How To Get Wax Out of Hair

by antongile · Published June 10, 2018 · Updated June 10, 2018

Whether it’s from a candle, or from styling products, getting wax out of hair has always been a challenge. Whether it’s from a prank, an accident, or anything in between, the difficulty with which this substance is taken out of human – and animal – hair has plagued both men and women for a very long time. Most resort to simply cutting the strands of hair that have wax on them, but what it there is a better, easier way?

Our first reaction is to panic when wax gets in our hair, however, being in this state can push us to try quite a few extreme methods in order to get rid of the pesky substance. Some even try mixing various concoctions using whatever ingredients they have lying around in hopes that they will resolve the problem. Even the Internet helps perpetuate many destructive methods of fixing this problem.

This having been said, if you want to get rid of the wax in your hair, even if you’re in a hurry, the first thing that you should do is relax. There are so many strange solutions and strategies that keep resurfacing on the internet that it’s hard to know what to try and what is pure fiction. So, do you know how to get wax out of hair?

Table of Content

The Candlewax Danger

Now that we’ve discussed how to get wax out of hair, at least the one from styling products, let’s move on to more serious things.

Candle wax doesn’t touch our hair often, however, on the rare occasions when it does, it can be close to impossible to remove it completely.

While styling wax is made to be fairly easy to remove from hair, candle wax is not made to come even close to our heads. As a result, once it gets in, it’s extremely difficult to remove completely. Luckily, many horrible wax-in-hair incidents have led to a lot of information regarding how to properly remove the troublesome substance from one’s hair. Before getting into how to remove the candlewax, let’s talk about how to avoid making it worse.

Do not panic

Everybody knows that it’s not easy to remove candle wax from hair, however, panicking doesn’t help. You need to think clearly and to understand what equipment and substances you need and what steps you have to take.

First of all, do not try to melt the wax hoping that it will drip off. This will only make it coat more of your hair. When the wax starts solidifying, it will stick even more hairs together.

Secondly, avoid heating the wax. It is important to remove the substance as part of a process. If you simply heat the wax and try to wipe it off it will tangle your hair.

Finally, never try to use caustic substances in order to remove the wax. These will literally burn your hair right off.

This having been said, let’s look at the best method of getting wax out of hair.

What materials you will need:

A comb
A few paper towels
A hair drier
Your preferred conditioner
Whatever shampoo you regularly use

Get these things in the bathroom and get ready for a somewhat lengthy but safe process. Again, even if you’re in a hurry, don’t panic. Chances are that you will be able to get rid of the wax in 30-40 minutes. However, this depends on how serious is the problem. If you have a quarter of your hair filled with wax it may take a couple of hours.

This having been said, regardless of how serious the problem is, this method will help you clean your hair, provided that you follow each and every step.

Let’s look at what you have to do if you don’t know how to get candle wax out of hair:

If there are large solid chunks of candle wax in your hair, you will have to break as much as possible off. Basically try to break off any pieces that are larger than an inch, but do not try to pull it out of your hair. Just smash the pieces using your fingers and let them fall off.
Whatever is left will have to be melted in order to be removed.
In order to do this, wrap the affected pieces of hair in one or two paper towels.
Set the hair drier on high heat and point it at the paper towels around your hair. The hot air will slowly melt the wax which will be absorbed by the paper. Whatever you do, do not use anything other than a hair drier in order to melt the wax. Other devices may burn your hair.
After a few minutes, replace the paper towels and repeat the process. Do this two or three times, or until most of the wax that you can see is absorbed.
Once you’re finished, apply hot water to the hair for a few seconds.
Apply a conditioner and work it into the hair, using your fingers. Keep massaging the hair for at least 5 minutes. The hot water will melt the wax and the conditioner will prevent it from sticking to your hair.
Next comb through your hair in order to remove any remaining candlewax.
Rinse your hair with hot water.
Apply shampoo and work it into the hair.
Rinse with hot water.

That’s all there is to it. Usually the paper towel step takes the longest due to the fact that in more serious cases it may be required to replace the towels a couple more times. Also, the whole process can take more time if a larger area is filled with wax.

Either way, this method ensures that your hair will be clean of wax and that it will come out being just as healthy as it was before.

