Ive done nails for 10 years and yes u can salvage your natural nails... Start with like an 80 grit nail file or a just a very coarse one file the thickness of the nail about half way then fill a bowl with pure acetone NOT nail polish remover and soak for about 10 mins at a time. Scrape off as much as u can with the file after each 10 min soak the whole process should take about 30 min but it's worth it if u want to save your natural nails. U should be able to to wipe off the last layer with paper towels then just buff your nails with a 3 way buffer. less

Ditto. You can make it less painful to take them off by soaking your nails in acetone nail polish remover for a few minutes and very slowly working them off and applying more acetone nail polish remover as you go.

But your nail will be brittle, weak, and rough. They were "scuffed up" to create more surface area for the acrylic adhesive to cling to. So to make them smooth again, you'll have to buff them down. But of course that removes more layers of your nail, weakening them further. So I suggest getting them painted with some nail hardener to protect them while they grow out.

But to correct what someone said in an earlier post, your nails don't "breathe". They're no longer live once they exit the skin to grow. Any of the live cells of a nail are inside the skin past the cuticle from where it grows. It's the same material hair is made of - seriously. Our hair hanging down our faces isn't made of living cells. Once it exits the head, it's for all intents and purposes dead.

To grow stronger, smoother nails, just eat more protein. I always find that I have excellent nails when I remember to eat fish and eggs. less

Nail polish won't make your nails brittle or weak. Daily filing and buffing can cause it thins the nail. But it depends on your genetics (as well as nutrition) how thick and strong your nails are to begin with and how much they can take. But color you nails as much as you want! I wish I had the money to go hands massaged and nails paints. less

I don't paint my nails because the beds are so tiny that it looks like a five year old got into her mother's nail polish. I've only had it done once professionally and I loved the pamper aspect of it. Those warming gloves are so awesome!!

I have done some pretty major things to try to get my nails strong and 'healthy' but it's a fruitless effort for me. I have ridges and they're very thin. If I let them grow out they become little razor blades at the tips of my fingers. I keep them very short but neatly filed these days. less

What everybody else said, Sam.

I'm in the process of letting nails I first got in October finally grow out. I just kept getting them redone, then I thought, "I'm going broke here." Not to mention the awful shape my nails are in.

So, I basically have one half of one acrylic left......the half on the growing part of my nail. UG. The rest of my nails look like I bite them and I don't. I will have to have a lot of self control not to have them done again or at least put some glue ons on in the meantime.

I will color them, though. My hands are short and stubby anyway. I need color. I soak them in acetone, or acetone nail polish and wait for the damn things to fall off. Then one gets half way off, and it hurts and.....UG.

What we go through. And My Man says, "Those fake nails aren't good for scratching." He likes his back scratched. Oh, by all means, I won't do again then, Sir. LOL! less