How To Remove Gum Without Cutting?

Oh my goodness! Were you in the middle of blowing your best bubble gum bubble when you realized you had a piece of gum stuck in your hair? Regardless of how it got there, getting gum in your hair is no joke. We’re sure you’d want to avoid a surprise haircut, and fortunately, you can. If you’re wondering how to get gum out of hair sans cutting, you’re in luck. Below, we’re sharing some methods for how to remove gum from hair without sacrificing your long hair.

Before we go into gum removal methods, the first thing you should do when you get gum stuck in your hair is to isolate the affected strands. This can be done by tying or clipping the rest of your hair up and out of the way with a hair elastic or by wrapping the victimized strands with some aluminum foil. You don’t want any more hair to be caught in a gum trap, do you? After you’ve sectioned off your hair, choose one of the procedures below to get rid of that pesky bit of gum.

I. Best Ways To Remove Gum From Your Hair

1. Vegetable Oil

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, using vegetable oils is one of the most effective ways to remove gum stuck in your hair strands. You can use vegetable oils such as olive oil or coconut oil or canola oil to remove gum from your hair. Grab the oil from the pantry and give it a try.

Step #1: Identify where exactly the piece of gum is stuck in your hair and cover that area with ½ teaspoon of your preferred vegetable oil using your fingers.

Step #2: Let it sit. Wait a few minutes for the vegetable oil to work its magic. Substances in your cooking oil break down the stickiness of your gum without causing damage to your hair.

Step #3: Set your hair free. Complete your rescue mission by gently removing the gum from your hair.

Step #4: Cleanse and condition. Wash your hair as you normally would to get rid of any gum residue and be left with a clean hair slate.

2. Ice

Yes, something as simple as the ice stocked up in your refrigerator can also help get gum out of your hair without cutting it. If using oil is too messy, you can use ice to freeze the gum off. Freezing gum can reduce its stickiness, allowing you to easily remove it from your hair. However, vegetable oil is more effective when you need to remove a bigger piece of chewing gum.

Here are the steps to remove chewing gum using ice:

Step #1: Apply an ice pack to the gum for 5 to 15 minutes or until the gum hardens (Ensure that the chewing gum freezes and becomes easily removable)

Step #2: Once it freezes up and hardens, you can easily remove it.

Though effective, this method is most effective if only a small amount of gum is stuck in the hair.

3. Vinegar

Vinegar is also an effective remedy to remove gum from your hair. It is a solvent that breaks down the bond between your hair and the gum. However, it does leave a strong odor behind.

Here are the steps to remove the gum effectively using vinegar:

Step #1: Saturate the area with vinegar. You can dip your hair in a cup of vinegar or soak it with a cloth.

Step #2: You need to wait for 4-7 minutes until the chewing gum loosens its hold due to the vinegar. Keep in mind that the longer your hair soaks, the easier it is to remove the gum. For an added boost, lightly heat the vinegar before applying it to your hair.

Step #3: Then use a comb that is wide-toothed to gently remove the gum from your hair.

4. Peanut Butter

Yum—who doesn’t love peanut butter? Peanut butter is popularly known for its taste and health benefits, besides being a yummy condiment has some lesser-known benefits as well. Peanut butter is a thick, oily substance with hydrophobic properties, and because both peanut butter and gum are hydrophobic, it’s easier for them to stick to each other than to stick to dry hair. Peanut butter contains all the right oils that will work its magic and easily remove gum stuck in your hair.

Here’s what to do:

Step #1: Cover the affected area of hair completely with creamy peanut butter. If you don’t want to apply it directly using your fingers, alternatively, use a softer toothbrush.

Step #2: Wait it out. It’ll take a few minutes for the peanut butter to do its thing, so be patient!

Step #3: Remove the gum. Carefully remove the gum from your hair using your fingers or a comb. Take your time, so you don’t pull out any strands or cause damage!

Step #4: Wash your hair. After you’ve removed the gum from your hair, wash your strands as you normally would with your go-to shampoo and conditioner.

You also can refer to this video below to learn other effective ways to remove gum without cutting your hair!

II. How To Cut Gum Out Of Your Hair?

Do you have no other choice but to get a haircut? Or maybe you were feeling a cut anyway, and this was the push you needed. In any case, there are numerous ways to remove the gum from your mane while still maintaining a great style. Here are some suggestions dependent on where the gum is trapped.

If you have gum on your ends, try a U shape or V shape haircut. Both of these haircuts focus on the creation of a layered look at the ends of your hair. This means that you can cut gum out of your mane without losing all of your lengths.

If you have gum caught in your hair, attempt a medium-length layered cut. While you may have to give up some length, you will not have to give up all of it!

If you have gum stuck towards your roots … try a pixie haircut. We understand this may be a drastic change if you’re used to long locks, but we promise pixies are all the rage for 2022.

Gum getting stuck in your hair can be an annoyance. However, this is a manageable annoyance. Instead of using scissors, consider using safe household goods and cures to remove gum. Additionally, after utilizing these home cures, make sure to thoroughly wash your hair.