How to remove sleep study goop from hair

After my diagnostic sleep study a few weeks ago, I came out with the glue totally stuck to my head. I used the shampoo they provided in the shower at the sleep center. Didn't even dent it. Did two more shampoos. Went home and shampooed 6 more times. Still found bits of it later on.

So, when I went back for my titration, I asked beforehand how to remove it.

1. Water as hot as you can stand.
2. Conditoner - put it on and let it sit a few minutes
3. Finish with Dawn dishwashing liquid.

It worked!

I have no idea why they don't put this into their instructions.

It's a good thing I am retired and didn't have to go right to work after my sleep studies cause I looked like I had been shot in the head or in a car wreck. I have short blonde hair and I am on aspirin therapy, so I bleed easily. After scraping my scalp to glue the thingys on, I had bloody stripes all thru my hair the next morning plus the glue. It was pretty scary looking! Hot water and shampoo took care of the glue.

gasp wrote:

Muse-Inc wrote:

Emilia wrote:...Dawn dishwashing detergent!! That is what my sleep tech told me to use and she was right!!

Next PSG, I'll try Dawn...thanks! Lost way too much of my hair with that gritty crud...and warm water didn't help one iota.

Coconut oil - then lots of shampoo

I'll give that a try next PSG, as that's all I cook with I've got plenty.

I was advised to first use cream rinse and work it through my scalp and hair. Then shampoo as usual, adding a small amount of cream rinse at the end.

Not even a little glue was left.

Wow!! My sleep techs told me to use nail polish remover!!!!! Uh, NO!! That's what they were using down there and my head felt like it was on fire..bad enough I told them to stop as it was burning! Not one word of "do this, use that"...just...nail polish remover!! I came home and shampooed, putting shampoo directly onto the particularly annoying spots...what didn't come off I let wear off!! It was summer so I didn't have to work!!

what's wrong with goop?

Sorry if this has already been answered. The white goop is either Elefix or 10-20 Conductive Paste. Lots of hot soapy water and scrubbing will get it out.

If they dried glue to your scalp, then they used Collodion. That comes out with Acetone. If you have nail polish remover around, just wet a cloth with that and wipe it your. Even then, small flakes will remain and you'll need to use a fine tooth comb to get those out. Alcohol works okay as well, but not nearly as good as Acetone.

If Collodion was used....Yeah!!! Crappy labs just cake on the paste. What they don't realize is that it causes salt bridging between the EEG electrodes and your sleep study looks like absolute garbage. Collodion is an absolute pain in the whoo-ha (for everyone), but it is imperative for quality sleep studies.

In the morning the night techs may mutter "polish remover..." Give'em a break. They've been up for 13 hours working the night shift.

Sheriff Buford wrote:what's wrong with goop?

Nothing, I evened mine out over my head and left the lab with great new hairstyle

I eventually got it out with regular shampoo water as hot as I could stand it

Well, seing as I am a male I had my brother cut my hair short very short, so that the goop would not be a bother and the tape that they used would not pull my hair out by the roots.

my sleep room had a shower in it so I took a hot shower and used shampoo which took it out just fine.

I just had a sleep study done two days ago. I was told to put conditioner in my hair, massage it for a few minutes, and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. After this I rinsed out the conditioner, then shampooed and conditioned my hair like normal. It worked great and got all the adhesive out!

My sleep test tech used the paste on my head. So based on the feedback above (thanks all) I rinsed with hot hot water for 5+ minutes. Then I used a fine-tooth comb thru my hair to break up anything. I then soaked my hair with a creme rinse, combed it out and repeat. Perfect, nothing left in my hair. Thanks all.

I have looooong hair, so long i can sit on it. I had the sticky glob type of glue that felt like I had bubblegum in my hair. the tech girl told me to use dishsoap (because the glue is oil based) and very hot water. I soaked each glue clump in about 1tsp of dawn dishsoap picking out as much of the clump with my fingernails. I then wet down my hair in super hot water almost burning my back. I washed it with aprox 1/4 cup of dawn letting it soak for a short while then rinsed in very hot water. I then conditioned with lots of conditioner. rinsing with cool water. I felt a slight residue in the hair where the glue was but once it all dried don't feel anything.
Good Luck!

Mayonnaise, not fat free & not salad dressing, but mayo with the highest fat content you can find. My dad was a hairdresser, this was his go-to trick to get anything out of hair. I used it after each of my sleep studies.

Massage the mayo into each glob of paste, let it set a few minutes, then run hot water over that, repeat if necessary, then shampoo & condition as normal. If you have oily hair, just follow with shampoo, mayo is a natural conditioner for hair & skin.

Mayo is basically fat - oil & eggs blended at high speed creates mayonnaise.

I was told by the tech who did my test to use conditioner, let it sit then add shampoo. After adding shampoo use a wide tooth comb to remove almost all of the goo. I washed my hair agian and used a finer tooth comb to get the rest of the goo out.