It is fun to chew gum, especially for kids as it comes in customized forms that they love to buy. Many people of mature age chew it by keeping its mind its multiple benefits. As per research, it can help you to reduce some extra fat off from your body and helps you get a sharp jawline, thus giving a beautiful look to your face.
It also sharpens memory and controls the level of stress by reducing it. But due to its sticky nature, it can put you in a state of trouble sometimes. For adding the sticky texture in gum, it requires the addition of synthetic rubber and other chemical products like polymers and resins, during its formation. This texture allows it to stretch when you pull it. Hence it is quite difficult to remove if stuck to a fabric of very light quality, or with hair.
What Makes Gum Difficult to Remove?
Resistant to Water Bases
Some gums can quickly stick to oily surfaces because of their hydrophobic nature. These types of gums can also attach to a water basis because they cannot dissolve in water.
No Molecule Movement
In case if it gets stuck in your hair or clothes then you’re in a serious problem which is because of the fact that the movement of molecules is restricted because of the chemical bonds in chewing gums.
Quick Removal via Cutting the Effected Hair by Scissor
Getting the gummed texture thing in hair is something to be worried about as it is extremely difficult to remove it from hair. Most of the time people opt to use scissors but that’s not the perfect solution to it as you have to cut your hair to get rid of it which totally affects your hairstyle. And it turns to be a situation of a complete mess if it gets attached to the hair of kids. Don’t use scissors in the first place in such cases but search for better ways to remove it.
Suggested Haircuts to Get Rid of Gum
If a gum has just stuck to your hair and you have no other way except cutting your hair. Here some of the suggested haircuts for you.
- If just had to cut your hairs because of the gum at the ends of your hair. Go for U shape or a V shape haircut. This would help you get rid of the gum without even losing the length of your hair.
- You must go for layered haircut if the gum has stuck at mid length of your hair.
- If gum has stuck at the roots of your hair, then you have to cut your hairs short. In that case, you can go for a pixie haircut.
Stop! Isolate the Affected Hair
Before reaching a concluding idea you must think of isolating the affected hair which can be easily put into practice via using aluminum foil. It is an excellent choice to use it as it will not stick to the bubble and will prevent the mixing or sticking of already affected hair with the rest of the hair. After wrapping it you can choose any of the methods to get chewing gum out of hair.
Easy & Quick Ways to get Gum out of hair
There are different techniques that you can use to take out pasted gum from hair. Most of the time kids do stick gums on each other’s hair while playing or in fun but they are unaware of the fact that it can cause them the pain of losing their hair.
To ignore the direct trimming of hair you can use many oils and other products. Instead of causing any damage to the rest of the hair, these products will add more vital elements that are advantageous for hair growth.
Using Peanut Butter As It Reduces the Elastic Nature of Gum
Peanut butter is a thick paste that is oily from the top. Because of its hydrophobic qualities, it can be used for the removal of sticky things from clothes, hair, or from any other area. It basically reduces the stretchy nature of gum which makes it quite easy to remove it from the portion of your hair. It happens because the gum and peanut butter share the same chemical nature which is, they can’t dissolve in liquid bases.
Here’ are the steps to remove chewing gum out of hair using peanut butter:
- You need to cover the affected volume of hair with the thick creamy paste
- Using your fingers cover the gum completely
- Wait for a few minutes till the gum gets inelastic and hard
- Remove the stiff gum with care
- You can remove it with a comb or using a toothbrush
Dermatologically Approved Method
Cooking oils are also used for the purpose of getting out of this mess as oil is insoluble in other liquids. You can easily observe the truth by making an experiment as oil settles on the surface without dissolving into water. Application of any cooking oil be it olive oil or coconut oil, is considered to be the most effective way of reducing the stickiness of gum without causing any damage to hair. It prevents you from cutting your hair.
