Is it just me, or does everyone coincidentally misplace their nail polish remover right when they're itching for a fresh, clean set? I can't even count the amount of times I've had to make a mad dash to the drugstore the second my mani starts to chip. (Otherwise, I'll start to peel the polish off myself, which is a major no for strong, healthy nails.)

The good news is that nail polish removers aren't a huge investment when it comes to impromptu beauty purchase. You can find plenty of options for under $10! Still, I've always been curious whether any at-home staples can dissolve the pigment in a pinch, so I reached out to celebrity manicurists Stephanie Stone and Deborah Lippmann for all their polish removing tips. Keep scrolling -- lots of myth busting ahead.

First, let's assume you actually have a remover on-hand. It may sound pretty obvious, but experts do have a tried-and-true method -- especially when it comes to removing darker varnishes with a higher chance of staining your nails. I've always wondered why it takes me multiple rounds to fully remove my polish when professional nail techs can reveal a clean nail plate in one swipe. It turns out, I've been overlooking some key steps. Find everything you need to know below.

If you're wearing darker nail polish, Lippmann recommends taking small pieces of cotton, saturating them with remover, and leaving them to set on each nail for a full 30 seconds before sliding the pieces off. "This trick easily takes off all colors and avoids getting the polish stains all over your nail beds and hands," she says. "It also avoids all the damage usually inflicted by pressing down too hard and rubbing your nails and cuticles, which ultimately causes weakened nails and breakage."

For the visual learners out there, Stone also has a helpful Instagram tutorial that walks you through each step.

So that's the basic tutorial, but Lippmann and Stone have some important considerations to keep in mind.

Okay, but what if you're in a pinch and don't have any acetone? While both Stone and Lippmann strongly advise running to the drugstore to pick up a new bottle, there are some creative -- albeit not as effective -- ways to remove your lacquer at home. Here are a few hacks I found after some digging.

You might see other tricks online (vinegar! Baking soda! Hairspray!) that promise effective results, but according to the experts, those DIY routes don't really cut it. "None of these things are going to be hassle-free," advises Stone.

In fact, you may even be doing more harm than good with these DIY tricks, since you'd likely be exposing your nails to potentially-drying ingredients (like alcohol) way longer than you would an acetone-infused solution. "If nail polish remover weren't so accessible I would suggest getting creative, but you can find it at most drugstores sometimes as low as $2, which is cheaper than a lot of the other things you might use as 'hacks!'" adds Stone.

TL;DR? Sure, you can remove your nail polish at home sans remover, but the experts don't really recommend it. "Honestly, unless you are a professional chemist or Nara Smith, I wouldn't recommend trying to DIY nail polish remover," jokes Stone. You'd be better off braving a chipped mani until you can get yourself a new bottle.

We have a full list of nail polish removers for you to browse (even a few acetone-free formulas for those with super sensitive skin!), but here are some of my personal favorites to have on file.