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I agree, it is very annoying that when you apply hair dye, you often cannot see any of it on your skin and yet once it has developed, you see a your face neatly framed with the colour. But don't fret! There are many easy and inexpensive (and painless) ways to remove hair dye from the skin - say goodbye to the days of positioning hair strategically to cover it up...

1. Stain Remover

There are many stain remover products mostly sold in hairdressing shops that are designed for this very purpose. This would be the most advisable if you dye your hair frequently, although they do contain mild chemicals that aren't great for frequent use on the skin.

2. Vaseline

OK some people swear by using Vaseline and cotton wool to remove hair dye. My personal experience is that Vaseline acts as a great barrier prior to dying the hair, where it protects the skin from getting stained. But it is always worth a try!

3. Nail Polish Remover

This is another home remedy people swear by and although I am a stylist, I must admit to having used this and it did work! If you get some nail polish remover on some cotton wool and scrub the skin where the hair dye has stained, it should remove - although it may take time!

4. Cigarette Ash (no, really)

OK, this one is a bit radical, but is a known way that hairdressers used to remove hair dye from the skin many many years ago when they all smoked and were allowed to do so in the salon! What they did was, they would cover the clients eyes with a towel and then flick some of their cigarette ash onto the skin where the hair dye has stained. After rubbing it vigorously, it would magically remove it! Whether or not this works is not something I can vouch for (unsurprisingly!) so I hand the baton to you to try out!

Although there are many ways to remove hair dye from the skin, some others including diluted bleach and toothpaste, prevention is definitely better than cure. A good tip is to apply a barrier cream (professional one or one like Vaseline) around your hair line so that when you dye your hair, it does not get onto the skin. Also, when washing the dye off, a good tip which professionals use, is to first drip some warm water onto the hair line and lather along the hair line. You should see that the hair dye starts to foam. This should be done for some time, after which you can wash off the dye as usual. If done correctly, you will see a significant improvement in how much, if any, has stained the skin.

Learn more about this author, Sumantha Dutta.
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