How to Get Paint Out of Hair | 6 Natural & 6 Chemical Ways

How to get paint out of your hair? Here are 12 methods I have found to remove paint from your hair, from latex to acrylic or wall paint!

Let’s get into the specifics of how we use each of the paint removers.

How to Remove Paint From Your Hair?

Paint can easily be absorbed into your hair if you have long hair that touches the ground while painting. We will discuss different methods for removing different types of paints from our hair.

1. How to get oil-based paint out of my hair?

Oil-based paint is the easiest to remove from your hair and requires simple, non-chemical home remedies. According to experts at TheHairStyler.com, we can easily get it out of our hair by using:

baby oil
mineral oil (which has a higher chance of having some skin irritation)
vegetable oil (this can be bad as it tends to dry out hair)
olive oil (the time needed depends on how much paint was used)
waterless hand cleaner (soap+water would be better).

How to do it?

First, you should mix the solution with water and apply it to your hair and cover the area with a shower cap. Keep the solution on for 30 minutes and then wash your hair with shampoo.

2. How to get latex paint out of hair?

Latex, also known as water-based paint, is more difficult to remove from our hair than oil-based. There are several methods:

a. Wash it with dish soap

Using dish soap can be really effective method when you want to remove paint out of your hair.

The first thing you want to do is wet the paint-filled section of your hair with a lot of water.
After mix it with dish soap and scrub until all of the paint comes out.

TIP: You may need to repeat the process. Also adding baking soda will make the process more efficient.

b. Use paint thinner

This is a very common method. If you do not have any at home, go to local hardware store and purchase one.

First thing you want to do is pour the thinner into a small bowl and add just enough water so that it becomes liquid and can be absorbed by your hair easily.
After this put on protective gloves and glop the mixture onto your hair section for several minutes until it starts becoming soft and then rub with fingers or brush.

NOTE: You should wash this solution off immediately because it will dry out hair if left too long. Repeat process as necessary until all of the paint has been removed from hair shafts permanently.

c. Use rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is another option. The method is very simple and requires few steps to be completed.

First put on protective gloves, then pour rubbing alcohol into a small bowl big enough to accommodate the section of your hair that is filled with paint.
Bend your head forward so that all of the hairs fall into bowl with chemicals in it and leave it there for 10 minutes.

NOTE: You will notice that paint becomes loose inside your hair shafts and you can remove them easily by scrubbing gently with fingers or a brush until they are gone forever.

d. Hair Spray

This method does not require any kind of chemicals but rather uses ingredients found at home most often.

First you should mix hair spray with water in a small bowl. Your aim is to make the mixture thick enough so that it can cling to your hairs and paint will not run down easily.
Now proceed to pour mixture onto an oiled section of your head and start rubbing gently using fingers or brush till all of the paint is removed forever.

e. Hair Spray + Solvent

This method requires combination of alcohol solvent with hair spray. This solution works exceptionally well if you want clean up paint quickly without need for any kind of chemicals or waiting time on our part. It just takes minutes to get rid of latex-base paints completely.

To use this method, first mix water with solvent in a small bowl. The mixture should be thick enough so that it can cling to your hair.
Start applying this solution by pouring it over oiled section of your head and leave for several minutes or until paint is softened.

After the time passes you will notice that paint becomes loose inside your hair shafts and you can remove them easily using fingers or brush till they are gone forever.

f. Use WD-40

WD-40 is a multi-purpose lubricating spray that can help:

First you need to spray a generous amount of it onto dry section of hair.
Gently rub WD-40 on spot with paint on and After wait till you feel that paint is starting do disolve.
Use hot water mixed with shampoo to remove the softened paint from your hairs.

Repeat process until all paints have been removed.NOTE: WD-40 can be irritating to your skin

3. How to get acrylic paint out of hair?

Acrylic is made up of water, acrylic polymer and other additives. Acrylic is known to be safe for human skin because it doesn’t have a lot of harmful chemicals or toxins.

You can easily get rid of them by just filling the bowl with water and adding a few drops of dishwashing soap.

After this, wet your hair with that mixture and put oil on it. Acrylic paints will become loose after some time and make it easy to remove with fingers or brush.

