HELP!!!! I have Vaseline in my hair and a job interview in 3 hours

[user1488318718]

My lovely well meaning friend gave me a scalp conditioner she uses to help with an itchy scalp.

I put some in last night and went to rinse it out but the water just ran off it. Checked the ingredients and it's petroleum jelly (Vaseline)!!!

This is completely repellent of water.

I've tried an entire box of cornstarch!

Rubbing olive oil in to dissolve

Egg white

Five washes of fairy liquid

Five washes of bar soap.

NOTHING is making any difference.

My hair is one greasy mess. Not the type that would go unnoticed. It looks like I have poured a vat of vegetable oil all over my hair.

I'm sat here is an absolute state. I have no idea what to do. I have short hair so no disguising.

Is there ANYTHING I can do?

This is my dream job. I don't want to cancel the job interview. Will I have to?

If no time to go to diy store, lemon juice?

Look, be careful! All these potions are likely to make your itchy scalp horrendously bad
You'll look far worse in the interview if you're scrabbling away at your head like you have nits.
What style is your hair? Can you not slick it all back?

I suggest swarfega because it is specifically designed to dissolve petroleum products, whereas soap and shampoo, and dish washing soap are for food and human grease - biological fats. Swarfega is for petrol and engine oil, which is far mor similar to vaseline than butter or human grease

Are you near a hairdressers or shop which sells the Redken clarifying shampoo (in a white bottle)? It's dead expensive but the best thing I've ever used (I had a similar disaster with some hideous cholesterol hair mask...) And I've had a bottle since January 2016 and there's still loads left, I use it weekly.

Failing that, can you just gel it all slick?

One of my kids used Vaseline on their long hair as part of a wacky fancy dress! Based on that experience I recommend the hairdryer to soften and blot as much as you can. Then peanut butter - sounds mad but we were desperate by the time a friend suggested this and it did work - combination of the oil and a bit of texture maybe. Other recommendation we were given was cola but as we had had peanut butter in tried this first. Good luck with the interview

Yes to swarfega, my mum had to use it on the cat once because he thought it would be a good idea to roll around in a puddle of engine oil, she rung the vets and they suggested swarfega, worked a charm and she used it several times since (PITA cat)
Good luck OP, let us know how you get on.

Yes, Swarfega is your friend. There might be some in the garage or ask a neighbour! Tell your interviewees the funny story, the very best of luck and do come and tell us how it went!

Oh no.

It could just be the most brilliant ice-breaker at interview. "Sorry about my hair but....".

I'm sure you're thinking, it's not the kind of job where you want to make people laugh at the interview, but you'd be surprised.

I went to an interview at an investment bank with very obviously non-matching shoes. The reason for having one blue shoe and one brown, the two of very different shapes but luckily nearly identical heel height, was actually quite funny and I got the job. It was a management position so I was not expecting them to appreciate the mishap-at-the-disco anecdote, but they did.

Definitely Swarfega or similar - you need a degreaser.

And next time, condition your scalp with olive oil.

Your "friend"
Is she by any chance applying for the same job?

Vinegar didn't work. Trying bicarb now.

Fairy liquid.
Head and shoulders shampoo (got tar out of my carpet)
Swarfega. That shit gets rid of car oil!

Good luck!!!!

Whatever you use, it needs to be on dry hair, not wet. If you wet hair first it will just repel whatever soap/washing up liquid/ etc you use. Hope you manage to get it off - swarfega sounds like a good idea

Cornflour will work eventually, but you need to rub it into the strands.

I think talcum powder is your best bet. Just rub it in. I use this when I put too much styling wax in and its looks greasy. Soon sorts it out, just give it a good rub all through the hair.

yes, definitely on dry hair.

People with Afro hair would never just leave (or put) Vaseline in their hair.

Mmm... I used to live in a country where almost everyone had Afro hair and almost everyone used Vaseline (well, local brand) daily on their skin and hair. Hair washes only about once a week if that so yes, people did leave it in. If you live somewhere more Western where there is a range of hair products, I accept this is not your first choice.

I know a few families who've adopted children from Africa and the children are used to using Vaseline and often get upset when their new parents want them to use more "advanced" products.

I know this is a REALLY unhelpful tip, but European hair and Afro hair are nothing like each other and you are not going to get good results from using products for one type of hair on the other.

I would say first port of call is probably Swarfega and second is a scarf.

Will a nit comb sort of scrape it out at all?

Don't put bicarb in your hair! You use that to unblock drains etc it can't be good for your hair!

Have you rubbed as much out as possible with kitchen paper etc? Just keep going with soaps, eventually it will wash out. Section off your hair so you are doing a bit at a time very thoroughly.

If you would have to make a joke of it when turning up at interview, personally I would call to rearrange because you will be giving a very weird first impression. Blatant lying for the excuse here - car stolen, or burst pipe etc, something you would have to stay and deal with. They will likely be able to fit you in tomorrow.

Definitely recommend putting either shampoo or Fairy liquid directly onto dry hair, having water on your hair will make anything you apply run straight off. Massage shampoo/Fairy into the areas you have the treatment on then apply a small amount of water and massage again, you should be able to rinse it away then. If this doesn't work, Swarfega is great for this kind of thing... petroleum jelly, so should work! Good luck! 🍀

Just keep washing it with shampoo. The more you wash it the more it will break up and come out. Stop putting lots of household products in it. Multiple washes with good old shampoo should do the trick, at least to have it in a wearable condition. You could use the story as an icebreaker at the interview. Good luck!

?Fine tooth come your hair!!

Definitely, definitely buy swarfega!

Have you got time to buy Swarfega to get the worst of it out? Wilko/ Screwfix/ Halfords should have it. Lemon juice may also help, or vinegar but you'll probably need to wear your hair up/ back for a couple more washes. I'd avoid adding any further oil such as olive or baby oil as this in itself takes some washing out and I'd say concentrate on your fringe, maybe with some dry shampoo.

The exact same thing happened to me before a date when a friend with beautiful afro hair recommended a generous handful of pure coconut oil for my straight blonde hair. It definitely showed the date and I weren't compatible when he didn't see the funny side!

Good luck with the interview!

If I was an interviewer I would be unimpressed by having to reschedule - it'd prejudice me against a candidate, however much I tried to put it to one side.

Unless the job was something involving having to look like Cheryl Cole Vaselined hair - or a neat headcovering - wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I'd be more bothered about whether the candidate could answer the interview questions.