Young children have a tendency to do everything with gum but its intended purpose. This can lead to minor mishaps, such as getting chewing gum in the hair. As most people know, it’s easy enough to get gum in the hair; it’s not so easy to get it out. If your child is the victim of a chewing gum mishap, don’t reach for the scissors. There are ways to remove gum without having to take drastic measures.

Sometimes, it seems the more you try to remove gum from the hair the more tangled it gets. That’s why it’s best to be as gentle as possible, not only to save wear and tear on your child’s scalp, but also to keep the gum from becoming further embedded. The least messy gum removal option is the ice cube method. Place several ice cubes in an ice pack or plastic bag and hold this on the gum. The gum should freeze and harden making it easy to break off and remove from hair.

If this doesn’t work or if there’s any gum left behind, there are other methods, but these are definitely messier. Warm a few tablespoons of vinegar and massage into hair all around the chewing gum. With luck, the chewing gum will dissolve. Once the gum is removed, shampoo the hair. Mayonnaise is also said to remove gum from hair, and it makes a great conditioner too! Put a dollop of mayonnaise on and around the chewing gum, rub it in and, hopefully, it’ll slide right off. Wash the hair immediately afterwards; otherwise, it will be a greasy mess. Cooking, mineral or baby oil all work in much the same manner as mayonnaise. Massage the oil in and around the gum until it works its way out. Shampoo hair after gum is completely removed.

Egg whites also work. Place the egg white on the affected spot and massage until the gum is removed. Shampoo as usual. Chocolate is said to counteract chewing gum’s stickiness. Melt chocolate and massage into the hair. Gum should be easy to remove. One of the best chewing gum removal methods is peanut butter. Apply a spoonful of peanut butter to the chewing gum and work into the hair. The chewing gum will come right out.

If none of these methods work, call your hairdresser. She may be able to recommend some gum removals methods of her own, and she may even have a solvent specifically for this purpose.   The last resort, of course, is to reach for the scissors and cut the gum out of the hair, this too should be left up to a professional hairdresser.

Source:essortment.com