Drilling Off Acrylic Nails for a Fill

If the thought of using a drill on your client scares you, let this help ease your mind! In this Instructable, I will show you how I hold my drill, what speed I use, how to shape the nail, and how to prep for acrylic application.

1. Practice finger w/ acrylic nail
2. Nail drill
3. Acrylic safety bit
4. Sanding bit
5. 180 grit sanding band
6. 100/180 grit nail file
7. Cotton ball w/ rubbing alcohol

Start by washing your hands and using hand sanitizer. Make sure that your drill bits are properly disinfected. I use Lucas-cide for mine. Disinfect station with disinfecting wipes or a hospital-grade disinfectant, and lay down a new disposable towel. Grab new files, buffers, and sanding bands to ensure there is no cross contamination between clients.

In this step, you assess your "client's" nail and figure out where you want to start. This step can change depending on if you are right or left handed. I am right handed so I start from the left side of the nail.

For removing acrylic, grab a cone-shaped safety bit to avoid any cuts. Safety bits come in different shapes, so pick one that feels comfortable, keeping an eye on how sharp the edge is. You’ll also need a sanding bit for your drill to hold the sanding band—make sure they’re from the same brand for the best fit. Go for a 180 grit to buff things out, and when it comes to speed, use medium-high for the safety bit and medium for the sanding bit.

Make sure that you are both discarding your sanding bands and disinfecting your sanding bit according to the manufacturer's directions. Some state boards do require that all tools must be disposable or disinfected according to the manufacturer's directions. Client protection is your number one priority.

Remember to follow your imaginary guide. If using a two directional drill, set it to "forward" and pull it towards you to avoid pushing product toward the cuticle and risking injury. Apply some pressure when removing the product, but not too much to prevent the drill from getting stuck. When working on the right side of the nail, either flip the client’s nail or adjust your drill to work around the cuticle for complete product removal.

In this step I use my drill but you can use a nail file or clippers if you feel more comfortable. I take the drill and hold it to the right side of the nail and push through the free edge to get it to the right length. Make sure that all your nails are even at this step.

This is where your sanding bit comes in handy. Hold the drill parallel to the nail and use a low to medium speed to swipe the sanding bit side to side to make sure you have a smooth surface to work on top of. If you are using a buffer you will do the same motion but you will need to tilt the buffing block to ensure that all parts of the nail are being buffed.

Use your file at this point to refresh the edges or totally reshape the nail. I also like to use my sanding bit under the free edge to get a nice c-curve, but this is just my preference. I know there are people who prefer flat nails.

Wipe all the dust off off your client's hands to ensure that you have a clean slate. Also, wipe the nails with rubbing alcohol to dehydrate and remove the germs from the nail bed. Now, continue your prep work as usual and apply new acrylic!

Go back and sanitize and disinfect your tools properly. Make sure all files, buffers, and sanding bands have been discarded. Remove dust from all surfaces and disinfect your station. Wash and sanitize hands after everything is finished.

Now that you know how to properly use your drill, go out and do amazing nails!