If our hair is the government, hair glues are CIAs. They are there, working behind the scenes, making sure one transition to another goes smoothly.
They hold everything so perfectly.
As for those with wigs, weaves, and extensions, it’s just a hair product miracle.
But everything has its expiration date, and that usually comes when the aesthetic appeal is lost.
When that happens, how do you get hair glue out from your hair? It can be as easy as taking anything off. But sometimes, retiring one hairstyle can literally be like a John Wick movie.
And like him, you can also win no matter how unfavorable your circumstances are.
Hair Glue 101
The first thing when entering a battlefield? Know thy enemy.
Have you ever encountered a beauty routine that is not complicated? No. This isn’t an exception either. Hair glues come in different kinds to suit different purposes. You don’t want to end up mid-party looking for your wig or extensions on the dance floor. The embarrassment!
This is heading in only one truth: Having no one-for-all hair glue means no one-for-all remover.
But there is no need for you to stumble in the sticky darkness. Read on.
Step one: Know the faces of your enemy
Liquid Wig Adhesive
It isn’t rocket science. You probably know what it does based on its name alone— secure a wig to your hairline. This is a go-to hair glue for wig enthusiasts since it dries very fast and stays for at least six weeks.
Main component: acrylic or silicone
Bonding Glue
Now, this sounds like it may belong to wood rather than your hair. You need to heat this first, so it dries into a flexible rubber base. Want to have temporary extensions? This is the best at bonding wefts into hair.
Main component: latex
Keratin Polymer Glue
It seems keratin is really everywhere when talking about hair routines. Did you know it is even used as a “glue”?
Technically, it isn’t.
But when you are ordering that pre-bonded hair extension, they refer to it as glue anyway. They come in semi-hard chips and are used for that strand-by-strand extension.
Main component: protein-based
Tape
You are right to think this is easier to peel off.
But tapes also have different levels of hold. And if you happen to get the extra-strong one, then you’d need every help you can get.
Step two: Choose your weapon
So now that you know what you might be facing, it’s time to pick up some tools to assist you to victory.
When looking for something to help, you shouldn’t forget to look around.
No, it doesn’t mean there’s a random ‘hair glue remover’ gathering dust somewhere in your room. It just means what you have in plain sight might actually be what you need.
So don’t spend extra when you can wing it on your own!
What home remedies remove hair glue?
Not water. Just putting it out there so you can skip this exercise of futility.
But Ice.
Yes, take all that water you were initially planning to wash your hair with and freeze it. Kidding.
How-to: A small cup of water will do. One way to make it easier for you is to make a popsicle (by placing a stick or a spoon handle) before freezing it. Voila! You can now run ice over your hair glue. Once it hardens, you can just snap it off and do an easy finger-comb.
Alcohol
Alcohol may seem like one of those things you can’t multitask with because it has one sole purpose in your life. Well, be glad to have the wrong first impression because this one is effective, especially on liquid wig glues.
How-to: Soak a cotton ball and let it sit in the area where you got glue on. Extra-hold means an extra time of letting it stay there. And don’t acrobat your way with the balls, either! Try keeping them in place with some paper clips or bobby pins.
Rub the glued parts between your fingertips until it breaks down. You can also use a narrow-toothed comb for the smaller section to remove loose pieces.
One thing you probably are sure about alcohol: it is drying. So don’t let it stay for more than 20 minutes. And always condition your hair after so it can recover.
Lemon oil and baking soda
Bonding glues are oil-sensitive folks, so the best way to combat them is to put in some citrus oils. But what if there is a more potent concoction that also works for tape-in hair extension? Introducing your savior: lemon oil and baking soda.
Citrus oil? Check. But baking soda? You shouldn’t even wonder. This famous degreaser is so effective, it has found its way on everything which needs cleaning.
This one requires the skill of blending, so do your best on whipping these ingredients up evenly!
10 drops of lemon oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup of coconut oil (if needed)
Now get that paste onto your hair and wait for a few minutes. Don’t forget to rinse afterward.
Vinegar
Have you ever watched a telenovela? There’s always the drama that keeps romantic partners apart.
You can consider vinegar as your much-awaited drama. Once this breaks apart the adhesive bonds, your hair will live happily ever after.
How-to: Be generous with the amount you will use. This takes a few minutes so just barrel through it even with the overwhelming smell. But if your soul is close to leaving from inhaling it, don’t push. You can always dilute it or soak a paper towel with vinegar and let it sit on your hair instead.
If the smell bothers you even after rinsing with water, shampoo often does the trick.
