If you are looking for a way to cut natural nails under acrylics, follow the steps below if you don’t want to damage your natural nails while cutting.

What you’ll need: clippers, cuticle pusher, file (optional), vegetable oil, or nail polish remover (only if you use acrylics)

1. If your nails are really long and thick, break off the very tips to make them thinner and easier to cut.

2. Clip your nails into the shape you prefer (round, square, squoval, or pointy).

3. Cut your nails under a UV/LED lamp, so they are fully dry and don’t tear or break while cutting them.

4. Use an orange stick to gently push back your cuticles to see where you are cutting.

5. Carefully clip the corners of your nails, if needed.

6. File down the rest of your nails to your desired length and shape (optional).

7. Add a drop of cuticle oil or polish remover onto your natural nails so they absorb it better, then massage it into your skin.

If you follow these steps carefully, you won’t damage your natural nails.

In this case, the term “natural nails” refers to those not covered in artificial material. As a result, you can cut them as you normally would if they were not covered with any product. They will be shorter than they initially used to be since the acrylic has grown over time, but this is nothing to worry about.

If your natural nails are still visible underneath the product after filing, don’t panic!

The length of your natural nails will grow out again in time since acrylics do not slow down the process of nail growth. You can simply file them when they reach the desired length.

Should I cut my natural nails before getting acrylics?

No, you don’t have to.

You can cut them after the acrylic is fully dry and hard as well as before; just be careful not to damage your natural nails.

Cutting your natural nails under acrylics will only decrease the time it takes for them to grow long because they are being protected inside of a nail tip or acrylic.

It is more important to moisturize your natural nails with jojoba oil before getting acrylics, so they are stronger and healthier. If you have healthy, strong natural nails, there is no need to cut them. Instead, just remove the shine by filing their surface until it’s matte, then buff it lightly if there are any ridges.

Is acrylic bad for natural nails?

Acrylic is not bad for your natural nails if you do it properly and take care of them, so long as you don’t break the surface of the tips or file down your real nail beds to shorten them.

However, chemical nail enhancements can dry out your nails, making them thin and yellow. If you want to strengthen the natural nails underneath layered acrylics, you should buy a bottle of 2-part strengthening polish (e.g., Seche Base & Top Coat).

If your natural nails are not good, try using gel instead. The gel will strengthen your nails because it will fuse with the glue to strengthen them underneath. Acrylic is not a kind of gel, so acrylic will still be easy to remove while you have thin and yellow natural nails.

How to clean matte acrylic nails

If your acrylic nails are matte, you can clean them by first cleaning the surface with alcohol or nail polish remover, then putting some lotion on a cotton bud and wiping over the nails.

To get rid of stains more quickly, use some lemon juice.

If the stains are really stubborn, use an acrylic nail primer to cover them up.

If you want to remove the matte layer, you should get a bit of rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol will remove all the matte powder from your nails, leaving them shiny.

When you get acrylics done, make sure that you don’t keep your nails in water for too long because moisture can loosen the bond between glue and nail plate, making your artificial nails come up over time.

Matte acrylic nails are trendy nowadays because instead of shimmering like regular acrylic nails, matte acrylic nails mimic the appearance of natural nails.

How to clean dirt under acrylic nails

You can clean your nails under the acrylic by dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and cleaning around the cuticle area, then pushing back with an orange stick or a manicure stick. The dirt under your nails will adhere to the tip of the stick.

Another nail hack for cleaning dirt under nails is to use a cotton bud and stick it inside the nail, putting pressure on your natural nail and rotating around until you get rid of all of the dirt.

If you hate having dirt under your nails, get shorter nails instead.

Shorter nails are less likely to trap dirt.

Conclusion- How to cut natural nails under acrylics

In order to cut natural nails under acrylics, you should use an orange stick or manicure stick. Then, you slowly cut the natural nail until it is short enough to file off of the acrylics.

To prevent dirt from getting under your nails, try keeping shorter nails while wearing acrylics by pushing back any excess with this method mentioned above.

In order to clean the dirt under your nails, you will need to soak your nails in rubbing alcohol and then use a manicure stick or an orange stick to clean under the nails. You can also use a cotton bud instead if that is easier for you. If you are not willing to chop off your acrylics, make sure to keep your hands away from dirty surfaces, so they do not get ruined.

If you want to keep your matte finish on point, use rubbing alcohol or acetone.

You don’t have to cut your natural nails before getting acrylics; you can do that afterward when needed.

In general, acrylics can’t damage your nails a lot if you take care of your natural nails properly and don’t put fake nails often.

Extra tip: To avoid the damage, don’t cut your natural nails too short before getting acrylics, and don’t leave them on for more than 3 weeks.