How To get Spray-Paint off your hands without killing the Skin

I joined the Resident Housing Association council for the housing complex where I live. As a hall rep, I represent the interests and concerns of my buildings on my council. I also work on/walk by the RHA float in BYU's homecoming parade. today, in order to get my three required hours of out-of-class float work in for the grade.

It was snowing, blowing, and cold as blue blazes for those of you reading from outside of the Provo area. But I worked on--I want our float to look nice as much as anyone else!

However, while spray-painting the letters "R H A" to go on the float, I drenched my hands in blue {I believe latex} spray paint.

{Um...yeah, about like that. I'd have actual pictures of my own hands, but didn't wish to ruin my camera}

So, after a vigorous hand-washing in the bathroom of the building near the pavilion where we have the float stored, about half the paint was gone. Yes, I did use my fingernails.

All I could think was "Oh gosh how am I going to get this stuff OFF??"

I called my immediate family and other relatives. All of the removal methods seemed pretty caustic and hard on the skin.

• My Father suggested I buy paint thinner and pour some on a rag, wipe the paint off, and then wash my hands thoroughly. Yeah, we aren't even allowed to OWN paint thinner here {apparently it is highly flammable}, plus NO WAY am I putting that on my hands.
• I thought of nail polish remover, but I'm pretty low on that, and even it isn't wonderful on skin.
• My uncle suggested dousing my hands in gasoline or turpentine.

So I figured I was on my own.

However, Brittany, my friend and student coordinator, dropped me off at my apartment before we took a housing car to get more staples for the staple-guns. 

"Ok, I have, say, five minutes."

Not enough time to google, so I did the first thing I thought of.

I got the big bottle of dish soap from our kitchen, doused my hands in it, and began to scratch away under warm water.

{Basically, the Great Value brand of this stuff with a handle}

It still wasn't working, and I began to despair, when I realized: this paint is like a sticky, blue layer of extra skin. An d how do you get rid of extra skin, i.e. calluses?

You use an emery board.

So I grabbed the emery board I keep on top of my dresser {soapy hands and all} and rubbed away at the paint.

It was a miracle.

Yeah, there is still a little stuck in my cuticles and other places it was hard to reach, but I no longer look like I'm turning into Katy Perry as Smurfette.

{Both are lovely ladies, and blue is my color, but spray paint feels so gross on the skin!}