Whether it’s to cover up your gray hair or to change your hairstyle, Sharpie markers come up in the mind at first. Frequently people make mistakes by using Sharpies to color hair instead of hair dyes.
Most of them think that Sharpies are permanent, so the color won’t go off even after hundreds of washing. But what if you want to remove it from your hair?
So if you’re wondering how to remove Sharpie from hair without cutting it, follow this article till the end. Here I will help you to explore four easy ways by which you can remove Sharpie color from hair without damaging it.
Important ✓
Whether you use Sharpie on your hair intentionally for coloring or accidentally, both have some consequences. When you color hair using it, the hair underneath the marker will become dry and eventually break off.
So, you’ll end up with rough edges or split ends.
Again, when you use Sharpie on blonde hair and then try to remove it, you may not be able to wash them all and end up with some stained hair. However, the case may not be the same for black or brown hair.
Even if you use it on hair, then be careful and not let the color stick to the scalp while coloring the roots. Though it’s possible to remove Sharpie from the skin, removing it from the scalp will be difficult. It may weaken the hair on that area during the cleaning process that ends up in hair loss.
Easy Ways to Remove Sharpie from Hair
While getting off permanent marker ink, rubbing alcohol is a popular name. But what about the permanent ink stains that you’ve got on your hair? Will you apply alcohol to it?
Please don’t make this mistake and listen to my words. Here, I’m going to give you some tips by which you’ll be able to get rid of Sharpie from hair forever. And the ingredients I’m going to mention are none other than a few household items. So, prepare to take action!
What You’ll Need
- Aerosol Hairspray
- Lemon Juice
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda
Method 1: Aerosol Hairspray
Hairspray is an everyday item that you will definitely find on your vanity mirror table. For setting up the hair, it’s a must. Luckily, for removing that unwanted Sharpie color from hair, it also acts as a lifesaver.
But by reading the name, don’t just start spraying it all over the hair as it’ll only end up with stiff hair. So, follow the process carefully for cleaning Sharpie color.
First of all, take a clean cotton ball or paper towel. You have to soak the ball with hairspray liquid properly. So, grab the aerosol-based hairspray bottle and spray on the cotton ball or paper towel, whatever you use.
Now, you have to separate the hair into small segments and use the soaked cotton ball to clean the hair from roots to ends. Your hair color will come out with the cotton ball eventually. In the same way, take all the hair segments and clean them properly.
After cleaning all your hair, use shampoo to wash it off. From my experience, I suggest you to use dandruff shampoo as it works the best for getting rid of all the leftover ink residues.
Finally, air-dry your hair and get your original hair back again. Among all the methods, it’s one of the easiest cleaning solutions.
Since aerosol hairspray contains alcohol, it works as one of the best stain removers. Even if you got permanent ink stains on your carpet, it can help you to get rid of them too. You just need to follow the same method as mentioned above.
Method 2: Using Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is also a popular natural cleaning agent. Due to its acidic nature, it can remove any permanent ink stain from most of the surfaces. Not only that, but it can erase highlighter marks from paper also.
However, just grab a lemon and a kitchen knife to start the hair cleaning process. First of all, cut the lemon into pieces and squeeze all the juice into a bowl. Then soak a cotton ball in the liquid and apply over the stain following the method mentioned above.
But don’t forget to comb the hair first. Then, wrap the small hair segments and wipe hair from upwards to downwards gently. Don’t pull too hard as it can cause hair fall. Be careful about one thing that you shouldn’t touch the scalp.
I would recommend you to change the cotton ball frequently to avoid getting color into hair again. While doing this process, squeeze the ball into the lemon juice as much as you needed to get rid rid of the stains quickly.
Finally, wash the hair with lukewarm water and mild shampoo. To make your hair extra smooth and shiny, you can use conditioner as well.
Since lemon juice acts as a natural bleach, it’s also great for getting highlighter markers off clothes. However, for smaller areas, you can use cotton swab instead of cotton ball.
Method 3: Using White Vinegar
White vinegar is one of the popular household cleaning items. It is the twin brother of lemon juice as both of them are acidic in nature and works as chemical cleaners. But both of them are less harsh than most of the other chemical-based household cleaners.
