How to Get Colored Hairspray Out of Hair: A Step-by-Step Guide

Colored hairsprays are a fun and temporary way to add a pop of vibrant color into your hairstyle. Often used for costumes, festivals, and holidays, these colored mists can wash out with just regular shampooing.

However, some extra stubborn spray-on hair color can cling to strands even after multiple washings. If you find yourself with lingering tinted hairspray that won’t budge, don’t panic!

With the right techniques and ingredients, you can get every last trace of colored hairspray removed from your locks. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on safely removing clingy colored hairspray.

How Does Hairspray Color Stay on the Hair?

Before jumping into removal methods, it helps to understand why colored hairspray can stubbornly cling to hair in the first place.

The main culprit is the alcohol content. Most hairsprays and mousses contain alcohol to help disperse the product and dry instantly.

Colored hairspray also relies on alcohol to spread the temporary dye quickly and evenly across each strand. This allows the instant, all-over Results that make hairspray color fun and immediately gratifying.

However, this quick-drying alcohol also makes the product adhere tightly to the hair, especially if you use a lot of spritzing and touching-up. The more layers built up, the harder they’ll be to shampoo away.

Luckily, a few simple yet strategic wash days can help break down and dissolve every trace of color.

How to Remove Colored Hairspray from Hair

Follow these steps to easily remove stubborn colored hairspray buildup from your strands:

1. Wet Hair and Rinse

• Start by wetting your hair thoroughly under the shower or sink faucet.

• Let the water saturate your hair for a minute or two to loosen up any color that’s ready to rinse away.

• Flip your head upside down and massage your scalp with your fingertips.

• Rinse until the water runs clear, without shampooing yet. This initial rinse will wash away any excess product that’s already loose.

2. Lather Clarifying Shampoo

• Apply a palmful of clarifying shampoo to your roots. Focus on the areas where you sprayed on the most color.

• Massage the clarifying shampoo into your roots and lengths for 60 seconds. This will start breaking up the hairspray residue.

• Rinse out the shampoo, but don’t worry if you still see traces of color. A clarifying cleanse is just the first step.

3. Apply Baking Soda Paste

• Make a paste by mixing 1 tbsp baking soda with 1 tbsp water. Adjust amounts as needed for longer hair.

• Work the paste thoroughly through dry hair, coating every strand from root to tip.

• Pile your hair atop your head and cover with a shower cap. Leave on for 5-10 minutes.

• The baking soda will dissolve and lift away the remaining hair color molecules.

4. Shampoo Again

• Rinse out the baking soda paste until the water runs clear.

• Lather a quarter-sized amount of regular shampoo and massage through hair for 1-2 minutes to remove any leftover baking soda.

• Rinse thoroughly. Repeat shampooing if any color remains.

5. Condition and Air Dry

• Apply a moisturizing conditioner or mask, focusing on the ends.

• Let the conditioner sit for 2-3 minutes before rinsing.

• Blot hair gently with an old t-shirt or paper towels.

• Allow hair to air dry fully to prevent color transfer to towels.

Be patient through a few wash days, and colored hairspray will eventually wash clean out of hair.

How to Remove Hairspray Buildup from Blonde Hair

Does colored hairspray cling more stubbornly to lighter blonde shades? Unfortunately, yes. The contrast of vibrant hair color against pale blonde strands makes it more noticeable and tricky to remove.

When trying to erase colored hairspray from blonde hair, avoid these mistakes:

• Don’t shampoo multiple times in a row. This can dry and damage delicate blonde strands.

• Don’t brush hair when wet. Wet hair is far more vulnerable to breakage.

• Don’t rub too vigorously when shampooing. Friction can cause hidden damage.

Instead, be extra gentle with blonde strands by:

• Using lukewarm or cool water to rinse hair. Hot water can cause brassiness.

• Applying shampoo with prayer hands, not scrubbing.

• Using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

• Letting hair air dry to prevent weak spots from friction.

With a gentle touch, blonde hair will bounce back healthy and vibrant after colored sprays are removed.

How to Remove Hair Color Spray from Dark Hair

Will brightly colored hairspray show up obviously against darker brunette or black hair? Usually not, but it can still leave behind an unwanted tint.

To avoid a color stain, be prompt about removing spray out of dark locks:

• Wash hair the same day color is applied, if possible. Don’t wait days.

• Use cool water only when rinsing. Hot water can open the cuticle and set in color.

• Opt for a moisturizing cleanser, not a clarifying one.

• Apply conditioner any time you shampoo to avoid dryness.

• Avoid brushing or rough drying with towels. Air dry instead.

Take care to keep dark hair conditioned and hydrated during the removal process. The gentle approach prevents fading or dullness.

How to Remove Temporary Hair Color from Skin & Nails

Along with tinting hair, colored hairspray can temporarily stain the skin, nails, and any surfaces it comes into contact with.

To remove hair color from your skin and nails:

• Exfoliate with a scrub to lift surface stains from skin.

• Use coconut oil or olive oil to dissolve color from cuticles and nails. Let sit 5 minutes before scrubbing.

• Dab rubbing alcohol on stained skin using a cotton ball. Repeat until the stain fades.

• For stubborn stains, try whitening toothpaste. The abrasiveness helps slough off color.

• Thoroughly wash skin and nails with soap and water after other removal methods.

The key is to act quickly before the color sets in. With fast action, you can get skin and nails back to a clean slate.

Other Tips for Removing Temporary Hair Color

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when tackling temporary hair color removal:

• Don’t apply heat. Blow drying or hot tools can bake color into the hair cuticle.

• Avoid towel-drying hair. Rubbing can drive color deeper into strands. Pat dry gently.

• Work in sections for full coverage when shampooing.

• If color remains after 3-4 washes, do a deeper clarifying cleanse.

• Try dish soap or laundry detergent for stubborn stains on the hairline or ears.

• Use a stain-lifting primer before re-coloring for blank canvas results.

With some strategic shampooing and prompt stain removal, you can get every trace of temporary hair color removed – without damage.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you’ve tried everything and colored hairspray still remains after many washes, your best bet is to see a professional:

• Professional clarifying treatments can dissolve stubborn buildup.

• Color strippers or removers can be used to fully blank out the hair.

• Bleach baths may lift out the last traces of stained color.

• Toners can neutralize any remaining warm pigment undertones.

• Stylists can assess damage and treat hair while removing color.

Of course, prevention is easiest – use hair color sprays sparingly and wash out promptly before they have a chance to truly set in.

But if all else fails, the cleaning power of salon solutions will get your hair back to normal.

The Takeaway

Temporary colored hairsprays eventually wash out over time, but removing stubborn stains quickly requires a strategic approach.

The keys are using clarifying shampoos to deep clean, avoiding excessive heat, and gently treating hair between washes.

Additionally, ingredients like baking soda, dish soap, and oil can target the color molecules to lift them away with minimal damage.

With some patience and TLC, you can get every last bit of temporary hair color removed and your strands back to their natural glory.