Chewing gums whiten our teeth and help in getting rid of bad breath. Apart from these oral benefits, the chewing gums also offer a stress relieving effect. Hence, a lot of people use chewing gums daily. Sometimes, chewing gum can get stuck in our hair strands accidently. They have a sticky texture and most of them are hydrophobic in nature. This makes their removal very difficult.
In this blog, we will be discussing how to get gum out of hair completely. People who encounter such situations generally go for a haircut. But, there are effective DIY solutions that will enable you to remove the chewing gum completely without losing your luscious locks.
How To Get Gum Out Of Hair Completely Without A Haircut?
This is an extremely tricky situation that must be handled with utmost care and patience. Removing the gum from your hair strands might seem like an impossible task. Sometimes, you might be tempted to fix an appointment with your hair stylist to resolve everything. But, this means, you will have to bid goodbye to your beautiful locks!
You do not have to make such tough decisions to get the chewing gum out of your hair. There are some effective methods that will remove the gum completely without damaging your hair in any manner. So, try these solutions before proceeding with a haircut.
1. ICE CUBES
To remove the chewing gum, you have to get rid of the gum’s adhesive properly. This can be achieved by cooling the gum using ice cubes. This will harden the chewing gum, and it will lose its stickiness.
- Take an ice pack or an ice cube from your refrigerator. Then, hold it over the chewing gum stuck in your hair for some time.
- After a few minutes, the gum will become hard and you will be able to break it gently. Slowly remove the hardened gum pieces one by one.
2. COOKING OILS
Cooking oils can also help in removing the stubborn chewing gum from your hair. You can use either olive oil, or coconut oil for this task. So, let’s see how to get gum out of hair with cooking oils.
- Apply a generous amount of oil to the area where the chewing has got stuck. Then, give the vegetable oil some time to exert its action.
- After some time, you will be able to remove the chewing gum from your hair without facing any kind of resistance. The oil will also help your hair to recover from the frizziness caused by the gum.
3. VASELINE
Vaseline or petroleum jelly can be used for getting the chewing gum removed from your hair strands. It is a convenient remedy that functions in the same manner as cooking oils.
- Take a cotton ball and put some vaseline on it. Then, apply the vaseline all over the concerned area of your hair using the cotton ball.
- Wait for sometime until the chewing gum softens and comes out easily. Then, remove the chewing gum from each hair section gently and carefully.
4. HAIR CONDITIONER
Whenever you face this situation, you can try applying some hair conditioner onto the affected area of your hair. Hair conditioners have a lubricating effect which will make it easier for you to remove the chewing gum without breaking your hair strands.
- Take any hair conditioner of your choice and apply a decent amount of it on the chewing gum and the affected hair. Then, wait for a few minutes to soften the stuck chewing gum.
- Massage the affected area of your hair with your fingers gently. The gum will loosen eventually and you will be able to take it out of your hair easily.
5. VINEGAR SOLUTION
Here, we will see how using the acidic property of vinegar helps to remove gum from hair. This property will dissolve the chewing gum, and will break the bond between the gum and the hair. You can use vinegar directly over the affected hair. However, people with dull hair must dilute the vinegar before application.
- Take the vinegar in a bowl and dilute it if necessary.
- Then, fill the solution into a spray bottle. Spray a generous amount of the vinegar solution onto the chewing gum and the surrounding hair.
- Leave the vinegar solution on your hair for 15 minutes. Then, use a comb to gently remove the chewing gum from your hair completely. You can also work out the chewing gum out of your hair using your fingers.
6. BAKING SODA
Baking soda neutralizes the action of the adhesive polymers present in the chewing gum. This will facilitate its easy removal from your hair.
- Take some baking soda and mix it with equal quantities of water to make a thick paste.
- Apply this baking soda paste onto the chewing gum and the affected hair. Then, wait for a few minutes to neutralize the chewing gum’s adhesive property.
- Use your fingers to carefully work the stuck chewing gum down and out of your hair.
7. TOOTHPASTE
Your toothpaste can also help in removing the chewing gum from your hair successfully. So, let’s discover easy way to get gum out of hair with toothpaste.
- Take a cotton ball and put a generous amount of toothpaste onto it. Instead of a cotton ball, you can also use an old toothbrush.
- Then, apply the toothpaste over the affected area by gently dabbing. Make sure the entire area is covered in toothpaste and let it sit like that for some time.
- Gradually, the gum will harden and its adhesive property will be lost. This will enable you to remove the gum from your hair strands easily.
8. MAYONNAISE
Many might not approve the use of mayonnaise on their hair because of the messy situation that it creates. But, what can be messier when you have chewing gum stuck on your hair!
- Apply the mayonnaise over the chewing gum and the surrounding hair with your fingers. Once the affected area is covered in mayonnaise, wait for some time to loosen the stuck chewing gum.
- Then, use your fingers to gently remove the stuck chewing gum from your hair strands. Followed by that, wash your hair with a good shampoo and go for deep conditioning.
9. PEANUT BUTTER
According to experts, peanut butter contains several natural oils and thus, can help in getting rid of the stuck chewing gum. Use a smooth peanut butter for this remedy. The other varieties are difficult to work with and will not offer effective results.
- Take some peanut butter and apply it over the affected hair strands. Give the area a good massage with your fingers and wait for some time.
- Then, slide the chewing gum pieces out of the hair strands gently with your finger tips.
10. ADHESIVE REMOVER
“Goo Gone” is an effective adhesive remover that can be used for removing chewing gum from your hair. However, make sure that you are not applying this adhesive remover near the scalp.
- Massage the affected area of your hair using the adhesive remover and wait for some time.
- Now, gently remove the chewing gum from your hair using a comb, or your fingertips.
Things To Keep In Mind When You Get Gum Stuck In Your Hair
Chewing gum stuck in our hair can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. We might panic and end up making the wrong decisions. Here are certain things that you must keep in mind when facing this situation.
- Don’t start pulling the chewing gum out of the hair as it will stretch the gum and make things worse.
- You should prevent the chewing gum from spreading to other areas of the hair. So, isolate the affected area and don’t let it touch the other sections of the hair.
- Don’t use scissors to remove the chewing gum from the hair as you might end up cutting your hair strands accidentally.
- Remove the loosened chewing gum gently and carefully without breaking or damaging the hair strands.
- After removing the chewing gum, give your hair a thorough wash using a good shampoo.
FAQ’S
Q1. What are the best DIY solutions for removing chewing gum from hair?
Chewing gum can be removed from hair using ice, cooking oils, vinegar solution, and more.
Q2. Can water remove chewing gum from hair?
No. The hydrophobic properties of chewing gum makes it difficult to remove it from hair using water.
Q3. Can lemon juice remove vinegar?
Yes. Lemon juice exerts an action similar to the vinegar solution on the affected area of the hair.
CONCLUSION
We have seen how to get gum out of hair using different effective solutions. Every person must have some idea about these DIY remedies. This will help them to tackle such circumstances without panicking. So, before scheduling an appointment with your hair stylist, try employing these remedies. This will help you to remove the stuck chewing gum from your hair without losing your hair length or volume!