How to Remove Hairspray Buildup From Your Hair
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Using hairspray on a regular basis can leave residue in your hair, altering the way it looks and feels and making styling more difficult. A clarifying treatment removes the buildup to keep your locks looking and feeling healthy.

Products to Remove Buildup

Regular shampoo alone often isn’t enough to remove hairspray, especially if the buildup has accumulated over a long period of time.

Wash your hair with liquid dish soap instead of shampoo when it’s time to clarify. The detergents in dish soap cut through the hairspray buildup to loosen it from your hair. Choose any type of regular dish soap—even the heavy-duty, grease-cutting formulas—but soaps labeled gentle or mild may not be as effective because they often don't contain heavy detergents.

Baking soda also works to remove buildup and clarify your strands. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with your regular shampoo and wash your hair as usual.

Use a deep conditioning treatment after clarifying. Dish soap and baking soda can both be drying on the hair, and a deep conditioner helps replenish the moisture.

Tip

If you use hairspray every day, use a clarifying shampoo instead of regular shampoo daily.