Tips on Removing Gum from Hair

Tips for Removing Gum from Hair

The American Academy of Dermatology sent out an email via pwrnewmedia.com today with tips for removing gum from hair. The tips and the video were fine, which I will list below, however, the dermatologist who offered the hair care advice commented to visit a dermatologist if you have hair care questions, which sent this professional hairstylist into a tizzy.

The following is the email from the AAD on how to remove gum from hair.

“Parents often think the only way to remove gum from the hair is to cut it out. Fortunately, common items from your pantry can do a great job at removing the gum – and sparing an impromptu haircut,” said board-certified dermatologist Paradi Mirmirani, MD, FAAD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.

To remove gum without damaging the hair, Dr. Mirmirani recommends people follow these steps:

Find a jar of creamy style peanut butter or vegetable oil, such as olive oil.
Cover the gum completely with peanut butter or oil using your fingers or an old toothbrush. With peanut butter, the oils in the product make the chewing gum base stiffer and less sticky.
Wait a few minutes to allow the product to work.
Remove the gum from the hair. Vegetable oil is especially useful when removing gum from eyebrows or eyelashes.
Wash your child’s hair as normal.

Dr. Mirmirani went on to say that if you have hair care concerns, you should visit a dermatologist, which is a slap in the face of professional hairstylists.

If you have questions or concerns about caring for your hair, you should make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist, a medical doctor who specializes in treating the skin, hair and nails.

WRONG, and so disrespectful to the men and women who toil behind the chair daily. I was angry and fired back an email, especially as this was one of many that I have received from the AAD suggesting to visit a dermatologist rather than a beauty professional.

If you have questions for caring for your hair-you should visit a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL HAIRSTYLIST who works with hair on a daily basis, not a dermatologist whose job is broad and far reaching and not focused on hair. Please, we respect the medical profession and send clients to doctors if we see something wrong. We deserve the same respect and recognition.

I had recently had the misfortune of reading an article on nails that was written by a non-professional beauty writer who touted her article as an “interview”. It wasn’t as I had received the same information from the AAD, and if a beauty professional had written it up, like I had, they would have embellished where the dermatologist had fell short.

If we notice a problem with a client’s hair or nails, we immediately suggest they visit a doctor. Professional hairstylists, beauticians, nail technicians, cosmetologists, aestheticians, makeup artists etc. are educated and continue to do so throughout their careers, the good ones anyway. We cannot make a medical diagnosis, nor would we attempt to do so. But from daily work in our field, we notice irregularities with our clients. And if there are no significant issues, we recommend hair care based upon color and chemical services that work synergistically, that a doctor wouldn’t now.

I am deeply insulted by the dermatologist’s comment. We are more than precision hair cutters and deserve, no DEMAND respect for our hard work.

Great tip to remove gum from hair doc, but doing so doesn’t require a PhD. How about you stick to the treatment of skin disease and irritations and we will take care of recommending the proper hair care products for everyday use for our clients.