acetone solution during manicures.”
Acetone can be beneficial when used as a solvent, so it is normally used in nail salons to remove old nail polish and to prep nails for new color. Acetone, as a solvent, can break down and dissolve many substances ranging from nail polish to varnish or paint. In fact, it's naturally found in the body, too.
Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to each cuticle and the surrounding skin. This will help protect your skin from the acetone. Cut the cotton balls or strip to the size of each nail. Using cotton that is about the same size as each nail reduces your risk of getting acetone on your skin.
Pour acetone into a small bowl and submerge your fingers. It will take about 20 to 30 minutes to break down your acrylics. "While your fingers are submerged, use your thumbs to rub the other four fingers — it helps break down the product faster," says Johnson.
When acetone is breathed in or ingested it can be absorbed into the body. This can cause headache, movement problems, tiredness slurred speech, nausea, vomiting and fitting. There may be a fruity smell on the breath.
Skin contact with acetone can cause your skin to become dry, irritated, and cracked. The effects of long-term acetone exposure have been mostly studied in animals, and include kidney, liver, and nerve damage; birth defects; and male infertilty.
Is dry nail polish toxic? Unfortunately, it looks like toxins from nail polish do stay in your body long after the polish dries. The chemical TPHP has been found to stay in the body several hours after using polish.
"Yes, acetone can absolutely damage your nails," explains Mavala's nail care expert, Lynn Gray. "Acetone is a powerful chemical solvent which can cause peeling and splitting of the nails. It can also make the nails brittle due to its drying effect."
One way you can remove gel polish without acetone is by using dish soap and salt. Add dish soap and salt to warm water in a small bowl and fully submerge your nails into the mixture. You can also use olive oil to replace the salt. Let your fingers sit for 10-15 minutes before withdrawing.
What is the difference between acetone and non-acetone nail polish remover? Which is best? Acetone is a powerful solvent that removes nail polish quickly and easily, but can be drying to the cuticles. Non-acetone polish removers contain ethyl acetate or methyl ethyl keytone as their active ingredient.
Keratin granulation
If you remove your nail polish only to find that part of your nail is white and dry underneath, you may have this common condition. It's caused by wearing toenail polish for too long. If you have this, it's best to let your nails heal for a while.
Not all '100%' acetone is made the same. In fact, they differ in their purities (99.50% to 99.99%) and the contents of the impurities (the ones that make up the other 0.01% to 0.50%). While all 99.50% to 99.99% acetones can be considered "100%", the contents of the impurities assign them to different grades.
Acetone should not be used on 1-part paints or varnish coatings, and it is very important to test or know compatibility on plastics or any other materials (beyond wood, metal, epoxy, and polyester resin). Acetone should never be used on clear windows, lenses, or clear plastics.
Bottom Line Acetone is still the most effective way to remove nail polish. Unfortunately, it's harsh and can dry out skin and nails. While other solvents work, they don't work as well as acetone. This means more time that you have to spend rubbing polish off your nails.