Thread: Getting cigarette smoke out of your hair?

Gah! I did a gig at club last night and I swear everyone must have been chain smoking. I came home, collapsed and went to bed. Woke up this morning and my hair STINKS!!! I febreezed my costumes and veils and they're fine. I also had to take some sinus meds for the 'smoke hangover'...anyway - I washed my hair 3 times and even after conditioner, it still smelled bad. I did my usual vinegar rinse and that helped, but didn't get rid of the smoke smell entirely.

Advice?

Wash your hair but mix your shampoo with baking soda first (If I recall correctly I believe I use about a tablespoon of baking soda and about the same amount of shampoo).

Or use a clarifying shampoo (same stuff).

Follow with cider vinegar rinse.

Or wash your hair as soon as you get home - I've never had lingering smoke in hair if I shower as soon as possible.

Good luck!

yeah - wash your hair when you get home. I haaaaate that kabob and smoke gig hair smell nastiness. :X

l'oreal used to make these studio sense odor neutralizing hair mists you could get at the drug store. that worked really well - I'd spray it on when I left my gig if I planned on going straight to bed and not washing my hair. thierry mugler still makes a hair perfuming mist in the angel scent - never used it so I don't know how it works.

I just did a search and found this:
Sephora: Jonathan Product Redo Freshen-Up Mist For Hair & Skin®: Styling Products
and this:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Treat-Drops-Rose-Cacao-Refreshing/dp/B000UOAM3Q]Amazon.com: Treat Drops Rose & Cacao Refreshing Hair Mist: Beauty[/ame]

Ojon makes a revitalizing/refreshing spray, too, but here's another tip - use the Febreze on your hair! Yeah, it sounds crazy, but it works!

I've actually used a light sprinkle of baby powder and then brushed it out. Don't use too much or you'll end up looking white and flakey, but since it absorbs oils and stuff, it'll really cut down on the smell and it lets me hold off on washing my hair until the next day if I'm too tired to do it right then.

There is a product by Sebastian called "Dry Clean Only" that is awesome! It's like Febreeze for your hair. Spritz it on your hair after you come home from a smoky place, and the smoke smell is gone. It's great for those nights when you just want to crash as soon as you get home. :)

Sadly, it looks like they don't make it anymore, but it looks like you can still find it on eBay and other beauty sites.

Sebastian Dry Clean Only

if i wash mine as soon as i get home, it's always still smokey. unfortunately, nothing i have tried has worked. i have to let it "air out" for a day and then wash it. i shower the rest of me, just not my hair.
usually the day after i dont have much to do but run errands and i dont care what they think of my hair so i'm fine with it. up in a pony tail and then i wash it later, no problems.

Is is also possible you've got some residue in your nose, and that's a lot of what you're smelling?

Wash your hair as soon as you come home, no matter how tired... you will be happier the next day, trust.

Aveda has a couple of products that you can use to disguise the smell if you are going out after, although I forget which ones.