We painted recently with a latex/acrylic-based paint and we didn’t use plastic hair caps. Now we’ve got unsightly paint splotches on our hair. After several washes the paint still hasn’t faded. It is very noticeable.
How do you remove paint from hair?
We painted a closet recently with a latex/acrylic based paint and no plastic hair caps. This lead to the issue with some unsightly paint splotches on our hair. After several washes the paint still hasn’t faded and is very noticeable. Please let me know what methods are available for removing the paint from the hair on our heads while leaving the hair intact after the process. UPDATE: We tried several of the solutions here but nothing worked. We had to wait until the hair grew out and it was cut off. Hair dye would not even cover the paint. I think a couple of the reasons we were unsuccessful was the amount of time that went by before we noticed the issue and the fact the hair seemed more porous due to the condition it was in to begin with. We think it was porous due to the frequency of the hair dyes and the very dry nature of Colorado’s weather.
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James
asked Nov 22, 2011 at 23:08
James James
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It a bit yucky but i would put paint thinners on a cloth and dab the a effected hair areas. Its smelly and wont disovle your hair.. but you would need to wash your hair with 2-3 times afterwards because thinners is very oily. Then use some conditioner. Please remember if you have dyed your hair this process is likely to remove your hair dye too!
Nov 23, 2011 at 12:09
Ever find a solution here?
May 7, 2012 at 15:49
haircut usually is the solution. Alternatively, just paint it all to match.
May 7, 2012 at 15:52
@ppumkin – No. NEVER put paint thinners on your hair. The chemicals can bleach the hair, will strip it of natural oils making it brittle, and can even damage the hair follicle.
May 8, 2012 at 17:05
@ppumkin, No, never put paint thinners on your hair. It will irritate the skin, and it’s easy to get it in the eyes, resulting in irritation, burns, conjunctivitis of eyes, and corneal ulcerations of the eye. See the material safety data sheet.
Answer: Soak + Fine Comb
This E-How article says that a soak with your normal shampoo, followed by running a fine-tooth comb through the affected area(s), should remove water-based paints including latex acrylic. By fine-tooth, I assume they mean a comb like a pocket or dressing table comb, but you may have more luck with something like a lice comb.
Now, latex paint with VOCs ( What is low VOC paint? ) may cause other types of discoloration, similar to thinners (which is why you NEVER put paint thinner on your hair; no turpentine, no acetone, no methylated spirits, no nothing).
Also, certain dyes, like red and orange, will soak into surfaces (even some things you wouldn’t consider “porous,” like ceramic tile) and become extremely difficult to remove. I dunno what color you painted the closet or exactly what type of paint you used, but it may not be a layer of actual paint causing the discoloration anymore.
Answer: Monkey Around
When this happens to the kids (we let them help when painting) I just pick the paint out of their hair with fingernails while watching TV – they sit still and it’s quite ‘Gorillas in the Mist.’
It does take a wee while, but it works without the use of any chemicals.
Answer: Olive Oil
I find that olive oil or similar cooking oil usually removes sticky hardened gunk, paint, gum, etc.
Try dish soap and really wet hair. If that doesn’t work, you might try using some gritty toothpaste. The dish soap will get between the hair and the latex and help it come off. The toothpaste will act as a mild abrasive and chew up the paint so that it can be washed away.
