How to get gum, glue, paint and other stains out of hair safely

Step by step

1. 1

   Protect clothes and check what it is

   Drape a towel around the shoulders. Note what the substance is and whether it's near the eyes, eyebrows or eyelashes.

   Why: Oil drips, and anything near the eyes calls for the gentlest option only.

2. 2

   For gum, harden it first if you like

   Hold an ice cube in a plastic bag against the gum until it firms up, then crumble off what comes away easily.

   Why: Cold makes gum brittle, so some of it breaks off instead of stretching through the hair.

3. 3

   Cover it with oil

   Work vegetable oil or creamy peanut butter into the sticky area with your fingers or an old toothbrush. Near eyebrows and eyelashes, use vegetable oil only.

   Why: Gum, sap, glue and wax wrap around the strands rather than soaking in. Oil makes them less sticky so they slide off the hair.

4. 4

   Wait a few minutes

   Leave the oil on for a few minutes before you start working the substance loose.

   Why: The oil needs time to get between the substance and the hair.

5. 5

   Comb it out from the ends

   Gently work the substance down and off the strands, then comb with a wide-tooth comb, starting at the ends and moving toward the scalp. Add more oil if it sticks.

   Why: Starting at the ends avoids pulling on the scalp and keeps tangles from tightening. Cutting should be the last resort.

6. 6

   Shampoo, condition and towel dry

   Shampoo, twice if needed, and rinse thoroughly. Use conditioner to help detangle, then towel dry gently.

   Why: Shampoo removes the oil and any oil-based residue left behind.

What hair is, and why it needs a gentle approach

Hair is a protein fiber made of keratin. Unlike fabric, it grows from a living scalp, so anything you put on hair also lands on skin, and the eyes are close by. That rules out most of what people reach for on clothes.

Hair that has been bleached, dyed, permed or sun-damaged is weaker and more porous than untreated hair. It tangles and breaks more easily, so treat it with extra patience when you're working something out of it.

How stains behave in hair

Sticky substances such as gum, tree sap, glue and wax wrap around the strands instead of soaking in. That's why oil works: it makes them less sticky so they release. Oil-based residues, including the oil you use to remove them, come out with shampoo.

Colored products are different. Hair dye is designed to stay in hair, so it doesn't simply wash out. Paint depends on the type; see paint in hair, and keep paint thinner away from the scalp regardless.

Chemical damage to hair adds up. Lightening hair needs peroxide, and the dermatologists' academy notes that going more than about three shades lighter at once needs a stronger peroxide that causes more damage.

What hair and scalp can take, and what to keep off them

Safe: vegetable oil such as olive oil, creamy peanut butter (not near the eyes), ice for gum, regular shampoo, conditioner and a wide-tooth comb.

Keep off hair and scalp:

• Acetone and nail polish remover. Poison Control notes acetone dries and irritates skin, causing redness, itching, burning and peeling, and it irritates the eyes.
• Gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid and paint thinner. Extension guidance warns of the extreme danger of using fuels as cleaning solvents, and they irritate skin.
• Home dye on eyebrows or eyelashes. The FDA warns it can seriously injure the eyes.

If you're using hair dye, follow the package exactly: patch test before every use (dyes can cause allergic reactions), wear gloves, don't leave it on longer than directed, rinse the scalp well and keep it away from the eyes. The FDA also advises waiting between dye, bleach and relaxer treatments rather than stacking them.

By situation

Gum in a child's hair

Cover it with vegetable oil or creamy peanut butter, wait a few minutes and work it out gently, then shampoo. Ice can help harden it first. Avoid cutting unless nothing else works.

Near the eyebrows or eyelashes

Use vegetable oil only, applied with a fingertip, and keep everything out of the eyes. Never use solvents or dye in this area.

Bleached, dyed or permed hair

Treated hair is weaker and more porous, so use plenty of oil, comb slowly from the ends and condition afterward to limit breakage.

Something got in the eyes

Rinse with water and contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or a doctor.

A large tangle or a dye mistake

A hairstylist can remove large tangles of gum or glue and correct dye mistakes. See a dermatologist for scalp burns, a rash, swelling or itching after a dye, relaxer or perm.

What not to do

• Don't use acetone or nail polish remover on hair or scalp. Acetone dries and irritates skin, causing redness, burning and peeling, and it irritates the eyes.
• Don't use gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid or paint thinner. Fuels are extremely dangerous as cleaning solvents and irritate skin.
• Don't cut the hair as a first step. Oil and gentle combing usually free gum and sticky residue without cutting.
• Don't dye eyebrows or eyelashes at home. The FDA warns it can seriously injure the eyes.
• Don't pull or comb from the scalp down. It tightens tangles and pulls on the scalp. Work from the ends upward.

Other methods that work

Creamy peanut butter

An option to vegetable oil for gum: its oils loosen the gum the same way.

Caution: Don't use it near the eyebrows or eyelashes; use vegetable oil there.

Ice

For gum, hardening it with an ice cube in a bag lets some of it crumble away before you use oil.

Caution: It loosens only part of the gum; finish with oil and shampoo.

Stain still there?

The gum is still sticky after oiling

Add more oil, wait a few more minutes and keep working small sections. Patience works better than pulling.

Hair feels greasy afterward

Shampoo a second time and rinse thoroughly. That's the leftover oil, not damage.

The scalp stings or burns

Rinse it immediately with plenty of water. See a dermatologist if a rash, swelling or burning develops.

Safety

• Never put solvents such as acetone, gasoline, paint thinner or nail polish remover on hair or skin.
• If anything gets in the eyes, rinse with water and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
• Patch test every hair dye before use, every time.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Stains on hair

• Glue on hair
• Grease and oil on hair
• Gum on hair
• Paint on hair
• Petroleum jelly on hair
• Putty on hair
• Slime on hair
• Tree sap on hair
• Wax on hair