Soaking off acrylic...?

[emily22]

Hi, can anyone tell me the best method for soaking off a full set of l&p natural nail overlay? I have a lady who has been a case study for me through college who has asked me to soak her overlays off tommorow as her own nails have grown really well and she has a party to go to saturday and wants them removed before then..
Now, at college they said to soak the nails in acetone for 30 - 45 mins. This seems a long time to me? If you file the overlays down first how much do you thin them? do you just remove the shine or actually take the acrylic down a bit?
Also, you know when the acrylic goes all gloopy and jelly-like... apart from wiping it off, so you use an orange stick to ease some of it off too?
And.. do any of you end up with the white gloopy look around the nails where the acrylic has soaked off in the bowl? I had this when i soaked my own nails off and it was really hard to get it off my skin.. - if you do get it, whats the best way to clean it off?
Sorry for all the q's, but i havent got college again until next wk, and i want to try and do this the best way tommorow to a) make sure i dont damage the natural nails at all! and b) to keep time to a minimum..

 

[Bagpuss]

Try filing down first with a 180....the soaking a piece of wipe in acetone and placing this over the nail...then cover the nail in foil...do all 10 and then place a warm towel over both hands...this should speed it up a bit and IMO its less messy.

 

[emily22]

Thanks, how long would you say it should take in total? And how long for just the soaking part?

 

[Bagpuss]

I would soak in the foil for at least 20 mins before I had a look at the first one I wrapped...see how its doing and judge from there.

Whole thing from filing to mani/polish I allow 1 hour.

 

[binny]

I own a quick soak tray, Its like a hard plastic hot water bottle with with two bowls imprinted in it. You fill the inside with hot tap water, screw the top on and it warms the whole thing up including the acetone in the bowls which speeds up the whole removal process.
I just trim the excess tip with the tip cutters (not cutting any of the natural nail edge) place all finger tips in the acetone and leave for about 15 mins. Lift out of the acetone and wipe each nail with a nail wipe (away from the cuticle) I then buff over with a 180 nail file and a thick layer of the melted acrylic comes away. I then repeat the process again an again until the nail bed is free form acrylic. It usually takes me between 30-45 mins.
dont know ifs its the way i do it but i never end up with acrylic on the skin. x