7 Easy Ways to Remove Hair Dye from Hands and Fingers (2024)

Dying your hair a new color at home is a fun but often messy process. If you came away from your last DIY hair color job with a dye stain or two on your skin, don’t panic. In this article, discover how to get hair dye off hands and fingers using simple products you may have in your bathroom closet already.

Permanent hair dye works by penetrating the outer cuticle of the hair shaft to infuse long-lasting color. It’s also quick to absorb into any exposed skin and leave a dye stain behind, so it’s crucial to act quickly to remove hair dye from hands, face, and other affected areas.

Luckily, there are easy ways to prevent hair dye from staining your skin. And if you’re dealing with a particularly stubborn stain, there are plenty of safe ways to solve the problem without resorting to harmful chemicals like chlorine bleach. Read on to discover several effective strategies to get hair dye off fingers and hands.

Best Tips and Tricks to Get Hair Dye Off Fingers

The best way to deal with hair dye stains is to try and prevent them from happening in the first place. A simple trick to keep hair dye from staining your skin is to apply coconut oil, petroleum jelly, or baby oil around your neck, ears, and hairline before starting the hair color process to prevent the dye from bonding with your skin.

Most hair dye kits come with gloves to protect your hands from the dye. However, it’s pretty common to accidentally pop a hole in the glove with your fingernails while you’re dying your hair. By the time you realize you’ve stained your hands, it’s too late.

Purple shampoo used for toning light-colored hair also sometimes stains your hands, face, and neck. Luckily, the approach for getting rid of purple shampoo stains is the same as for other types of hair dye.

It’s always best to use one of the milder hair dye removal solutions first. One way to get hair color off your hands and fingers is to try washing your hands with regular soap and warm water to remove hair bleach from your hands and elsewhere. Dye stains are much more difficult to remove the longer they remain on your skin, so be sure to promptly clean up any accidental spills as you go.

If you splat hair dye on your rug or towel, treat the stain with a dab of dish soap or liquid laundry detergent mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda.

Create a paste with a similar consistency to toothpaste. Blot the area gently with a clean white cloth, then rinse with warm water. This method also works well for food coloring stains.

Along with hair coloring, food coloring will stain skin, too. Follow these remedies for removing food dye as well as hair dye.

How to Get Hair Dye Off Hands and Fingers with Vinegar

Vinegar is an outstanding multi-purpose cleaner around the house. It is also a safe and practical DIY stain remover to get hair dye off fingers and hands.

Soak a cotton pad in white or apple cider vinegar and lightly rub the dyed skin. The vinegar exfoliates dead skin cells which have absorbed the hair dye, uncovering the clear skin beneath. It easily removes permanent hair dye from skin surfaces. Afterward, wash your skin with soap and rinse with warm water.

Avoid using vinegar near your eyes. Undiluted vinegar may cause a burning sensation if you have sensitive skin. Never leave the vinegar on your skin for extended periods, as its acidity may cause burns or skin irritation.

Remove Hair Dye from Hands using Nail Polish Remover

Nail polish remover works incredibly well to remove hair dye from hands and fingers and, of course, as the way to get hair dye off fingernails. Soak a clean cloth, cotton ball, or paper towel with nail polish remover and use it to lightly scrub the hair color stain. Keep rubbing the stained skin until most of the hair dye disappears.

Use Lemon Juice to Get Hair Dye Off Fingers

Lemon juice is an excellent natural stain remover with a mild bleaching effect. When combined with a bit of baking soda and coconut oil, you can make a scrub that gets rid of hair dye stains on your skin without causing irritation or inflammation.

This DIY lemon scrub also helps relieve acne, lighten dark spots and blemishes, and exfoliate dead skin cells.

In a small-sized container or mixing bowl, combine the baking soda and lemon juice to form a thick paste about the same as toothpaste. Once the mixture stops fizzing, stir in the coconut oil and tea tree essential oil if you’re using it.

Tea tree essential oil is mildly astringent and helps remove hair dye stains from the skin as well as alleviate acne and other blemishes. The coconut oil loosens the dye stain while moisturizing your skin.

With your fingertips or a cotton pad, spread the paste over any dyed skin. Leave it to sit on the affected area for around one minute, then use a clean, damp cloth to gently scrub your skin. Wash and rinse thoroughly with warm, soapy water and repeat the procedure as necessary until the hair dye stain is completely gone.

Eliminate a Hair Dye Stain on Sensitive Skin with Olive Oil

If you have exceptionally sensitive skin or your have a scalp stained by hair dye, you might be looking for a milder solution for how to get hair dye off hands and fingers. Olive oil works to lift and break up the dye particles without being abrasive or irritating to your skin.

Other oils also work well, including avocado, coconut, or sunflower oil. Or, use petroleum jelly or baby oil to remove hair dye stains from your skin.

Pour a small dab of oil onto a cotton ball or paper towel. Rub it into the stained skin and let it sit for at least fifteen minutes. Wash with a mild soap or soap-free cleanser and rinse with warm water.

Remove Hair Dye from Hands with Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is a practical stain remover for many kinds of spills, including permanent hair dye and to get tie dye off hands and skin. Soak a clean cloth, cotton ball, or paper towel with 90-proof rubbing alcohol and softly scrub the affected area, or use a pre-moistened alcohol wipe. Repeat until the hair dye stain disappears.

If you have acrylic nails, chances are they might have gotten stained when you dyed your hair. Rubbing alcohol is the best solution for removing hair dye stains from acrylic nails without damaging them. For greater precision, use a small cotton swab.

Use Makeup Remover to Get Permanent Hair Dye Off Skin

If you already have your favorite makeup remover product on hand, it’s a fantastic way to remove hair dye from hands, fingers, face, and hairline.

For liquid makeup remover, soak a cotton pad or clean cloth with the solution and gently scrub the stained skin. Makeup remover pads are also a convenient way to eliminate hair dye stains on your skin.

Get Hair Dye Off Fingers with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide diluted at a concentration of three percent is a safe alternative to bleach for getting rid of hair dye stains on your skin. However, it’s best to use it on your hands and fingers, not your face. If it accidentally gets on your hair, hydrogen peroxide strips away the color.

Soak a cotton ball or clean cloth in three percent hydrogen peroxide and softly scrub the stained skin. Afterward, wash with mild soap and rinse with warm water.

Although it might be alarming when you discover that you’ve accidentally dyed a bit of your skin along with your hair, rest assured that there are plenty of options to get hair dye off fingers, hands, and around the hairline.

Even if you have sensitive skin or you’re dealing with an incredibly stubborn stain, there are plenty of safe and natural DIY options to take care of the problem – just open your bathroom closet and see what you have on hand.

If you found these hair dye stain removal tips useful, please share this article about how to get hair dye off hands and fingers with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook.