How to avoid a can of hairspray from dispensing in luggage?

Tap the cap and put it in a zip lock freezer bag. We put anything that is prone to leaking into zip lock freezer bags. Freezer bags are a heavier weight than typical sandwich bag. And if really worried, double bag it.

Buy hairspray when you reach your destination and throw it away before you return home, or use pump spray and put it in a plastic bag.

I ried putting it in a plastic ziplock and the entire can emptied and leaked into the luggage and on my clothes. As far as purchasing when I get there, that does not always work. I had to walk 2 miles to a small supermarket in Barcelona to purchase a can. Wasted a lot of time. Pharmacies do not carry hairspray.

Good grief...you basically shot down each of the good suggestions you asked for and then added a complaint about walking and pharmacies. Why wouldn't a small pump spray bottle filled from home work for you? You would still have the added protection of having it in a Ziploc bag. When I'm traveling with companions that use hairspray, that's what they do.

Being bald, I'm not an expert in this area, but it's hard to believe that Europeans don't use hair spray. It also seems possible to celebrate the upcoming multi-thousand $ trip with a new, easy hair style.

If a zip lock bag doesn't work, I don't think taping the cap will. Pressure will break the seal.

Tresamme and other hair product lines make an airplane/tsa size hairspray that you can carry on in your quart plastic bag. If your problem has occurred when you have put it in your checked bag, it may have more to do with the cabin pressure. I've not had any problems bringing it in my carry on - and it may come in handy if there are snakes on the plane :-).

What do men know? Okay ladies, I cannot be the only one this has happened to. In fact my daughter had the same problem. We have put it in the checked luggage. A small pump or travel size does not do the trick for a 2 week trip and besides, my husband is not happy about trying to find a store that sells hairspray. Unfortunately I have unruly hair and desparately need this hairspray to keep my hair looking nice. Hair is everything guys, to women at least.

Oh did I tell you that I ran into Rick in Positano a few years back. We took a photo together which I keep on my desk at work. Everyone thinks he is my husband because they do not know who Rick Steves is?

So, what's your question? Do you want another suggestion? No, you didn't tell us about meeting Rick in any of your previous posts.

It's the cabin pressure then. Since you are checking your bags, leave more room in your carry on quart size bag for 3 oz hairspray cans/pumps. If your husband is coming along, have him bring some of the travel size spray in his carry on as well if two 3 oz cans aren't enough. Honestly, I've never had this problem with hairspray and 3 oz has been plenty. I had trouble with liquids leaking in checked luggage in the past - and learned I needed to leave room for expansion. When I fill my plastic tube or container, I don't fill it to the top, I leave room. Since doing this - no problems at all.

Patty, Are you using soft-sided luggage? It's hard to believe that the Hairspray is still leaking after taping the cap in place, and putting the can inside a zip-lok bag. This is what I'd do in the same situation.... > Securely tape the cap in place. Normally the spray button can NOT be depressed with the cap on. > Vacuum seal the spray can inside a plastic bag. With the air removed from the bag, it will allow more room for expansion if the can does leak due to pressure changes (or whatever). > Place that bag inside a heavy duty zip-lok freezer bag having a double seal. This won't be as much of a concern on the trip home, as the Hair Spray will mostly be used by that point, so just the one heavy duty zip-lok bag should suffice. Cheers!

The best hairspray on the planet is L'Oreal's Elnet and for years it was ONLY available in Europe. So you can find hairspray in Europe. Most likely in pharmacies. That said, is there any hairspray that comes with a screw top as opposed to a pop off cap? With cabin pressure in planes aerosol cans often leak. As OP's have noted zip lock bags are your best option for salvaging your clothes. There are BIG Zip Lock Bags with double zippers. Bigger than you need but.....

Buy a can at the airport when you arrive. Easy-peasy. No fuss, no muss.

