There are many reasons people dye their hair at home. Maybe you want to cover your roots or greys because they’re starting to peek out again. Maybe this is your first box-dye and you want to ensure you’re prepared. Or maybe you’ve already started and noticed some dye past your hairline and want to get it out.  Whichever situation you’re in, here’s how to get hair dye off skin – safe and easy. 

How to Get Hair Dye off Your Ears, Neck and Face: 

Yes, the dye will come off after a few days, but what happens if you have an event tonight or have a presentation on a big project tomorrow? You don’t have to cancel your plans and hide away. You can use these methods to get hair dye off sensitive areas like your neck and face. 

More Hair Dye 

More dye? Yes. it seems counterproductive, but it’s down to a science,the fresh tint will lift up the old tint with it when ou rub it in. You can also try pinching the ends of your hair and using them to scrub your hairline to remove the stain. It will transfer to the strands and off your skin. 

Back to “more hair dye”. This trick works if you want to remove a stain before you wash your hair or immediately after you’ve washed it. All you do is apply a small amount of leftover dye to the stain, rub it, let it get frothy, and rub some more until the stain lifts. Wipe the extra dye away, then rinse and shampoo. 

In the hairdressing world, every hair colorist knows that dye removes dye. And now you do too!

Baby Oil or Olive Oil 

Maybe you already rinsed the dye bowl and noticed the stain after you had shampooed, and conditioned and wanted to look in the mirror to take a sneak peek at your new do. Try baby oil. Or if you prefer more natural methods, use olive oil. 

Baby oil not only protects your new dye hair by making it less porous or water absorbent, but it also works well in removing stains. It picks up the color when you rub it in without being abrasive or harsh on your skin. Use the baby oil on a cotton ball and rub it for a few seconds, then rinse. Alternatively, layer a thick coating of the olive oil, rub in and leave for about five hours then rinse. 

Makeup Remover 

If your makeup remover promises to remove waterproof eyeliner and mascara, it can also do well with lifting the tint off your skin. Apply the makeup remover on the stain with a cotton bad and rub with circular motions until you see the stab lifting. 

How to Get Hair Dye Off Your Hands

Forget the gloves? It happens. Or maybe you got a bit of spillage on your wrist or fingers at some point during the process. No worries, you can remove the dye with some of these methods and you can scrub a little more than what’s suggested on your face. 

Toothpaste

Your toothpaste keeps cavities and coffee stains at bay, and it can do the same for hair dye. Grab a new toothbrush and your everyday toothpaste and get to scrubbing. Try this for a few minutes, with one or two rinses in between and you should see the stain lift in no time.

While you may be tempted to try the whitening toothpaste for its stain-removal properties, your best bet is to use normal toothpaste. On skin, the chemicals that make your teeth whiter might dry it out.  If it’s eight pm and whitening toothpaste is all you have, use it. Just make sure to moisturize afterward to restore CHECK.  

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is known to be quite drying, so this should be the last resort if you want to get hair dye off your skin. 

However, it does work to fade the color off your skin. You’ll need a moist cotton pad to begin with, then add the rubbing alcohol and gently rub on the stain. It may take a few tries with fresh alcohol before the stain comes off. Make sure you rinse well and moisturize your skin after. 

Dish Soap and Baking Soda 

Another rigorous method to free the skin on your hand from dye stains is a mixture of dish soap and baking soda. The dish soap’s strong ingredients are effective enough to lift the color and the baking soda adds an exfoliation effect to lift dead skin cells stained with dye. Make a paste and rub stained areas then rinse well. 

How to Prevent Hair Dye Stains 

Now that you know a few tricks to get hair dye off your skin, here are tips to prevent dye stains in the first place. 

• Wear Gloves Throughout the Process: this may be the most important instruction to follow. Keep the gloves on until you see the water run clear when you rinse the dye off. Wearing gloves protects your hands, nails and fingers from unsightly stains. 

• Protect your skin before you dye: The easiest option is Vaseline around your scalp, ears and neck. You can also use coconut oil, a heavy conditioner around your hairline or a clear thick lip balm. 

• Moisturize your hair before you dye it: Do this the night before and a few hours before applying the dye to your hair. It lessens the chances of dye sticking to your face and scalp. 

• Tread carefully around darker tints: If you’re going for 2024’s trendy hair colors like midnight black or cowboy copper, exercise extra caution as stains from colors like black and brown are more obvious and extra stubborn. 

• Wipe as you go: Watch for any potential stains as you go. You can also ask a roommate or family member for help to get the dye in hard-to-reach areas to avoid stains. 

Get Hair Dye Off Your Skin, Quick and Easy

Remember, always try the methods with the least amount of rubbing first. The stubborn stains might require more vigorous action like scrubbing, but gentle rubbing should work. And next time you Dye-IY, keep a teaspoon of the dye just in case you need to remove a stain quickly.