However, in case you are allergic to acrylic polymer or if it is made up of harmful chemicals, then there is a chance that it can cause skin irritation. More in my related post: Is Acrylic paint Toxic?

Removing acrylic is an easy and straightforward process. It doesn’t matter if your hair is blond or any other color.

Fill the bowl with warm water and add dish soap to it so that paint becomes soft.
After this, wet your hair with the mixture and put oil on it too.
Leave for 20 minutes or until the paint has softened.
Once that time passes you can remove loose paint by scrubbing gently with fingers

4. How to get wall paint out of hair

Over the years, I’ve picked up some useful tricks for getting wall paint out of hair. With the right ingredients and techniques, you can erase paint splatters without damaging your locks.

Here are my proven methods:

Act Fast!

Rinse immediately – As soon as you notice paint, rinse under running water. This dilutes the paint and prevents drying/binding.
Shampoo twice – Lather up hair focusing on painted spots. Rinse and repeat shampooing to lift out paint particles.
Avoid harsh rubbing – Blot hair gently with a towel. Scrubbing can grind paint deeper.

The quicker you can rinse wall paint out, the better. Water dilutes and flushes paint before it penetrates hair follicles.

Break Down Paint with Solvents

For partially-dried paint, use solvents to loosen the binders:

Oils – Coat hair in olive, coconut or baby oil. Let sit 20-30 minutes, then rinse.
Rubbing alcohol – Saturate painted spots; leave on 5 minutes before rinsing out.
WD-40 spray – Spritz on paint; let penetrate briefly before scrubbing and washing.
Hairspray – Helps loosen wall paint; spritz and rinse.

Solvents penetrate and dissolve paint particles so they can be rinsed away after a short dwelling time.

How to Get Paint Out of Your Hair Naturally?

The good news is that you have dozens of natural ingredients at home that can help you remove paint from your skin.

1. Vegetable or Mineral Oil:

Vegetable or Mineral oils are a common household items that can be used to remove paints from the skin after being outside in the sun all day.

Apply generous amounts of vegetable or mineral oil to the skin and wait till paint starts dissolving. You can also add 2-3 drops of dishwashing soap for more effectiveness.
Rinse it off thoroughly with cold water and then pat dry using a paper towel.
Repeat the process until all paint has been removed.

2. Baby Oils:

Baby oils are commonly used to remove latex-based paints from the skin in clothing or carpet stains.

You can use baby oil to clean paint off your skin by using the same technique mentioned above with dishwashing soap and hot water.

3. Dirt or Clay:

Dirt and clay are good natural paint removers that can be obtained easily from the garden or nearby areas.

Mix equal amounts of both and apply on the skin liberally.
Let it sit for a few minutes and wash it off with cold water
Pat dry with a paper towel and repeat this process until all paints have been removed from the skin.

4. Cornstarch:

Cornstarch is a great ingredient that can be used instead of clay or dirt if you don’t have any nearby.

For best results combine cornstarch with Baby Oil in equal parts and apply it on the skin.

Wait for a few minutes and then wash it off with cold water while scrubbing lightly so that paint comes out easily.

5. Honey:

Honey is another great ingredient that can be used to remove paint from the skin.

Just apply honey all over the painted area and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then wash off with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

6. Toothpaste:

Many people tend to use toothpaste for removing paint from their skin and it does work in that manner.

All you need to do is apply a good amount of paste to the affected area and rub it with your fingers or a brush.

After a few minutes when the paint starts peeling off, wash it off with cold water.

7. Does peanut butter take paint out of my hair?

Yes, it does. You can make a mixture of peanut butter and cornstarch in equal volumes and apply it liberally to the paint-coated section of your head. After this wait a few minutes until you feel that paint is losing due to oils in peanut butter. Start by gently removing paint from hair scrubbing with fingers or a brush.

Don’t forget that you have to wash it with shampoo and water immediately after this process. Use a mild baby shampoo in warm water to thoroughly clean the hair shafts.

Repeat this process if the paint does not come out after first washing or you can also consider going for the chemical-based methods mentioned above.NOTE: Don’t use excessive amounts of peanut butter. It can cause skin irritation.