It has been my experience that hairspray was not sold in airports. I feel your pain, Patty! I take the tiny cans of hairspray since I am doing carryon only, then I have to search for a BIG can on arrival to deal with my thin, baby-fine hair! In Amsterdam I found a store in the train station at which I bought the hairspray, big bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

Personally I am not buying it. It would take several minutes to discharge a large bottle of hair spray. Somehow you have have to keep pressure on the value the entire time. I could see small amounts being discharged if the luggage was bounced around some but a whole can?

Patty, I held off posting a reply at first, because most of the early replies seemed to be on target, BUT.......... Since you explained you need a two-week supply, okay, I now understand that could take four little 3 oz bottles. Here's what to do: Go to Walgreens (they have to be in your city...they are everywhere) and buy two bottles of pump-style White Rain unscented hairspray.....they are regular-size bottles, not travel-sized. They will cost you about $1 (yes that's right) per bottle. They are not your regular hairspray, and but they will "do" for two weeks. I use Mink unscented aerosol usually, and yes, it is hard to find hairspray in places in Europe without going on a major hunt (which you won't want to do). And "mystery brand" hairspray can be gawd-awful sometimes. Put the two pump bottles in double-zip lock bags each, then put both of the double-zip lock bags into one big zip-lock.........so you have three levels of protection. If those leak, with no pressure in these bottles, with three levels of zip-lock protection, then God will be sending you a message get a really short haircut........LOL. Okay, put them into two double big zip locks...for four levels of protection, just for giggles and grins. If this suggestion does not do it ---------- I think we all need to just give up. If your hair is long enough to put it in a bun or wear a ponytail (or hide it under a hat), do that during the day....then shower again and fix up prior to dinner, if you need to. Once I put a hat on for the day (which I wear almost always when touring), "hat-hair" results........hairspray only makes "hat hair" worse........LOL.

Wear a scarf or hat!

Having big, long blonde hair and being mildly high maintenance, I am quite qualified to answer your question. I have had hairspray and nail polish leak all over my stuff on several occasions. I have found only 1 hairspray that doesn't leak and it's the best one on the market too: Sebastian Zero Gravity. It's an aerosol and $16 a can but worth it's weight in gold. A can lasts me a month so I imagine it would last a normal person several months. I have no idea why it doesn't leak like the rest do, but in over 20+ trips, no issues. Ulta sells it. I still haven't found that non exploding nail polish yet. Have fun!

Exploding nail polish? That's a new one for me, and I'm a nail polish user....even take the little remover pads when flying, as I do only carry-on nowadays.

My mildly high maintenance self can't do just a carry on so the exploding nail polish happens in baggage hold. If I have room, I have wisely learned to throw it in a ziploc in my carry on. A couple of weeks ago, I had one 'burp' nail polish all over a (thankfully) newspaper when I unscrewed the lid. Just another item that doesn't handle pressure changes well. You can find hairspray in Europe, but nail polish, no way (yes I know you can find it in some places although usually in ghastly rainbow colors). They aren't big on it at all.

Dear Frank - Why would I lie. It happened twice to me and once to my daughter. We started to think that maybe someone is opening our luggage and purposely discharging the spray.

Leslie - I will try to find the Sebastian spray and double bag in ziploc, but as I stated to Frank, maybe someone is purposely discharging the entire can. There was not a drop left all the times it happened. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. They were really appreciated.

Since some posters are questioning the likelihood of hairspray leaking/exploding/whatever in checked baggage, the doubters (and Patty) might find the following of interest: I Googled Sebastian Zero Gravity Hairspray (just because I had never heard of it), which Leslie suggested. Found it at Amazon and CVS (oddly,Leslie, I could not find it at the vendor you suggested, so maybe they have stopped stocking it....but doesn't matter). What I found INTERESTING is that for CVS.com there was a bold red note under the product that it could NOT be shipped by air.................very interesting...............I did not take the time to see if that red note was under all their aerosol hair spray products, but I'm guessing the vendor has a reason for putting it there. www.cvs.com if anyone cares to check.

