The extravagant traditions, a host of relatives, grand gastronomic spreads — the list goes on! Mine was one of those big fat Indian weddings that included all of these! And with traditions comes the ritual of decorating the hands with mehendi. Everything seemed great until after I was married, and my new husband and I were venturing out for our first holiday together – our honeymoon. Suddenly it struck me: how would I dress in all of that hand-picked beachwear with Mehendi adorning my limbs? And mind you! The color was fantastic when it was done, but it had begun to fade and blotch six days into the wedding, and it was not the prettiest sight! I knew something had to be done, and my mehendi problem had to be tackled, so I took it to my best friend, Google. These are some really amazing methods I found and tried. And they worked! Now, when I look back at the photographs and look for the almost negligent color of henna, I can’t help but smile. My experience moved me to put together this list for all the brides with mehendi concerns. I hope these tricks help you as much as they helped me. Read on…
How To Remove Mehendi?
Given here are the 11 easy mehendi removal techniques:
1. Cleansing Regularly With Antibacterial Soap
Washing your hands is one of the best habits you can cultivate, especially if you want your mehendi to fade off soon. What You Need To Do Wash your hands with an antibacterial soap from time to time. It is the most convenient (but slow) method of mehendi removal. How Often You Must Do It For best results, make sure you wash your hands once every hour, or about 10-12 times a day until your mehendi fades away. Why It Works Antibacterial soaps are slightly harsh, and they also exhibit exfoliating properties. This will erode the color and help remove it faster than usual. Caution Washing your hands often could make your hands dry since mehendi already makes your skin extremely dry. Make sure you moisturize your hands well if you adopt this method of removal.
2. A Salt Water Soak
Salt is known to reduce pain/impurities and cleanse your body, thoroughly and naturally. What You Need To Do How Often You Must Do It For best results, make sure you soak your hands in salt water once every day, until the color completely fades away. Why It Works Salt is a powerful cleanser, and it will make the color diffuse in water, thus gradually fading the stain. Caution Long periods of soaking can make your skin shrivel and extremely dry. So don’t forget to use an emollient to follow up the soak.
3. Scrub Using A Face Exfoliator
Are you the one who is wondering on how to remove henna from hands quickly? Then exfoliation is the key to remove henna as soon as you possibly can. So it is a good idea to use your face scrub to do it. What You Need To Do Gently massage your hands with your favorite exfoliator for about two to three minutes. How Often You Must Do It Do it every day until your mehendi fades away. Why It Works The beads present in the scrub gently remove the stain molecules, causing the mehendi to fade away. Caution It is best to do an allergy test before you use an exfoliator. Be gentle. If you rub too vigorously, you might end up bruising yourself. Remember, you will see the mehendi fade to a large extent, but it will not vanish.
4. Warm Water Rinse
Warm water is another amazing remedy for a host of different problems. Whether it is to heal excruciating pains or to cleanse intensely, warm water does its job well. What You Need To Do This procedure will not remove the mehendi stains instantly, but it will definitely hasten the process. How Often You Must Do It For best results, soak your hands in warm water only once a day. You could wash your hands with warm water two to three times a day. Why It Works Warm water will loosen the henna particles, making it extremely easy to remove when you scrub your hands. Caution Make sure the water isn’t too hot, else you will end up burning your hands. Also, be gentle with the loofah. You don’t want to hurt yourself. Moisturize your hands thoroughly after you have soaked them to avoid dry skin.
5. A Vigorous Massage With Olive Oil
Olive oil is a miracle oil, and one of its significant benefits is that it helps in the removal of mehendi. The best part is, this one has no side effects. What You Need To Do How Often You Must Do It For best results, you could repeat this procedure many times in a day. Why It Works Olive oil works as an excellent emulsifier for henna stains. It is also the simplest and gentlest method of removing mehendi stains.
