How to Get Candle Wax out of Hair

Last Updated: April 4, 2021 References

No matter how it gets there, candle wax can seem difficult to remove when it gets stuck in your hair. It can remain soft and elusive, or harden and solidify at the roots. However, there are in fact many ways to remove candle wax from your hair. You can try the simple shampoo and conditioner method, or maybe try using your hair dryer. If neither of these work, you can move on to some home remedies which might work even better at removing candle wax from your hair.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Shampoo and Conditioner

1
Decide whether to use your shower or sink. If the candle wax has only reached the tips of your hair, you can use a shower. If the candle wax has sunk in towards your roots, it is best to use a sink. A sink allows you to be more up close and personal with the wax you wish to remove.^{[1]
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- To determine this, run your fingers through your hair. Start at the roots, and then move outwards towards the tips. Feel whether the wax has drifted downwards, or has stayed mostly near the edge.
- While running your fingers through your hair, stand in front of a mirror. This can make it easier for you to see if you have a hard time feeling the wax.
- If you have a hard time determining this, use a friend or relative. They can comb through your hair and will be able to see better.
2
Turn on warm water in your shower/sink. The hotter the water it is, the softer the wax will become, and therefore make it easier to remove. Soak your hair in the warm water until your hair is soaking wet. However, make sure not to turn up the water to hot that it irritates your skin.

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3
Wash your hair with shampoo. Pour a healthy amount of shampoo into your hands. While soaking your hair in the warm water, run the shampoo through your hair.
- Start at the roots and move outwards. Use slow, methodical motions. Make sure to touch all of the wax as you are shampooing.
- If you feel any of the wax already starting to come undone, peel it out with your hand, and place it to the side of the sink/shower. If you let it go down the drain, it could clog it up.
4
Use conditioner in your hair as well. Rinse the shampoo out of your hair first, and any wax coming undone. Then add a healthy amount of conditioner to your hands, and run it through your hair.
- Start at the roots and move outwards. Make sure your hair is still wet when you are applying the conditioner. You want to maintain the heat coming from the water.
- If you feel any wax starting to come undone as you apply the conditioner, remove it with your fingers and place it to the side of the sink/shower. If you let it go down the drain, that could result in a clog.
5
Dry your hair with a towel. Step out of the shower, or pull your head up from the sink. Wrap your hair in a dry towel or paper towel. Let your hair remain still at first, drying on it's own. Then work the towel through your hair.
- Try not to use one part of the towel more than once as you are drying, as wax might come out. You do not want wax to me removed, then stick somewhere else in your hair again.
6
Run your fingers through your hair. Stand in front of a mirror, and run your fingers through your hair. Try peeling out the wax, which should be incredibly soft at this point.
- You can also use a comb or brush. Each time you run the comb/brush through your hair, check to see if any wax is sticking. Remove any wax from the comb/brush before you take another pass through.
- Get a friend or relative to check your hair for you. They might be able to see better where any excess wax is still hiding.
7
Repeat, repeat, repeat. If one pass through does not get all of the wax out, try again. Make sure to let your hair sit, at least for a few hours before you wash it again. Washing your hair too many times in a row can cause damage to your hair.
- However, make sure not to go days without washing. The wax can recede farther down towards the roots, and become harder and harder to remove the longer you wait.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Hair Dryer

1
Determine whether the wax is solid or soft. Use your fingers and feel the wax, whether at the tips or at the roots. If the wax is soft, it is best to use the shampoo method. However, if the wax has hardened, it will need to be melted in order to be removed.
- You can always get a friend or relative to check for you, whether or not the wax is hard. Sometimes it can be hard to see/feel for yourself, and in that case get a second opinion.
2
Wrap waxed hair with paper towels. Try and position the paper towels exactly where the wax is. Grab the section of waxed hair, and wrap the paper towel around it tightly.^{[3]
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- Only do this one section at a time, otherwise the paper towels will become hard to manage and might fall out.
- You may want to dampen your hair, or the paper towel in order to help the paper towel stick in position.
3
Use your hair dryer. Plug the hair dryer in and turn it on to high heat. Feel the heat with your hand to make sure that it is not too hot, which would damage your hair follicles.^{[4]
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- Hold the paper towel in place, and run the hair dryer over the area. Make sure not to get too close to the paper towel, which might result in burning.
- Make several passes through the area and over the paper towel. You should start to see/feel the candle wax melting, and soaking through the paper towel.
- If you have a hard time managing this step, you can always use a friend or relative to run the hair dryer for you as you hold the paper towel into place.
4
Remove the paper towels. Press on the paper towels with your fingers. Feel the wax through the paper towels. As you pull the paper towels off, hold onto the wax. Do this slowly, as to pull off as much of the wax as you can get off.
- Run your fingers through your hair. Try and pull off as much of the excess, now melted, wax as you can. If you cannot do this by yourself, get a friend or family member to do so.
- Determine whether this section still has wax that needs to be removed, or whether this section is now relatively clean.
5
Use new paper towels on your hair. If you are moving on to a new section, or redoing an old section, apply new, clean paper towels. Repeat the previous methods over and over again until the wax has been mostly removed.
- Try and take breaks in between sections. Your hair can receive damage if it is heated for too long.
6
Apply warm water to your hair. Turn warm water on in your sink, and run it through your hands. You can also lather them with soap. Run the water and/or soap mixture through your hair. Use a comb or brush and go through your hair. Try and get out any excess wax that remains after you have melted it.^{[5]
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Shampoo and condition your hair. The final step is to clean your hair. Make sure your hair is wet with warm water. Apply shampoo first, and then conditioner. Between sessions, pull out excess wax with fingers to make sure the wax does not run down your drain.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Home Remedies