It isn't on purpose unless that's a common fetish with TSA agents. It's actually quite common just like the exploding nail polish. It has to do with the pressure on the gases. With hairspray, the pressure causes a sieve of sorts in the applicator stem so it leaks until there's nothing left. It's not just you being targeted or bad karma :) Here's to many great hair days on vacation!

Margaret,
It's a flammable good so it has to be shipped ground. It's another one of those EPA restrictions that doesn't match travel patterns or posted anywhere. Trust me on that part. I got to split a $40K fine for shipping some mild chemicals to the Caribbean. No, it wasn't a meth lab, it was for my business :).

Margaret, that is not due to the brand but the form. I think all aerosols are banned from air freight by ups, fedex, etc. Probably because...they leak or explode? So, I think we've solved the leaking issue-lots of ziploc bags, etc. But even if it doesn't leak all over your clothes, what good is an emptied can of hairspray?

Leslie/Karen, yep, you are correct. Before I saw your new posts, I had checked the TSA web site to see what it said about aerosol (flammable, as hair spray is), and none were allowed in checked baggage unless small quantities for personal hygiene or toiletries, etc. So that makes sense that shippers can't ship a case or two of the stuff or even a single can (as it is not for the personal use of someone flying on that plane). Fascinating the stuff we learn on this help site :) I do plan to try your hairspray, too. Frank, back in my corporate days, one of my staff members had a can of "spray mount" (glue spray used for posting ad slicks, etc. on posterboard) leak/explode or whatever on the plane............again back in the good ole days, when just about anything could be checked or taken on a plane.

Patty: I'm reiterating my suggestion that you get 4 small carry on hair spray cans and you make your husband put two in his 1 quart bag since he does not want to allow you to stop and pick some up when you arrive. If he doesn't want to help then he must allow you time for shopping on arrival. Divided among 2 bags, TSA may not be so concerned about the potential for harm. If you did see "Snakes on a Plane" (I know, I know, hardly intelluctual material), they were able to use carry on hairspray as an aerosol flame thrower. Aerosols and flames can be a dangerous mix - really. Aerosols are a dangerous item and FAA or the airline or another country's form of TSA may not allow it in your checked luggage. There is much fascinating stuff on what is a dangerous item in the eyes of the FAA and airlines, but not in the eyes of TSA - for instance, some airlines will only allow a butane haircurler in your carry on and no butane refills. You are not allowed to bring a butane hair curler into Switzerland at all. MRE's are not allowed on the plane at all because the rapid rise in temperature and the fact they can become so hot when mishandled that it can cause burns for the luggage handlers or for others on the plane (caused from severe turbulence). They are forbidden in carry on or checked bags. No self stricking matches are allowed in carry on or checked. I just don't think that you can prevent the hairspray from spilling out when it is in your checked luggage. I think you have 2 choices - carry on or go shopping. Good luck.

In the larger cities, I've always found European stores pretty well stocked with cosmetics and hair products and many of the brands are similar to what's available here. Maybe you can use Google Maps before you leave to pinpoint a store that is closer to your hotel than 2 miles so you can buy a can when you arrive. What kind of "unruly hair" are you talking about? Frizzy? Static/flyaway? Really curly? Maybe there is an alternate product besides hairspray that will travel well and make your hair behave. For example, I have dry hair and in the winter hats and dry air cause static electricity flyaways. At home, I'll hit it with a little hairspray. But when I travel a 3oz canister or pump hairspray takes up too much room in my cosmetics bag, so I pack a small amount of Redken Butter Treat leave-in conditioner which fixes the hair. MakeupAlley.com is also a good place to ask your question on their haircare board.

Hey, I'm from Texas - Land Of Big Hair - and don't go through that much hairspray LOL! I ALWAYS wrap my spray bottle of hairspray (and nail polish) in a paper towel - it's notorious for leaking. I suggest you do the same. Bring extra towels...And I do mean wrap - lay it diagonally across the towel, then start rolling; when you get halfway through, fold the ends of the towel over the ends of the bottle and keep rolling. You want the entire thing covered! Then double-bag the whole thing in plastic zippered bags. THEN (!), use rubber bands (no shifting) to keep the towel on the bottle. I put the bottle in a single or double bag until I'm through with security, then wrap it up for the big trip in the sky (or even through the mountain pass). Since my bottle is only 2 or 3oz, the whole shebang fits into 2 snack-size bags or so. Other items that 'burp' - lip gloss, anything in a tube (hand lotion, etc.). Be Very Careful that first time opening them. Unless you really like pink lip gloss on your shirt...

