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Getting paint on your hair is a common issue. Especially when you are a DIY person and love to do the paint job on your own. We remember to put on our old unused clothes to keep our clothes safe from the paint. To protect our floors, we wrap them with plastic covers but forget to cover our heads to protect our hair from the paint. I know how frustrating the incident can get when you accidentally get the paint on your hair.
But, how to get oil-based paint out of hair? Well, the process can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. But do not lose hope and cut off your hair immediately. You can surely remove those stubborn paints from your hair with some time, effort, and patience. In this article, I am going to talk about how to get oil-based paint out of your hair and how can you take care of your hair after removing it.
6 Methods To Remove Oil-Based Paint From Your Hair
Among several methods that you can use to remove oil-based paint from your hair, here I have mentioned the most effective ones to remove the paints from your hair.
1. Oils
Since oils can bond with each other, oil-based paints can be removed by applying additional oil to your hair. You can use any kind of oil you want, such as coconut oil, olive oil baby oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, mineral oil, wd-40, etc. Wd-40 is a chemical oil that can irritate your skin and lungs if you use it without wearing a mask, a globe, or eye protection. If you have to use this oil, as the very last resort.
Otherwise, all the other oils are pretty safe to use. Baby oil and olive oil can work better if you soak your hair completely with the oil. Wrap the hair with a plastic wrap to let them saturate for 3-4 hours. Then try to remove the softened paint with a fine-toothed comb or your hand. If the paint is still not coming out, go to the next method.
2. Clarifying shampoo and conditioner
After the oil method, if the paint is still not coming out, you can use a clarifying shampoo to clear the hair completely. Clarifying shampoo has a heavy surfactant level that can help to strip the oil paints away since surfactants help to remove the oily buildups.
After washing your hair with clarifying shampoo, do not forget to use a conditioner as well. Conditioners will help to soften the hair and the paint as well. Removing the paint will be much easier for the softer hair. After applying a deep conditional, let it sit for 10 minutes. Then comb out your hair with a fine comb and wash it off.
3. Dish soap
Dish soap has some ingredients that work against stubborn oil particles and are also able to remove the oil paint from the hair. Dish soap can cut the grease, but also does not harm the scalp or your skin. Take a little bit of dish soap and apply the area where the hair still has some paint left and leave that in the hair for 15-20 minutes. After that, massage the painted section of the hair for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
4. Toothpaste
Toothpaste can also be used as a scrubber. Although toothpaste works great for latex paint or water-based paint, it also works to remove oil-based paint as well. The abrasive and gritty texture of toothpaste helps with the process as well. Cover your painted hair with toothpaste and massage the hair strands with your fingers. Then brush off the hair with fine-toothed hair to remove any excess paint and rinse off.
5. Vinegar
If you tolerate the distinctive smell of vinegar, then vinegar can be the perfect option for you. It is also easier to apply to your hair. Apply apple cider vinegar on the painted sections of the hair and let them sit there for 15-20 minutes. Massage for some time and then comb the painted hair to remove the remaining paint residue. After that, wash off your hair with clarifying shampoo and conditioner.
6. Paint Removers
You can also use pain removers if no other technique is working on your hair since they contain harmful chemicals. Turpentine, paint thinner, or mineral spirits can be used to remove the oil-based nail paints out of hair. But these products are toxic and inflammable and can affect your skin and lungs if you do not take precautions. If you really want to apply these products to your hair, make sure you apply them in a well-ventilated area or the outside of the house with gloves, masks, and protective glasses on.
Note: These chemicals can also harm your hair, so be very careful when applying them to your hair. Do not leave these products on your hair, instead soak a piece of microfiber cloth with any of these products and wipe down your painted hair with them. After several attempts, the paint will come down. As soon as you are done with the wiping, thoroughly wash your hair with shampoo until all the product residue is removed.
Always start with the methods that can have the least number of harmful effects on your hair. If those do not work, move toward the chemical products afterward.
Can You Remove Dried Oil-Based Paint From The Hair?
It is very natural to be afraid if the paint on your hair has already dried before you can wash it. You might think that there is no other choice rather than cutting your hair off completely. But the good news is you can remove the dried paint from your hair as well. Even though it will take a lot of time and effort, with a little bit of patience dried paints can also be removed from your hair.
How To Remove Paint If It Dries In Your Hair?
