Many people are keen on showing their uniqueness and individuality. Some achieve that by wearing unusual clothes or having their hair cut or done in an extraordinary fashion. Others pierce their body or have a super bright makeup. One of the ways to express yourself is also with a tattoo. Not all are so bold as to have a permanent ink design on their arms or chest, though. For them, there’s a good alternative: a henna tattoo, which is temporary and fades away in a natural way. The best thing about a tattoo like that is that you can painlessly remove it if you no longer want it on your body. While no single product exists to make henna disappear from the skin in an instant, you can use simple household items for the purpose. In this post, we describe several simple methods to get rid of henna tattoos using things found in every home.
Facts about henna tattoos
First, here is some information to give you a general idea of henna and henna art.
Origin. Henna is a natural brown dye produced from the henna plant leaves.
History. The art of making henna tattoos, called mehndi, dates back to the times of ancient Egypt – around 3,000 B.C. and is still popular in many cultures and countries, India in particular.
Use. Two main areas of henna application are drawing tattoos and dyeing hair (this use is actually recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Application methods. Henna paste can be applied to the skin using bare fingers or a special stencil.
How long it stays on the skin. Henna becomes dark after two days and naturally grows increasingly lighter until it finally vanishes in two weeks on average. If the person with a tattoo avoids exposing it to water, henna artists say, the fading period may last up to six weeks.
How it penetrates the skin. When henna is applied to the skin, it gets into its top layer and stays there.
Getting rid of henna tattoos with household items
Now, you know that your henna tattoo will disappear by itself in a couple of weeks, but you suddenly want another design on the same part of your body and don’t wish to wait. While instantly removing henna tattoos is not possible, you can still get rid of them fairly quickly using simple things you should have in your house or apartment.
Loofah/washcloth
The first method is to put some body scrub on a loofah/washcloth every time you are in the bathroom in the morning and gently rub the place with the tattoo. This is not the quickest way, but it will eventually make every bit of henna ink disappear from your skin.
Hydrogen peroxide
- Pour some hydrogen peroxide on a piece of medical cotton.
- Move the cotton over the tattoo in circular movements. Don’t press too hard. Soon, you will notice that the ink has started to look paler.
- Continue rubbing. The tattoo should disappear completely after some time.
Note that although peroxide contains no toxic substances, it may still cause an allergy with some people. So, put a peroxide-soaked cotton on the back of a hand first to make sure you’re not allergic.
Lemon juice plus baking soda
- Make a paste-like mixture of lemon juice and baking soda in a cup or another container.
- Put a spoonful of the paste on the henna design and wait for around half an hour.
- Take a washcloth and rub it against the tattoo until the paste is gone.
The lemon juice in combination with baking soda reduces the level of moisture in the skin. The skin that is not moist loses its layers more easily and quickly.
Salt and olive oil/baby oil
- Make a mixture of olive/baby oil and any kind of salt (equal amounts)
- Take a piece of medical cotton and dip it into the mixture
- Put the cotton on the tattoo and wait for around a quarter of an hour
- Dip the cotton into the mixture again
- Move the cotton over the tattoo in circular movements
- Wash the tattoo with warm water and soap
Soap with antibacterial properties
There’s probably no simpler way to remove henna tattoos than this one. Just purchase a bar of soap that kills bacteria and wash the place with the tattoo with this soap every fifteen minutes throughout the day.
Soaking the tattoo (hand or foot) in salt water
- Pour warm water into a bowl or tub
- Put bath salt into the water – around one fourth of a cup
- Soak the hand or foot with the tattoo in the water for around 25 minutes. While a part of your body is in the water, rub the tattoo with a washcloth in gentle circular movements.
Toothpaste
However surprising it may sound, some experts also recommend removing henna tattoos with an ordinary toothpaste.
- Squeeze some toothpaste on the tattoo
- Wait until the paste gets dry
- Rub the tattoo gently with a washcloth
- Wash the tattoo with warm water
You can use one of the simple methods described above or their combination. If the tattoo is still visible on your body, consider masking it.