Things to Keep in mind

Some types of shampoo contain wax. Regardless of what type of wax you want to remove from your hair, it is important to choose one that does not contain the substance that you are trying to get out of your hair.
Some types of hair wax that are professionally applied must be removed the same way. So if you have a hair relaxer in your hair, the best way to proceed is to make an appointment and have the ones that put it on remove it.

What Not to Do EVER

There are a few things that you should avoid doing when you want to remove any kind of wax from your hair. Many people tend to panic when they see that something is stuck to their hair and this can lead to some pretty awful mistakes. Here are some of the things that people often do when they panic; in other words do NOT do any of these things:

Use dishwashing detergent – Yes, the commercials say that these substances can remove pretty much anything, however, they say that they remove anything from dishes. The chemicals inside these can damage your hair without even touching the wax.
Brushing it out – Never attempt to remove wax from your hair (especially candlewax) by brushing your hair. You risk breaking hair without removing the wax. While it may appear that it is gone, the moment your hair is warmed by your body, a hair drier, the sun, or hot water, the wax will melt and the affected hairs will stick back together.
Use vinegar or any other ingredient found in the kitchen – There are dozens of “homemade substances” said to remove wax from hair. These rarely do their job, however, they manage to harm hair almost every time.
Use a clothes iron – For God’s sake, never try to use a clothes iron in order to get candle wax out of your hair. A few people have tried to sandwich their hair between paper towels and then iron it. Needless to say that this never ends well. The iron can burn your hair clean off, and the wax will simply stick the towel to your hair.
Use cold water – Some methods instruct people to use cold water when cleaning their hair. While this may help solidify larger pieces of wax which can then be broken apart, it will not help detach said pieces from your hair.

Using chemicals is not a good idea

When people get scared they tend to try anything they can think of. Please keep in mind that if a substance is not designed to be applied to your hair, you shouldn’t try to use it in order to remove wax.

While these are advertised as useful for removing all sorts of substances, they may also destroy the keratin protein that your hair is made of.

Best be safe

These strategies will help you get rid of any wax that gets stuck to your hair, however, the best way to fix the issue is to prevent it. Always be careful around candles and never use more styling wax than you need.

How do you remove styling wax from your hair?

Let’s go from easy to hard. First, up is removing styling wax from your hair. The cosmetics industry is slowly moving away from styling gel, replacing most gel based hair styling products with ones that contain wax. While gel could be simply rinsed off from the hair, wax tends to stick better and this means that it’s going to take a bit more work to get it out of your hair.

Stylists have started using these products because they are extremely reliable and water resistant, and, unfortunately, what makes them reliable also makes them hard to get out of hair.

This having been said, it’s not impossible, or even exceedingly difficult to get styling wax out of your hair. If it were, people wouldn’t use it.

First, let’s take a look at what you need. Styling wax has been designed so that it won’t be impossible to remove from hair or to require anything other than what you would normally use in order to remove styling gel.

So get the following:

Hot water, but not hot enough to burn your hair or skin. Overheating the water won’t solve the problem
The conditioner of your choice
The shampoo that you normally use, as long as it doesn’t contain wax. Usually, a clarifying shampoo is perfect

It is important to keep in mind that you cannot remove styling wax from your hair using cold water, regardless of how much shampoo or conditioner you use. The wax particles in the product will essentially have to be melted away in order to be effectively removed.

Now let’s look at what you have to do:

First, pour hot water on your hair for a couple of minutes. This will soften the wax
Next, apply your conditioner of choice and massage gently for about 5 minutes. This will effectively remove the styling wax from your hair
Rinse off the conditioner with more warm water and apply the shampoo
Use your fingers to work the shampoo into your hair. The more foam it makes, the better
Lastly, rinse your hair

Keep in mind that depending on how much product you’ve used, you may need to repeat this process a couple of times. However, this method is the best way to completely remove styling wax from your hair.

Furthermore, do NOT mix the order. The hair conditioner must be applied before the shampoo. If you use shampoo first, your hair will tangle and it will be far more difficult to remove the product from your hair. So use hot water and then some conditioner.

Pro Tip!

It sometimes helps to get a bit of water-soluble styling cream (that contains no wax) and work it in your hair. The ingredients that prevent this product from immediately drying will also help dissolve some of the styling wax that is in your hair.

Generally, it is useful to avoid the build-up of styling wax in your hair. This can be done by either applying only as much as it is necessary and always washing your hair afterward, of by getting a high-quality clarifying shampoo.

How To Get Wax Out of Hair