6. Bleaching The Color With Lime
Lime or lemon is another cleansing agent that has many uses and benefits. It is also a great ingredient when you want to remove your mehendi. What You Need To Do There are two approaches to this technique. You can either squeeze out the lemons and rub the juice directly on your hands, or soak your hands in water and squeeze out the lemon juice in the bowl of water. How Often You Must Do It For best results, use this technique once or twice a day. Why It Works Lemon and lime are known to be bleaching agents. The juice of either of them will bleach the color effectively. Caution Make sure your hands are free of cuts or nicks. Even if you have a small, negligible cut, the lemon juice will make the wound hurt. Also, don’t forget to moisturize well once you finish the procedure.
7. Using A Toothpaste Pack
Yes, you use it to brush your teeth, but you will be surprised to know that toothpaste works extremely well as a cleansing agent to clean your jewelry, remove certain stubborn stains, and even to quickly remove the mehendi on your hands. What You Need To Do All you need to do is to apply generous amounts of toothpaste wherever the mehendi stains are. Allow it to dry, and then rub your hands to remove the color. How Often You Must Do It This method of removal is extremely effective, so you should get the best results the first time you try it. But, in case it doesn’t work, you can try it again after giving a day’s gap. Why It Works Toothpaste has abrasives and detergents that pull out the stains and lighten the mehendi. Caution Do a patch test before you use it to check for allergic reactions. Also, toothpaste can be harsh on your skin, so don’t forget to moisturize once you finish the procedure. [ Read: Tried And Tested Tips To Make Mehndi Dark ]
8. A Baking Powder Solution
Baking soda, like the products mentioned above, is extremely versatile and is handy to solve a wide range of problems. And it is exceedingly effective in mehendi removal. What You Need To Do How Often You Must Do It You should get great results in one go, but you can repeat this process if necessary. Why It Works Baking soda and lime are both bleaching agents and stain removers, so they work in removing the mehendi particles from within. Caution Baking soda is very harsh on your skin. Hence, it might be a good idea to use this technique only if all else fails, and only if the removal is absolutely urgent. If you must use baking soda for henna removal, make sure you moisturize your skin thoroughly after.
9. Using A Bleach To Remove The Stains
Bleaching is the most common and effective method of removing mehendi. What You Need To Do How Often You Must Do It Bleach is also harsh on the skin, so try this procedure only once. You should be able to see great results. Why It Works Bleach contains abrasives that remove and nullify any colorant. It works the same way with mehendi and successfully removes the color. Caution It is advisable to do a patch test and check for allergic reactions before you use this technique. You should be warned that bleach causes a burning, itchy sensation, even if you are not allergic to it. Avoid sun exposure immediately after you bleach your hands. And don’t forget to moisturize.
10. Using A Hydrogen Peroxide Rub
Hydrogen peroxide is a non-toxic, benign solution that is easily available at most drug stores. What You Need To Do How Often You Must Do It You will see instant results, so it is best to use this technique only once. Why It Works Hydrogen peroxide also contains bleaching agents that successfully work in removing organic stains. Caution This technique does not work for all skin types. So do a patch test first before applying it on your entire hand.
11. Eroding The Color With Chlorine
Going for a swim when you are desperate to get that mehendi off your hands might be a good idea – no kidding! What You Need To Do Of course, you could go for a swim to use the chlorine water removal technique. If not, just buy some chlorine from your local chemist and soak your hands in its solution for about 20 minutes. You will notice the mehendi lighten, almost magically. How Often You Must Do It This method also offers great results, so you might not need to repeat it. But if you have to, do it once every day until your mehendi completely fades away. Why It Works Chlorine is an amazing disinfectant and is one of the most advanced halogens of the century. When it comes in contact with the mehendi stains, it causes certain reactions that help fade the color away. Caution You must definitely do a patch test and check for allergic reactions before you try this technique. If it works for you, make sure you moisturize your hands well after you use it. Does nail polish remover remove henna? Anecdotal evidence suggests that nail polish remover can be used to fade henna stains that appear on the nails. Can sanitizer remove mehendi? You may be able to remove mehendi stains using large amounts of hand sanitizer. You need to let the sanitizer sit on the skin for a while before rubbing it off with a ball of cotton soaked in warm water. Can Tiger Balm remove henna? No. Tiger Balm and similar ointments are used as a way to darken henna stains. They cannot remove henna.
