Most of our glue-on hairpieces are not one-off products. After peeling it off, the same glue-on hairpiece or wig could be reused if cleaned properly. And their lifespan could double or triple and save the client a good fortune.
But when the glue-on hairpiece or wig gets peeled off, solid wig glue is usually seen on the underside of the hairpiece. Be it skin-based or lace based, etc.
In this post, we have listed a few solutions for our valued salon owners, hairstylists, and barbers on how to help your customers glue residue out of their hairpiece or wig, so the hair system can be reused as much as possible.
So, how to get glue out of hair? How to get glue off lace front wigs? This post is divided into sections with techniques for cleaning various hairpiece bases, including skin, lace, and lace front wigs or toupees.
Don’t worry about reading the whole post. You need to read the section(s) with the title(s) that works for your own cleaning purpose(s).
Now let’s dive directly in!
How to clean the glue out of a skin-based hairpiece
What you will need to remove the glue from skin-based hairpiece
- Adhesive remover
- Dry towel/paper towel
- Shampoo, conditioner, leave-in
STEP 1: Detach the skin hair system.
If the hair system is still partially stuck on your customer’s head, please consider using C22 solvent glue remover.
- Gently dab the liquid where the hair system remains attached to the head. Leave it soaking for a couple of minutes.
- Then you should be able to see the stuck section start lifting.
- Then be very patient; gently peel the hair system off.
STEP 2: Wash the skin hair system.
Turn on the faucet and adjust the water heater to average temperature, not too hot or too cold. Lukewarm is a good choice for washing a skin-based hairpiece.
- Flip the hairpiece upside down, and flush it from inside out with the lukewarm water from the faucet.
- After properly wetting the hairpiece, apply shampoo to the underside of the base and the hair on it.
- Be very gentle, and always wash the hair by running fingers through the hair in one direction.
We recommend SheaMoisture for human hair wigs washing. It’s made specifically to remove glue residue. Besides, it’s hydrating sulfate-free and infused with tea tree oil, borage seed oil, and aloe vera to moisture the dry hair of the hairpiece.
STEP 3: Remove remaining glue residue on the skin base.
- After washing, gently squeeze it dry, and lay it flat on a dry towel.
- Then check if any glue residues remain on the base’s underside and wipe them off with a dry towel or adhesive solvent. Gentleness is the key.
STEP 4: Shampoo and condition the skin hair system.
- After the base is wiped clean, rinse it again, rewash it, apply a bit more shampoo, wash it the same way as before, and then rinse it clean and squeeze it dry again.
- Use some hair conditioner or leave-in on the hair(avoid use on the base) if necessary. They can moisture the dry hair, and keep the hair smooth and free of tangles.
- Try TRESemmé conditioner and Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine leave-in. Both are low-cost and work well on frizzy, dry hair.
STEP 5: Leave the hair system to air dry.
- After everything is done, hang the semi-dry hair system on the dry towel or wig stand to air dry, which will keep your hairpiece in a good shape and condition.
- Avoid using a blow dryer on the hairpiece, which will make the hair prone to dry or break. If must, cold air only.
How to remove tape residue from a skin-based hairpiece
What you will need to remove the tape from the skin-based hairpiece
- A vial of adhesive remover
- A scraping card (can be your unwanted credit card)
STEP 1: First, spray a sufficient amount of adhesive remover to and around the old tape. Please leave it to soak in for 5 minutes.
STEP 2: Now, you should be able to peel the tapes off the base. Is it still feeling sticky on your hand?
STEP 3: Spray some more, and scrape the residue off with your unwanted card.
STEP 4: Now, feel the base up. Is it nice and smooth? Good, you’re done!
How to get the tape off lace hairpieces
As liquid glue can seep into the other side of the base, most lace-based hair systems are stuck to the wearer’s head using double-sided adhesive tapes. To remove the tape from the lace hair system:
What you will need to remove the tape from the lace-based hairpiece
- Adhesive remover
- Alcohol
- Shampoo, conditioner, leave-in
- Fine-tooth comb
- Dry towel
STEP 1: Generally remove the glue residue with a wet towel.
- Firstly, you need to wipe off any residue from last wear with warm, damp towel. This is to lift away any glue clumps or tape.
STEP 2: Remove glue residues that stick too tight with adhesive solvent or alcohol.
- If the bond is stuck too tight on the lace. Spray some C22 adhesive solvent from the lace’s upper side, allowing it to seep through the holes. This should soften the bond and make it easy to remove.
- Or alternatively, dip a small sponge into 99% isopropyl alcohol. Rub the soaked sponge over against any tape or glue bonds. Never let soak the entire hairpiece in alcohol cos this could dry out or damage their hairpiece or wig.
- After a couple of minutes, they need to lift or peel the tape or glue away with their fingers.
- Treat any stubborn spots with another dab of alcohol or adhesive remover. Scrub away the residue using a fine-tooth comb or a soft-bristled nail brush.
STEP 3: Shampoo and condition the lace hairpiece
- Rinse and then apply the wig shampoo to the entire hairpiece (preferably) shampoo the entire hairpiece. This step removes any remaining tape or glue on the hairpiece. Beware, be very gentle. Like washing the skin-based hair system, always clean it by running fingers gently through the hair in one direction.