Using Olive Oil
Many dermatologists approve of the usage of olive oil for better growth of hair and lashes. It is also a proven fact that it helps in fighting off the cases when a sticky material gets stuck to hair or eyelashes. It neutralizes the stretchiness and stickiness of gum.
The process for the application of oil on hair for throwing gum out of it is based on a few simple steps.
- Pour a little quantity of oil to the affected hair or apply it with your fingers
- Massage well in order to cover the gum area
- Wait till the stickiness of the bubble is neutralized. It requires 15 to 20 minutes or more, depending upon the amount of gum that gets stuck into the hair
- Using your fingers or comb, work the hard gum out of your hair
- Wash your hair with warm water
Using Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is generally recommended for better hair growth and prevention of hair loss. But it also works stress releaser in a horrible condition when a bubble gum gets pasted to your hair. The gum gets slipperier in contact with coconut oil. You need to take a spoon of coconut oil and apply it to the affected part. You will see the gum start losing its grip over the hair so you can pull it out without any difficulty.
Application of Daily Used Products on Dry Hair
Products like Vaseline, baking soda, and toothpaste can also be used for taking out the clingy gum in hair. The glob gets less sticky when the Vaseline is applied to the hair.
Similarly, baking soda is also a good way for removing it. For that make a paste of it by adding a suitable amount of water. Apply the paste onto the hair where the bubble is stuck. After sometime baking soda will make the gum stiff which can easily be removed via fingers.
Using Toothpaste
Most of the time when people go through this case they start panicking about their hair and start looking for remedies to get out of that situation. Using toothpaste on dry hair can help you get the bubble out of your hair. You just need to apply it on the hair pile and remove the hardened gum as soon as the paste gets dry.
Using Alcohol
Offsets the pasting nature of gum. You need to spill a minute amount of alcohol on the portion of the head where the gum is pasted. Let is remain for about 30 seconds. Soak that part well and after that rubbing alcohol for some time so that the gum can be easily drawn out of the hair.
Use Solvents like Vinegar
Vinegar is a crucial solvent which can throw bubble out of our hair because it breaks down the sticky bond between chewing gum and your hair. But it smells really odd. In order to do away with gumball from hair:
- Soak the glob with vinegar.
- Saturate your hair with a piece of cloth.
- The more you dip your hair in vinegar the more positive results you will get.
- For immediate results heat the solvent right before mixing it with hair.
This technique is a little time taking as it depends on the quantity of gum stuck in your hair. As soon as you start to observe that the gum is turning soft, quickly comb your hair with a wide comb.
Using Ice Cubes
Freezing the gum using ice cubes is the most practiced remedy in situations like these and it actually works. If the gum is stuck in a very less amount then this is the best solution to this mess. You can easily get gum out of hair with ice by this process which requires constant rubbing of ice on the affected hair.
- Rub an ice cube for 10 to 25 minutes which will make the gum rigid and stiff.
- For an extra boost, you are allowed to coat your hair with cloth or plastic with some ice cubes.
- If the problem still persists, add more ice till it is hardened enough to break into pieces. Dispose of the broken pieces.
Finally, Shampoo Your Hair Well
The final step after the removal of gum is to rinse your hair well with a good product. The strength of your hair depends upon the quality of the product you use for your hair. Even after getting rid of gum from hair via all the methods mentioned above, you still need to wash your hair with a shampoo of very fine quality if you’re really concerned about your hair. (Hair wash do’s and dont’s)
Wash your hair with normal or hot water as cold water is highly dangerous for hair growth. Other than that you should contact a dermatologist as they can keep a check on other hair related problems, making sure that the gum hasn’t affected the scalp.
Emily Smith is a talented content writer, wielding words to create captivating stories and informative articles across a wide range of topics. With a passion for effective communication and a love for research, Emily consistently produces engaging and valuable content. She’s dedicated to conveying ideas clearly and compellingly, making her a sought-after voice in the digital sphere. When not writing, Emily enjoys immersing herself in art, nature, and culinary adventures for fresh bursts of creativity.
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