Once the oil-based paint is dried, it can be pretty difficult to remove from your hair. You will either need to scrap off the excess oil or use the chemical solvents to dissolve the paints and remove them from your hair. You need to be extra careful while doing the process of keeping your hair safe. Here is the step-by-step guide that you need to follow to remove the dried oil-based paint from your hair.
1. Gentle scrapping and combing
Things you will need
- A wide toothcomb
- A scrapper/Scissors
Step-by-step guide:
- If you can, try to scrape the dried paint off with your fingers removing the oil-based paint from your hair. You can also use a fine-tooth comb to brush your hair and remove any excess paint from your hair. Although this will take a lot of time, it is the easiest way to remove the stubborn paint.
- If there are still traces of paint left in your hair, you will need a scrapper to get it all out. Scrappers can be pretty rough on your hair. You can also use one side of the scissors for scrapping. Do the process very gently to not accidentally cut off your hair.
2. Chemical paint removers:
Things you will need:
- Paint removers (Paints thinners, mineral spirits, turpentine)
- Hand gloves
- A painter’s rag or a cotton cloth
Step-by-step guide:
- Put on your hand gloves, take a painter’s rag, and dip a smaller part of the rag into the paint remover.
- Then, rub the affected areas of the hair with the rag. Move the rag with your index and thumb. It will keep the other part of the hair safe from the chemical solvent.
- After a while you will see the color is dissolving and the rag is becoming colored. That’s when you need to soak a clean part of the rag with the thinner and start to rub again.
- Continue the process, until you take off all the paint from your hair and the rag comes out clean.
- Then, wash off your hair with sulfate-free shampoo and finish off with a conditioner.
How To Take Care Of Your Hair After Removing The Paint?
While removing it your hair strands need to go through some harsh scrubbing and pulling to remove the paint. That’s why, removing the paint from your hair can make your hair strands very damaged and dry. Consider the following ways to restore your damaged hair:
- Oil treatment: Apply your favorite oil to the hair at least one hour before every time you wash your hair. You can use jojoba oil, canola oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. To lock the moisture and give additional nourishment to your hair.
- Regular conditioning: To increase the volume and vitality of your hair, condition your hair more often which can make your hair soft, healthy, and shiny again.
- Deep conditioning: Deep conditioning at least once a week to give your hair in-depth nourishment. Deep conditioning repairs, strengthens, and moisturizes your hair along with increasing hair health and reducing damage.
- Hair mask: Try to put on a hair mask more often. Many good hair masks are available in the market, but you can also make one with the common ingredients at home. To make the hair mask on your own mash one avocado, add olive oil and curd to that, and make a paste. Then apply that on the hair, leave it for 20-30 minutes, and rinse off.
- Consult with a specialist: If the chemical removers do not suit you and you have already applied the products on your hair which then caused adverse side effects, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
FAQs
No! If you are thinking of using your acetone-based nail polish remover to remove your oil-based paint, you should know that it will do absolutely nothing. Acetone is a product that evaporates quickly as soon as it comes into air contact. So, it does not have enough strength or time to do anything about stubborn paint.
Vinegar does not usually harm our skin or hair whereas apple cider vinegar is considered better for our skin and hair. It maintains the pH level of our skin and gives a healthy result.
If you want to remove the oil-based pain from your hair only with water, you need to wash the paint while it is still wet. But water alone cannot always remove the oil-based water, you need to use some shampoo or dishwashing soap before that to have a better result.
Final Thoughts
It is very normal to get paint on your hair if you are more of a DIY person and like to do all the painting yourself. If you do not get yourself a haircut, then use oils, clarifying shampoo, conditioners, dish soap, toothpaste, or any chemical paint remover. Try to start with the one that will cause less harm to your hair and move forward if that doesn’t work for you. Use the chemical as the last resort to treat your hair. You should remember that chemicals can leave any side effects on your hair and you need to take care of your hair afterward to keep your hair healthy, strong, and shiny.
Key Points
- If you do not want to cut your hair if you get an oil-based paint on your hair then you can opt for some simple methods.
- You can use oils, clarifying shampoo, conditioners, dish soap, vinegar, and so on to remove the paint from your hair in a harmless way.
- Try to start with the one that will cause less harm to your hair and move forward.
- Use the chemical as the last resort to treat your hair if other methods do not work on your hair.
- To keep your hair healthy, strong, and shiny, take good care of your hair after getting rid of the paint from the hair.