However, for removing Sharpie from hair, pour a generous amount of white vinegar into a bowl. Now, you have to take a clean towel and soak it into the vinegar solution. I would recommend you not to use white towels as they will get very dirty.
Now, wrap your hair with the damp towel like before, hold for a few seconds and wipe it off. Continue doing this process until you remove all the ink.
This process should remove all the permanent marker color from your hair gradually. Some people also find apple cider vinegar useful here.
Finally, wash your hair with a good brand shampoo and get back your black hair again. From now on, your permanent hair color won’t be a problem at all to remove.
This vinegar solution even removes glitter glue from clothes. So, don’t think that it’s only for cooking. It’s actually a cleaning weapon. Whether it’s your hair or your clothes, all will be back to their original form.
Method 4: Using Baking Soda
Baking Soda is also one of the best homemade cleaning products. It has alkaline and mild nature. So, it can remove all the stubborn stains from your clothes as well as hairs.
First of all, you need to make a paste using baking soda and warm water. So, pour a generous amount of baking soda into a bowl and add water slowly while mixing the two. The mixture shouldn’t be runny at all. Instead, it should be gummy in nature.
Now, you have to apply it over the colored hair just like you use conditioner on your hair. Be careful enough, as you shouldn’t put it on the scalp. If you apply it to the scalp area, it may weaken the hair root and cause hair fall.
However, you have to wait for some time before wiping. Then use a clean towel to cover the permanent ink color and wipe it off nicely without touching your scalp.
Repeat the process as many times as needed before washing. When you see that all of the Sharpie colors have gone away, wash the hair with shampoo and conditioner.
It’ll help you to remove all the colors without giving much damage to your hairs as other harsh chemical-based removers do. Just make sure that you don’t leave baking soda on too long because that may cause a drying effect, making things worse.
Even if you want to remove permanent marker ink from walls without a single damage to the paint, you can use baking soda, keeping your eyes closed. You will also get a complete guideline on our website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How long does Sharpie last in hair?
Sharpie ink is actually supposed to be permanent on the surface you use it. And it’s true for the hair also. The Sharpie ink sits on the hair like permanent hair dye, and it lasts until your hair grows from the root.
But if you use any special method to remove it from hair like the methods mentioned above, only then you can get rid of it without cutting or growing the hair.
Q: Is it bad to color your hair with Sharpie?
Actually, there are some chemicals in Sharpies that will make your hair dry underneath the ink. Then your hair will become rough, and ends will start to split. Even it might cause hair loss if you got ink in the hair root.
In fact, it can cause serious damage to the hair if you use it frequently. Trying once for experimenting is enough. But I would always recommend not to try it. Instead, you should use dyes that are meant to be for hairs.
Q: Does hairspray remove Sharpie?
Not every type of hairspray can remove Sharpie. As I’ve mentioned earlier, only aerosol-based hairspray can remove permanent ink from hair. This type of sprays actually contains alcohol, and that’s why they are effective in this case. So, follow the first method mentioned above to learn more about how hairspray removes Sharpie ink.
Q: How do you get Sharpie off your head?
As you already know that, aerosol-based hairspray helps to get Sharpie off your hair quickly. But does it work for the permanent ink mark on your scalp?
Well, it must be. But the problem occurs when the spray touched the hair roots while spraying on the scalp. Since it contains alcohol, it weakens the hair root that ends up in severe hair loss.
So, an easy solution is to use baby oil, olive oil, or coconut oil on your scalp. It also helps to remove permanent ink from other areas of your skin.
Q: Does highlighter come out of hair?
Most of the highlighter markers contain water-based ink, which is not as strong as Sharpie. So, you can quickly get rid of it only by using MOP shampoo and conditioner. If it doesn’t work, then you can always follow the methods mentioned above for better results.
Final Thoughts
I hope these four simple techniques have helped you remove Sharpie from hair without cutting or damaging it. From now on, there will be no worries for Sharpie hair colors as you can remove them any time without any issue.
However, I would recommend not getting permanent markers anywhere near your face – like eyebrows or eyelashes and use hair dye instead of Sharpie. It will make your hair gorgeous and shiny rather than making it rough.
So, think twice!