Outofstress.com

How to Remove Hair Dye from the Skin

I haven’t seen my natural hair color since I was 14. Some of my hair dye experiments were a little extreme which meant the resulting dye stains on my hands, ears, forehead, face and neck were a little colorful to say the least. Over the years I have tried many stain removing solutions some of which resulted in the first few layers of skin being removed! Here are a few suggestions for how to remove hair dye from the skin a little less harshly than my initial attempts. I have either used them myself or collected them as suggestions over the years from others who swear by them.

It is worthwhile mentioning that the efficacy of a product will be dependent on what type of dye you have used and also your own skin type. What has worked for me has not worked for friends so if one of the methods doesn’t work then keep going until you find one that does.

Prevention – obvious as it may sound the best solution of all is to get no dye onto the skin in the first place. Believe me, I have learned this the hard way! The most effective method I have found is to thickly smear petroleum jelly all round the hair line and ears. Some people recommend a length of cotton wool but I find this often slips or allows some dribbles of dye if it isn’t tight enough to the head. Petroleum jelly makes a complete protective layer with no gaps and stays in place easier.

Warm soapy water and a flannel – if you act on the stains immediately then this is very effective. I tend to do this as I go so once I have dyed a section of the hair I will rub any stains that have occurred. The abrasiveness of the flannel helps.

Facial cleansers and facial wipes – I discovered this one totally by accident when grabbing the first thing in the bathroom I could get my hands on after a particularly bad spill. Some brands of wipes seem to be much more effective than others depending on their ingredients.

Head and Shoulders shampoo – Don’t ask me why but this works for me – another accidental discovery. Head and Shoulders seems to be a very effective all round dye remover. I have used it on stains on clothes too when nothing else has worked including specially bought products.

Toothpaste – I have never tried this one personally but I have it on good authority that it works.

Baking soda – again I have never tried this but as baking soda seems to have hundreds of wonderful, miracle uses I see no reason why it shouldn’t work here too. It’s probably worth a try if all else fails as you may already have some in the house.

Vinegar – read almost word for word as for baking soda. I can’t recommend it personally but most people will have this readily to hand and it can’t hurt to try. If you are concerned that the vinegar smell will persist, be reassured that this will fade quickly even if you weren’t going to be washing your hair straight afterwards.

There are probably many more home remedies of how to remove hair dye from the skin or your hands but I feel confident, from my own experiences and those of other people I know, that one of the above will remove those potentially embarrassing stains.

Got a tip on how to get hair dye off your skin? Please feel free to leave a comment.

Article by Outofstress.com expert author ‘Deneice Arthurton’. © Outofstress.com. Do not reproduce.