Never thought I would get so many responses about my hair. Thanks Diane for explaining fully the issue. I now have a better understanding why this is happening. Thanks Ceidleh - Thank you for the google tip. I can probably google the shops at the airport and go right to the store when we arrive without spending too much time. I will also get a few 3oz travel size to carry on board. Also thank you for the tip regarding makeupalley.com. I had never heard of this. In regard to what type of hair I have, it is very fine, although I have a lot of it. It is poker straight so I must use a curling iron to give it some body. If the weather is bad, it goes completely flat and I look like I never styled it. I also use a pomaide (?) to give it texture. Thanks again for all your help. Problem solved.

Just wanted to note on your "What do men know?" comment, I am a woman! Devon can be both male and female. Good luck, I think that buying it over there is the best way to get good quality aerosol hairspray (my hair doesn't enjoy the pump hairspray so I understand that). Like you said, if you have a location mapped out, it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience and hopefully you have an understanding husband that would be okay with it.

I've never taken hairspray with me, regardless of size. Plus I was under the impression that aerosols were a huge NO-NO! I have always found hairspray wherever I travelled to. Typically I have to maybe wait a day or two before stumbling upon it because I tend to not make it a priority. Everything I ever needed was always available at supermarkets or pharmacies. Seriously, in many cases the products were better than what we get here. Leaking like you explained on so many occasions must have been a sign to leave the darn thing back home. Oh, and am a girl with a daughter and we both need stuff to make our hair look good...and we manage to leave those aerosol cans where they belong...at home :-)

Patty, All this posting reminded me that when my two sisters and I were girls Mom would Frech Braid our hair in two braids each every morning. To keep the short ends in the braids she would use sugar water which she would make about once a week and keep in the refrigerator between braidings. It took 30 minutes every morning to do all three of us. I wonder if such a thing would work with you. You could take packets of sugar and mix it with water every morning to dip the comb in to put it on your hair. The packets of sugar could be put in a plastic bag (doubled for secureness but probably not necessary. Sticky sugar on clothes is easier to wash out than sticky hair spray I think. You might want to try it at home to see if it does for you. I think it would if you put your hair in any soirt of braids, or a Frech Roll, or bun or whatever. I hope one of the suggestions given you would work. It doesn't matter if it's mine or someone elses.

If it is an aerosol can my understanding is that it is prohibited from both carry on and packed luggage. That being said all of my liquids and semi liquids get double or tripled bagged.

Ed, that was my understanding also. Am surprised that they're still being taken on board. Buying local is not that expensive and it's a lot of fun to see and try brands we don't have.

Patty - I use hairspray religiously (I must not use that much though). 1-2 small (2oz.) containers last me 2-4 weeks when traveling... I have never had any leak in my carry on or checked bags. As for the aerosols, you can bring medications and a limited amount of toiletries (don't remember the allowance but I thought it was generous). Except for medications, in order to be carried on they must be in the 100 ml/3.4oz. allowable containers. Here's the information from the tsa.gov website. I'm not sure if there are restrictions in other countries but I've never had a problem... Under Prohibited Items:
'Aerosol (any except for personal care or toiletries in limited quantities)'

Traveling is a time to get out of our daily routines and habits. My wife won't throw away the empty Italian toothpaste tube and still uses the nail polish remover.

I buy travel-size cans and place them in my liquid bag in my carryon bag. I toss each one as it's empty. For me it's about one small can per week.
Otherwise, I would put the can in two zip-lock bags inside my checked luggage, but you sure waste a lot of hairspray that way.