These Halloween Hair Tricks Are a Real Treat

Temporary dye that won’t come out! Gelled and teased strands that won’t unglue! Stubborn glitter! Navigating the world of post-Halloween hair can feel like a spine-tingling trip through a haunted mansion—but it doesn’t have to. Consider this your handy guide to getting back to your luscious strands, no spells or charms required. 

1. Start with a Ghost-Busting Cleanse

Whether your hair is caked with enough glitter to make Tinkerbell jealous, or you’ve given yourself the full mermaid color works, it’s nothing a good shampoo can’t fix. Use your custom deep-cleansing shampoo to work out all the sparkles, sprays, chalks, and pommades leftover from the party by first giving it a thorough soak in warm water, making sure it saturates your hair from root to ends. The goal is to gently remove any glitter, color, or product without stripping your hair of its natural oils or pulling and rubbing aggressively. Work a little extra shampoo into your hair than you’d normally use and let it sit for a minute or two to loosen any buildup. Once you’re ready to cleanse, it’ll slide right off. If you used a coloring product, it wouldn’t hurt to shampoo twice, either. Bonus points: Using a scalp massager under the shower head will help loosen up any product around your roots and give you the added benefit of a little after care if you were wearing a tight wig or headpiece. 

2. Say “Boo!” to Dry Strands

Conditioner is your best friend here. Many Halloween products are extremely drying for your scalp and hair, making it frizzy, flat, or tangled long after the last candy corn’s been devoured. Give it some extra moisturizing TLC with a good long conditioning session to rehydrate the hair follicles and nourish your parched locks. Even if you only donned your witchy do for a night, the damage can be lasting if you don’t pay extra attention to getting every inch of your hair conditioned. Once your hair is cleaned and hydrated, make sure you let it air dry, then show it extra love by sleeping on a silk pillowcase to keep strands from tangling and drying while you snooze. 

3. Only Good Witches Allowed

Here’s some practical magic for you: before you don your costume, remember an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Avoid harsh chemicals, dyes, and other damaging products by opting for a wig (the easiest way to keep your hair 100% damage-free and still look like a convincing Marie Antoinette vampire) or hair chalk instead. If you really must layer on the works, be sure to treat your hair to a soothing mask beforehand so it’s prepped for the big night. Above all, don’t sleep on it. Be sure to give your hair some extra attention without waiting too long so it can bounce back from the festivities. So now that your post-Hallow's Eve care guide is safely tucked into the back of your scarecrow overall’s pocket, you can go out and have a scary good time.