- Use some hair conditioner or leave-in on hair(avoid use on base) if necessary.
Step 4: Leave the lace hairpiece to air dry.
- Finally, lay the well-cleaned, well-rinsed hairpiece flat on a dry towel or wig stand and let it air dry.
How to get glue residue out of hair
While helping your clients wash their hair systems, some glue residue may get flushed into the hair on the hair system and get stuck. And it’s hard to wipe, rinse or pull it off unless it gets pulled off with the strand of hair it’s stuck on. Here is how you can deal with it.
What you will need to remove the glue from hair
- Adhesive remover
- Fine-tooth comb
- Shampoo, conditioner, leave-in
- Dry towel
STEP 1: Apply adhesive remover to the hair.
- Firstly you need to apply some adhesive remover to the hair (mainly the hair around the edge of the base cos that’s the area where the residue most likely gets rinsed into ).
- 6 pumps of adhesive remover will be sufficient for the whole hairpiece because the glue residue is more likely gathered in the hair around the edge of the base.
STEP 2: Rinse the hair under running water.
- Next, damp the hair system by keeping it under the shower for 3-4 seconds (that’s all the water needed to do this).
STEP 3: Foam the hair with shampoo.
- Then you need to get some shampoo on your hands and rub apply on the hair to create some foam. The purpose of doing this is not to wash the hair but to keep the hair sleek, so it will be easy for the comb to slide through the hair to remove the residue.
STEP4: Comb the hair to remove the residues.
- Then use the fine-tooth comb to comb the hair from the roots to the tips. Make sure to keep the comb straight and vertical in its moving direction, so it doesn’t pull the hair off the base.
- Do only 1 or 2 strokes at a time, then rinse the comb clean with running water and repeat the same action. Do this around the base and be patient.
STEP5: Rinse and condition the hair.
- After all glue residue is removed, rinse the hair system clean with warm water.
- Condition the hair to moisture is as mentioned above.
STEP 6: Leave it air dry.
- Then squeeze it dry, then leave it flat on a dry towel or wig stand to make it air dry completely. Use hair conditioner and leave in as we mentioned above.
- This trick works for almost all standard hair systems, be it mono, lace, poly, etc. It deals with any hairpiece or wig that has glue or tape residue rinsed into the hair and doesn’t have much to do with the base.
How to take off lace wigs and remove glue out of the lace front
Some female hairpieces or wigs are not for covering up hair loss but for flavoring her overall looks or personality, just like the lace wigs or lace front wigs. To wear these wigs, they usually use double-sided tapes or glue on the underside of the wig across their hairline.
What you will need to take off the lace wig
- Alcohol
- Adhesive remover
- Dry towel
- Nail brush
- Wig shampoo / conditioner/leave-in
STEP 1: Take off the lace wig.
- First, you need to help her pin her hair away from her face, revealing her hairline.
- Apply alcohol and dab it with a small cloth along the hairline. As you move along the hairline, it’ll be helpful to try to rub the liquid under the tape to loosen the bond. The use of alcohol may irritate the skin. So a patch test before applying the alcohol can also be helpful. Or some ladies prefer to use oil instead of alcohol. As the process continues, the wearer should be able to see the lace front begins to lift.
- Apply the oil-based solution, such as C22 adhesive remover to eliminate any adhesive remains from your client’s skin.
- Wash the skin to remove any oil or adhesive residue. If the skin has been irritated, apply some moisturizer to the affected area(s).
STEP 2: Scrape the glue on edge to remove it.
- Remove the glue, starting with the poly sections of the lace wig. To remove it, you need to scrape the edge carefully with your fingernail.
STEP 3: Soak the wig to soften the glue adhesive.
- Soak the wig in a container (preferably stainless steel), depending on the wig’s hairstyle and the glue used. Soaking periods may range from 30 minutes to a whole day.
STEP 4: Wash the soaked wig.
- Take the hairpiece or wig out of the solution, and place it in a sink facing up, with the hair side on the bottom. To wash the lace sections, use a nail brush to loosen and break the bloated remaining adhesive.
STEP 5: Rinse the wig.
- Return the wig back to the sink. While the foundation is still damp with solution, apply some wig shampoo onto it. Any adhesive residue that remained should have lost its tack completely.
- Run the nail brush gently down the edge of the base and out into the hair – any remaining adhesive residue should be off. Rinse it with high-pressure lukewarm water after a few minutes of brushing.
STEP 6: Shampoo and condition the wig
- Then you can shampoo or condition the lace wig completely.
- After thoroughly cleaning and rewashing it, try to use a gentle shampoo this time. EverPure is a sulfate-free shampoo designed for dry hair, besides, it’s perfect for color-treated human hair wigs.
STEP 7: Leave the lace wig to air dry.
- Now you can lay the lace wig on the wig stand and let it air dry.
Conclusion
Hope this article helps and benefits you when you need to know how to remove glue off a hairpiece or wig. Always remember to use a moisturizer or conditioner after doing so to hydrate your scalp (not the hair on the hairpiece or wig). Thanks for reading!
