How to Remove Glue From Hair Without Cutting It

Whether you had a crafting accident, wear wigs or extensions, or had a medical procedure, there are many ways glue can get stuck in your hair. Don’t panic—we're here to help. In this article, we’ll explain all the best ways to get glue out of hair, whether it's superglue, hair glue, EEG glue, or Elmer’s glue.

What to Do If Glue Gets in Your Hair

Soak the glue in a skin-safe oil, like olive oil or mineral oil, for up to an hour to loosen the glue’s bonds so you can comb it out. If it won't come out, soak a cotton ball in acetone and apply it to the glue for several minutes to dissolve it. Shampoo and condition your hair after removing the glue.

Section 1 of 9:

Removing Glue with Oil

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Massage a skin-safe oil into your hair to loosen the glue. Skin-safe oils like olive oil, baby oil, mineral oil, coconut oil, and vegetable oil are an effective, non-abrasive way to get glue out of your hair. This method works for most types of glue, including superglue, hair or wig glue, and EEG or medical glue. Let the oil sit for up to an hour to loosen the glue's bonds, then comb out the pieces of glue.^{[1]
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- For superglue, let the oil sit for at least an hour.
- For hair glue, wait 10-30 minutes.
- For EEG glue, it should only take a few minutes.
- If there’s still a lot of tension after waiting the recommended amount of time, apply more oil and wait a little longer.

Section 2 of 9:

Removing Glue with Acetone

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Soak a cotton ball in acetone and apply it to the glue. Hold it onto the affected area for a few minutes. The acetone should break down the glue bonds and allow you to comb it out of your hair. If this doesn’t remove all the glue, apply more acetone and try again in a few minutes.^{[2]
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- Acetone can also remove EEG glue and hair glue, but because it can quickly dry your hair out, it’s usually better to try less abrasive methods first. Acetone works well with superglue because it’s a stronger glue.
- Acetone-based nail polish removers also work.

Section 3 of 9:

Removing Glue with Warm Water

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Dunk your hair into a sink or basin filled with warm water. Alternatively, run it under warm water in the shower until it’s thoroughly wet. Massage the affected area to further loosen the glue, then use a wide-tooth comb to remove the glue. Finish by washing your hair with clarifying shampoo to remove any remaining residue.^{[3]
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- Steam can also sometimes loosen hair glue. Hold your hair in the steam above a bowl of hot water, then run a wide-tooth comb through your hair to remove the glue.
- |Remove glue from hair extensions the same way you remove it from your real hair.

Section 4 of 9:

Removing Glue with Ice

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If there are stubborn bits of glue that you still can’t get out after trying other removal methods, ice can harden the glue so you can slide it right out of your hair. Hold a piece of ice to the affected area for 15 minutes. Then, gently pull the glue particles out of your hair and dispose of them.^{[4]
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Section 5 of 9:

Removing Glue with Shampoo & Conditioner

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Shampoo and condition your hair to remove water-soluble glue. Water-soluble glues, like Elmer’s school glue, should be pretty easy to remove from your hair. Simply soak your hair with water and massage in shampoo and conditioner as you usually would. Rinse and repeat as necessary until all the glue is gone.^{[5]
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- In most cases, washing your hair this way should be enough. If for some reason it doesn’t work, try treating your hair with a skin-safe oil beforehand to loosen the glue’s bonds.
- This works for all brands of school glue, as well as washable glue sticks.

Section 6 of 9:

Removing Glue with Dish Soap

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Massage gentle dish soap into your hair to remove EEG glue. Many dish soaps can effectively and gently loosen EEG glue from your hair. Get your hair wet and massage the soap into the affected area. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it out.^{[6]
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- EEG or medical glue is used to securely attach electrodes to your scalp during EEGs. When the EEG is finished, the technician will use a special solvent to remove the glue, but sometimes, it won’t all come out and you’ll need to remove the rest yourself.

Section 7 of 9:

Combing Out Pieces of Glue

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Use a wide-tooth comb to remove bits of glue. Depending on the type of glue and how much is stuck, it may be possible to remove it without applying acetone, oil, or another product. Start with a wide-tooth comb and run it through the affected area to remove it from your hair. For very small pieces, you may need to switch to a fine-tooth comb to ensure you get every bit.^{[7]
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- If you’re trying to comb out hair glue, it may help to apply a creamy conditioner to loosen the glue’s bonds.^{[8]
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- If combing alone doesn’t work, try applying acetone or oil and letting it soak before trying again.

Section 8 of 9:

Removing Glue with Rubbing Alcohol

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Apply rubbing alcohol as a last resort. Alcohol is very abrasive, can irritate the skin, and damage your hair, so it isn’t generally recommended to remove glue. However, it does break down the bonds more quickly than products like oils, so it can work in an emergency. Hold a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to the affected area for a few minutes, comb out the glue, then wash your hair immediately.^{[9]
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- If you must use alcohol, try using it in combination with an oil. Dab alcohol onto the affected area with a cotton swab. When the glue loosens, go back over the area with an oil to help soothe the skin.

Section 9 of 9:

Caring for Your Hair After Glue Removal

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Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and moisturizing conditioner. Clarifying shampoo is a deep cleanser designed to remove grease, product residue, and other impurities from your hair, making it more effective at removing glue than regular shampoo. Conditioners also help loosen glue. Wash your hair as you normally would, repeating as necessary until all the glue has been removed.^{[10]
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- It’s important to wash your hair no matter which products you used to remove the glue, but especially if you used a product that can dry out and damage hair, like acetone or rubbing alcohol.
- Pay special attention to the affected area when washing to make sure all the glue residue is removed.

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Tips

If you have trouble removing EEG glue, contact your doctor or epilepsy treatment team to find out how to proceed.

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Because wet hair can become tangled or matted and create a bigger mess, it’s usually better to apply oil to the affected area while your hair is dry.

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In general, applying a skin-safe oil works to remove most types of glue from your hair and skin. If the type of glue you used isn’t listed here, one or more of these methods will typically work to remove it.

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