How To Get Glitter Out Of Your Hair, Safely

Whether you’re attending a music festival, dressing up for a costume party, or just want to add some shimmer to your day, sparkly hair glitter is a great touch to any look. 

Hair glitter is incredibly easy to apply, but it’s notoriously difficult to get out. It’s not uncommon to find yourself pulling glitter from your hair days (or even weeks!) after your event. Thankfully, there are several quick, reliable ways to get glitter completely out of your hair.

The best way to ensure you’ll be able to get glitter out of your hair later is to be mindful of what type of glitter you use. Glitter sprays made specially for the hair will be the easiest to get out. You can hop in the shower and wash it right out just like you would with any other hair product — no major scrubbing required.

Craft glitter, or “normal” glitter, will be the most difficult to get out of the hair. Think about it: When you add glitter to a craft project, your intention is to have the glitter stick to your work — not fall off. However, if you insist on using craft glitter in your hair because it’s the only thing you have on-hand, choose a glitter with bigger flakes. The finer the glitter, the harder it will be to get out.

Natural oils, like coconut oil or olive oil, are your best bets for removing every glitter flake from your skin. Baby oil also works well. You can use these oils in combination with soap, gentle shampoos, and warm water to get off any glitter left on your body.  

To remove glitter specifically from your scalp, first go outside and try to shake out any loose flakes. You can run your fingers through your hair to help pull out loose glitter, but don’t use your hairbrush: That’ll just transfer the glitter from your head to the brush, which means you’ll add the glitter back into your hair the next time you use it.

Next, apply a natural oil to your dry hair from root to tip. Work the oil through your hair until it is completely covered. (If you’re using a premium olive or coconut oil, you can even massage your scalp for a few minutes as a bonus conditioning treatment.) Gently massage the areas most saturated with glitter to loosen the flakes as much as possible. The hair glitter may start sticking to your hands, but you’ll be able to wash your hands later to get any lingering glitter off. 

Then let your hair soak in the oil for 15 minutes. Be careful of what you touch: Oil can stain fabric, so stay away from upholstered furniture. Once time is up, wash your hair as normal using warm water. Spend a few minutes really massaging your scalp, then thoroughly rinse your hair until all of the hair glitter is gone.

If you applied glitter to only one section of your hair, like your roots, you can get it out by using the blotting method. That way, you won’t transfer as much loose glitter into sections of your hair that are clean. 

Spray a paper towel with hairspray until it feels damp and saturated. Then, blot (not rub!) your scalp with the paper towel to remove the glitter. Using an up-and-down motion, work along your part and zero in on the sections that have the most build-up. Repeat the process until all or most of the glitter has transferred to the paper towel, then jump in the shower to wash away any remaining glitter and hairspray residue.

If you got loose glitter onto your clothes or furniture during the removal process, you can lift it off using tape or a lint roller. You can also use the trusty blotting method! 

Figuring out how to get glitter off may seem like a never-ending battle, but eventually you’ll be clean and shimmer-free.