1
Dip your hair in hot water. If the candle wax is on the tips of your hair, this is the simplest and easiest method. Get in front of the sink, and bend your head forward. Let your hair drop down and fall in front of you. Turn on water in the sink to warm/hot.^{[6]
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- Let sink fill up with warm water. Make sure that the stopper had been pushed down, and allow the sink to fill up.
- Dip your head down slowly, and allow the hair ends to enter the bath of warm water. Let your hair follicles bathe in the water for a few minutes. Pull your head up after the time is up, but do not bend your head back in the normal position yet.
- Use a paper towel or a clean wash cloth and dry the ends of your hair. Apply pressure, and try to pull off the wax as you are drying. If this does not get all of the wax off at once, repeat, repeat, and repeat.
2
Apply ice to your hair. The ice will chill and harden the wax until it will break apart. You can do this with either loose ice cubes, or ice in a small plastic bag. Simply place the ice on the wax, and let it sit for a few minutes. Pull the ice away, and then break up the hardened wax. Repeat if all the wax is not removed. Finish this by washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner.^{[7]
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3
Use oil in your hair. If the wax is closer to the roots, this is the easiest, and cheapest, home remedy available. Choose either olive, baby, jojoba, or mineral oil to put in your hair (all four work the same way). First dampen your hair with warm water. Then, apply a healthy amount of oil to your hands and/or small cotton balls.^{[8]
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- Rub the oil between your hands or blot it on small cotton balls. Then run it through your hair, starting at the roots and moving outwards.
- Let the oil sit there for a few minutes to soften and dissolve the wax. Use clean cotton balls or towels to wipe away the oil and dissolved wax.
- Rinse your hair out with warm water. Repeat if the wax has not completely gone away.
4
Apply petroleum jelly to your hair. The petroleum jelly acts very much in the same way as oil does, in that it helps to dissolve the wax. Feel through your hair to find where the wax has settled and apply a healthy helping of petroleum jelly with your hands.
- Let the petroleum jelly sit there for a few minutes and dissolve the wax.
- Because petroleum jelly is hard to remove, apply a few drops of dish detergent to a damp washcloth or towel. Dap the washcloth on the spots of your hair where you have applied the jelly.
- Rinse your hair out with warm water. Repeat the measure if the wax still has not come out. If the wax has come out, finish this method by shampooing and conditioning your hair. The dish detergent can dry your hair follicles out, and so it is necessary to moisturize them.^{[10]
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5
Invest in a commercial wax remover. These products are designed to remove wax residue. They also have the added benefit of softening your scalp and hair follicles. These can usually be found at your nearest hair professional, or store specializing in hair products. Make sure to follow the instructions on the bottle clearly.
6
Contact a hair stylist. If you have tried all the options, or want a second opinion, try your nearest hair stylist. They will have had experience with things of this nature before, and may have chemicals/agents that will be able to remove the wax professionally.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I get dry wax out of a cat's fur?

Liawengert04

Community Answer

Try soaking your cat in water (if your cat is cool with water) and using a gentle conditioner to loosen up the wax, then combing your cat's hair to get out the little pieces. If your cat has an aversion to baths, soften the wax with warm air from a blow dryer and use a comb. It is very tedious, and most cats just end up getting shaved where the wax was.

Warnings

Check labels on all products before you use them.

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Make sure not to get the oil, petroleum jelly, shampoo, or conditioner in your eyes/mouth. If you do, immediately wash them out with clean, warm water.

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Recall any allergies you have. Sometimes your skin might react badly to a particular type of oil or cream.

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