How to Get Wax out of Hair

Using Shampoo on Dry Hair

Apply a generous amount of shampoo to your hair while it’s dry. You can use any kind of shampoo you want, but don’t wet your hair first. If you wet your hair, the shampoo will mix with the water. Since wax repels water, the shampoo then won’t be able to penetrate the wax to start breaking it down. Use about the same amount of shampoo that you would normally use, or a little more. While your regular shampoo will work fine for this, a clarifying shampoo might give you a little more cleansing power. You could also apply a water-soluble styling product like hairspray or dry shampoo to your hair to start breaking down the wax. Work the product into your hair, then rinse it out and wash your hair the way you normally do.

Work the shampoo through each strand of your hair. Starting at the roots, use your fingers to massage the shampoo all the way down your hair. You should feel the wax starting to loosen, but don’t worry if you don’t get it all on the first pass. By working on one section at a time, you’ll be less likely to miss any spots.

Rinse your hair with very hot water, but not hot enough to scald you. Turn on your shower and get the water as hot as you can stand it. Then, thoroughly rinse your hair, starting close to your scalp and working your way down. Cold water will make the wax even harder, but hot water will help soften it so you’ll have an easier time removing it from your hair.

Repeat with more shampoo if you used a lot of wax. If your hair still feels waxy, you may need to shampoo it again. Use the same amount of shampoo as you did the first time, and follow the same procedure, massaging it into your hair section by section. Since the initial shampoo should have broken down a lot of the wax, it’s fine to apply more shampoo while your hair is still wet.

Apply conditioner to your hair. In addition to providing nourishing moisture to your hair, using a conditioner may help break down any remaining wax. You don’t need any special conditioner for this, so just use one that’s formulated for your hair type. For example, if you have very dry hair, you might need a thick, moisturizing conditioner. If your hair tends to be oily, you should use a light-weight detangler that won’t leave behind much residue. Avoid putting conditioner directly on your roots, as this may make your hair look greasy. If there’s still wax residue in your hair, let it rest for a day without putting in any product, then wash it again. Tip: If you're having trouble washing out your hair wax, you might be using too much. For most hairstyles, you only need about enough to cover one of your fingernails. Apply the wax near your roots, then use your fingertips to work it through the rest of your hair.

Melting Wax with a Hairdryer

Wrap a 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) section of your hair in a paper towel. If your hair is covered with hard wax, you may need to use heat to soften the wax before it will come out. To protect your hair from getting too hot during the process, it’s best to wrap sections of your hair tightly in paper towels before you apply the heat. The paper towels will also help draw the wax out of your hair. You’ll need to use a clean paper towel for each section.

Use a hairdryer to heat the hair through the paper. Turn your hairdryer to high heat, then point the nozzle at the paper towel that’s wrapped around your hair. Be sure to keep the nozzle at least 6 in (15 cm) from the paper towel so it doesn’t burn. Move the hairdryer back and forth for 1-2 minutes until you feel the wax start to soften. Be careful not to burn yourself, and don't leave the hairdryer on any one section for too long, or you could damage your hair. If you need to, ask someone else to help you with this part.

Press down on the wax and slowly pull off the paper towel. Try to use the paper towel to remove as much wax as you can from your hair, but avoid tearing the sheet, if possible. Some of the softened wax should stick to the surface of the paper towel, although you may need to go over some sections more than once. To determine if you’ve removed all of the wax, run your fingers through your hair. If there are small pieces of wax left behind, try to pull them free by hand. If that doesn’t work, wait a few minutes for the section of hair to cool off, then apply the heat again.

Repeat for each section. Get a new paper towel and wrap another section of hair tightly, then heat it with the hairdryer until the wax softens. When it’s ready, slide the paper towel off again, and continue until you’ve covered all of your hair. Try not to heat the same section of hair again until it’s cooled. Otherwise, you could cause heat damage to your hair.

Shampoo and condition your hair as usual. Once you’ve gotten the majority of the wax out of your hair, wash your hair the way you normally would. This will help get rid of any residue that’s remaining.

Breaking down Wax with Oil

Pour a small amount of oil into the palm of your hand. Cup your palm, then pour in about 1–2 tsp (4.9–9.9 mL) of oil. If that doesn’t cover all of the wax, add a little more as needed. Olive oil is a popular option for removing wax. However, any oil will work, so it’s fine to use whatever you have on hand. For extra nourishment, use a coconut, argan, almond, or jojoba oils. If you like, you can even try this with your hair conditioner.

Massage the oil into the wax. Use your fingertips to work the oil into your dry hair directly over the wax. Be sure to coat the hair above and below the wax, as well, as this will help the oil penetrate the wax more easily. Keep working until you feel the wax start to crumble. The oil should start to break down the wax within a few minutes. Tip: Try running ice over the wax to break it down instead of using oil!

Pull the excess wax free as it loosens. As the wax starts to crumble into pieces, use your fingers to pull it out of your hair. Continue doing this until you’ve removed all of the wax from your hair. Place the wax on a paper towel so it doesn’t make a big mess wherever you’re working! If you’d like, you can also use a wide-toothed comb, but be careful not to pull too hard on your hair. The brittle wax will make your hair more likely to break.

Wash and condition your hair in hot water. Even after you’ve gotten all of the wax out of your hair, there may still be a waxy residue coating your strands. To get rid of this, wash your hair in hot water, using your regular shampoo and conditioner. Hot water will help soften any remaining residue, making it easier to remove.