How To Get Candle Wax Out Of Your Hair

Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your Curls

No matter how it got there, candle wax getting all sticky in your hair seems like a big nuisance.

It’s easy to start panicking as the wax begins to solidify. You might even decide to chop off the affected parts to end the misery. But, hey, you’re not alone. Many candle enthusiasts accidentally get wax in their hair and may resort to extreme measures.

After all, if you’re making or playing with candles, it’s pretty easy to unknowingly touch, scratch, or rub your hair with your hands that might have wax on them.

The good news is that if you do ever get candle wax in your hair, you don’t need to resort to extreme measures.

There are, in fact, many effective ways to get wax out. The best part? You won’t be spending too much. With lots of patience and a handful of household items, you will work with this problem a lot better next time!

4 Ways To Remove Wax From Your Hair

1. Use Shampoo and Conditioner

This tip works best with softer wax since you won’t be dealing with very high temperatures (which is better for melting hardened wax). But before doing this tip, know the severity of the situation first by running your fingers through your hair. If the wax only got to the tips go for a shower. But if the wax (unfortunately) got to your roots, use the sink to allow a deeper wash and removal.

Remember, heat melts wax. So, the hotter your water is, the softer the wax becomes to allow for easier removal.

1. Soak your with hot water.
2. Wash your hair with shampoo first, starting from the roots to the tips. Do this slowly to ensure that you’re touching as much wax as possible.
3. Peel any wax chunks that start to lift from your hair.
4. Leave it for a few minutes while massaging through, before rinsing.
5. Rinse your hair completely and ensure that it’s clear from the shampoo. Comb out any excess wax, if needed.
6. Apply conditioner after rinsing. Do this carefully to get rid of as much wax as possible.
7. Rinse the conditioner and comb out any excess wax again.
8. Dry your hair by wrapping it in a dry towel. Try running the towel through your hair to remove any more wax, but don’t use the same part of the towel twice!

2. Hair Dryer

Unlike the first tip, this one is more suited for wax that has hardened since you are utilizing a higher temperature.

1. Wrap waxed sections of your head with paper towels. To let the towels stick, dampen either the hair or towels first.
2. Turn the dryer on a medium to high heat, but not too high to avoid hair follicle damage. If you have curly hair, only use high heat sparingly.
3. Dry the waxed sections by repeatedly running the dryer over these areas, a few inches away from your hair. You’ll see the paper towels absorbing the melted wax as it gets hot. But don’t get the dryer too close to the towels since you don’t want them catching fire!
4. Replace the paper towels when they are saturated with wax.
5. Comb out any remaining excess wax from your hair.
6. After doing these steps, rinse your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
7. Remove any excess wax you feel between your hair strands.

3. Oil

Think of using oil instead of heat when you have natural curls since heat can be very damaging. It’s also the safest and easiest tip if the wax is closer to your roots.

1. Choose your preferred oil. It could be olive, baby, coconut, jojoba, or grapeseed oil.
2. Dampen your hair with warm water. Remember not to make it too wet, or the oil won’t be able to do its job.
3. Apply the oil onto the parts where the wax is. Run the oil through your hair, from the roots, then out to the tips.
4. Leave the oil in for about a few minutes to allow softening of the wax. The oil should be able to dissolve it.
5. Wash your hair with warm water and shampoo, and then conditioner. Ensure you remove any additional wax during these stages.
6. Remove any excess wax with a towel.

4. Ice

This one’s also an easier tip that uses fewer household materials if you’re looking for a more hassle-free method. All you need are some ice cubes, shampoo, and conditioner.

1. Apply ice to the wax-affected part of your hair. This should harden the wax on your hair until it breaks up.
2. Let the ice sit there for a few minutes.
3. After applying ice, try to break the hardened wax chunks apart using a comb or your hands.
4. Repeat the process for any stubborn wax.
5. Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
6. Again, remove any excess wax with a towel before combing it out.

What To Do After getting wax in your hair

If things (still) don’t work out for you after following these methods, or if you want an easier way out, contact a good stylist. Professionals should have agents or formulations that can easily remove the wax from your hair.

Note: some of these methods can cause damage, especially if you have naturally curly hair. Heat and certain shampoos can leave your hair damaged and brittle if done excessively.

Here are some things you can do to give your hair some love after getting rid of the horribly stuck wax:

• Swear by using a conditioner. A nice, conditioning hair massage keeps your hair healthier than you’d expect.
• Minimize excess heat on your hair since it can be very damaging.
• Don’t just use any chemical or product in your cupboard (like vinegar) to remove the wax without carefully researching it. These substances may do more harm than good and destroy the keratin in your hair.
• If there’s still stubborn wax on your strands, try not to brush it out (no matter how annoying it gets). Candle wax can harden fast, and combing this out risks breakage. It’s best to repeat the steps we have outlined to remove the last bit of the wax.

For other Great Tips and Information Check out Candle Obsessions Information Articles