How to remove press-on nails without damaging your natural nails

Press-on nails are quick to put on, and with a little patience they come off just as kindly. The trick is to never pry or peel. Let warmth and oil loosen the glue, and the nails will lift on their own.

What you'll need

• A small bowl of warm (not hot) water
• A few drops of cuticle oil, olive oil or coconut oil
• A wooden cuticle stick or a soft orange stick
• A soft nail buffer
• Hand cream

Method 1: the warm soak (gentlest)

1. Soak. Fill a bowl with warm water and add a drop of hand soap and a teaspoon of oil. Soak your fingertips for 10 to 15 minutes. If you're removing nails that were applied with adhesive tabs rather than glue, five minutes is usually enough.
2. Test an edge. Slide the cuticle stick under the side of one nail near the cuticle. If it lifts easily, keep going. If it resists, soak for another five minutes rather than forcing it.
3. Roll, don't rip. Work the stick slowly from the side to the centre. The press-on should ease off in one piece.
4. Repeat for each nail, re-soaking as needed.

Method 2: oil only (no water)

If you'd rather not soak, massage a generous amount of cuticle oil around the edges of each nail and leave it for a few minutes. The oil creeps under the press-on and softens the glue. Gently rock the nail from side to side, then lift from the side with a cuticle stick. This takes a little longer than soaking but is handy when you only want to swap one nail.

Cleaning off leftover glue

Once the press-ons are off, you'll usually find small patches of dried glue on the natural nail. Don't scrape them. Rub a drop of oil over the nail and lightly buff with the soft side of a nail buffer until the surface is smooth again. Wash your hands, then apply hand cream and a little more cuticle oil. If you have glue on the skin around your nails, our guide on getting nail glue off skin covers that.

Things to avoid

• Peeling from the free edge. This is the number one cause of thin, flaky natural nails after press-ons.
• Using your teeth. Tempting, but it usually takes a layer of natural nail with it.
• Metal tools. A wooden stick is softer than your nail plate; a metal one isn't.
• Acetone on a whim. Acetone will dissolve most nail glue, but it also dries out your nails and skin. Keep it as a last resort for very stubborn spots, and follow with oil.

Can I reuse the press-ons?

Often, yes. If a nail came off in one piece, soak it in warm soapy water for a few minutes, then gently roll any softened glue off the underside with your fingertip or a cuticle stick. Let it dry completely before storing it back in its tray. Nails that were bent or cracked during removal are best retired. Our guide to how long press-on nails last has more on reusing a set.

Give your nails a short break

You don't need to leave your nails bare for weeks, but a night or two with a coat of oil helps. When you're ready for a new set, every 24-piece Nailees set comes with 24 nails in 12 sizes, so you can match each finger properly. Check the size guide if it's your first set, and browse the full range of press-on nails.