CHECK OUT: What Does Coconut Oil Do For Your Hair
How to get extension glue out of your hair at home?
Hair extensions are shortcuts. They let you be free of suffering from the natural hair growth process. It is only apt that you also get the quickest ways to remove them.
Dish Soap
Ah, dish soap— the close competitor of baking soda for the number of mentions and likes in the DIY cleaning community.
Has it ever failed? No. And it will not fail you this time.
How-to: Massage the glued parts of your hair with a generous amount of dish soap. Cover your hair with a plastic bag or clear wrap and leave for an hour.
Make sure to deep condition after. This one means business which also means aggressive dryness all over if you don’t rehydrate.
Tip: This works well with bonding glue mishaps!
Oils and other Lubricants
Don’t get too excited by this revelation. While other lubricants definitely help, to be safe, though, stick to natural oils like almond oil and olive oil or baby oil.
How-to: Let the oil sit for no more than 15 minutes, then comb the detached extensions gently. Repeat as many times as necessary.
The whole oil-based grocery aisle is your friend in desperate sticky times. This includes peanut butter.
How to: Leave on for an hour, then comb gently using your fingers to remove loose pieces of hair glue.
Tada! You didn’t even have to rush to a store for that hair glue remover anymore.
Hair Conditioner
After you get told of all those otherworldly products which can help you, it might come as a weird segue to suddenly inform you that hair conditioner, one of the closest products linked to hair, does work after all.
But it might not be as you imagined.
How-to: With damp hair, apply a significant amount of conditioner. Wrap a towel around your hair, then leave it on for 20 minutes. Repeat as needed.
Will shampoo get hair glue out?
Alone? It depends. But with a conditioner? It will. And a lot of patience? A hundred percent.
Don’t leave this option off when you consider your removal methods. But then again, you might have already done your traditional shampoo and conditioner and saw no results.
First of all, you probably rushed. Second, your normal amount isn’t the right amount.
All is forgiven, of course. So now make sure to get a generous amount of both shampoo and conditioner when you step on that shower.
How-to: Massage the mixture patiently, especially to the glued sections. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse. When taking out the loose glue, use a wide-tooth comb until all the hair glue is removed. Then, you can use a narrow-toothed one later as more glue comes off.
Alternatively, you can use shampoo first and take your time with it, then use conditioner.
Just repeat the process, especially when you see it is working out. Shampoo, after all, has the same cleaning components as dish soap, albeit in very small amounts.
Patience is the rule of this game. Unfortunately, this is not something you can cheat on.
CHECK OUT: Best Beer Shampoo: A Guide To Using Beer As Shampoo
How to get quick weave glue out of hair?
Weaved hair extensions aren’t a piece of cake to remove. Difficult doesn’t mean impossible, though.
A special shampoo
It’s a very big world, and a lot of products fill it. Does it even come as a shock that there is a special weave glue removal shampoo?
If you don’t want to experiment with your hair on the line, this is for you. It’s straightforward, and the results are certain.
Tip: Use warm water as it may remove part of the weave glue in hairpins.
If you don’t want a special one, try a more familiar type — dry shampoo. Its ability to clean oil and dirt means it can also break down weave glue and dry the foam to smooth hair inside the scalp.
Many other options already discussed is also worth exploring:
1. Lemon juice (a milder version of vinegar)
2. Cold water (the milder version of ice)
3. Vaseline
How to remove super glue out of hair and scalp
This should be considered as one of the greatest mysteries.
How did you happen to get glue stuck on your hair?
It’s either (a) you thought super glue is a great substitute for hair glue or (b) you are just a clumsy artsy person.
But let’s just assume it’s the latter.
Nevertheless, you are here in this predicament already. So put down those scissors because there is a better solution than that.
It’s acetone.
The solvent which can erase that nail polish can also defeat that super glue. (It isn’t as super anymore after you are done with it.)
For the scalp and near your hairline: Take some cotton balls and soak with acetone. Press it and let it work through the glue.
For the tips of the hair: Pull out some cotton swabs and again, soak it. This time, pull your hair strands taught and rub the area until the glue disintegrates.
This may not be the first time you put something drying on your hair. But in case you need to be reminded of the after-care: condition, condition, condition.
CHECK OUT: How to get slime out of hair
The End Game
Don’t fret too much if you don’t have a hair glue remover in an instant. Explore your surroundings because chances are, you will be able to remove whatever adhesive you got in your hair.
Just remember, the end game is to get clean hair to either restart or replace a hairstyle. And if it means a few minutes or a whole hour, do not wait any longer and just do it.