Talk of body art to an Indian woman and the first thing that comes to her mind is mehendi. Applying mehendi on your hands and feet is now a fashion and a large number of mehendi designs are available. It looks ridiculously beautiful but the real problem chips in when you want to remove it completely. It stays on your skin and nails for about few weeks before it slowly fades away. But sometimes they take too long to fade away.
Then there are some simple methods to speed up the process of fading:
Bleaching is the most common and effective method of removing henna tattoo. Take regular bleach, (one that is used for face and hands) and apply it on the mehendi. Rinse your hands completely as soon as it dries. You can also dip your hand in cold water post this method. This will fade the colour greatly.
Make a thick paste using baking soda and lemon juice. Spread the paste over henna and leave it for 10 minutes. When it dries completely, exfoliate your hand using a soft loofah, rubbing in circular motion. Then rinse your hand under warm water. Repeat this process if necessary. Apply a proper hand moisturizer after completing the process as this paste can dry out your hands completely.
Take some chlorine in a small bowl and add some hot water to it. Dip your hands in this solution for 2 to 3 minutes. You will witness some irritation and itchiness but it will vanish soon and will help fade the mehendi as well.
Hydrogen peroxide is also useful in removing henna from your hands. This is a non-toxic and mild liquid that you will get from a drug store. It may not be beneficial for all types of skin. So, it is better you conduct a patch test before you use it on your entire hand for removing henna. To remove henna, all you have to do is to dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and rub it gently on your hands. Leave it for a while and you will see that the colour of the henna starts fading.
Hair conditioners may also be used to remove henna from your hands. Pour some hair conditioner on your hands and rub your hands well. This can remove henna effectively.
Rub the henna stain with a loofah during your daily shower. The use of a loofah is a slow removal process, and rubbing it over your skin removes all traces of the henna.
Using olive oil is one of the most simple and gentle ways to remove henna from your hands and feet. Olive oil acts as an emulsifier and helps in removing henna. Take olive oil in a small cotton ball and swipe it over your hands well. Mixing a little salt with olive oil makes the process of henna removal faster. Leave the oil on your hands for about 10 minutes, so that the oil penetrates in to the skin. Continue doing this at intervals of a few hours. Gradually the henna will start fading away. Since olive oil is a good moisturizer, this process is safe and do not dry or harm your hands in any way.
You can also use toothpaste for removing henna from your nails. Apply tooth paste on your nails and gently brush the nails to exfoliate and wait till it dries up before you rinse off.
NOTE: Do not be harsh and rough with your skin as it might irritate the skin and cause peeling.