Okay, so here's the thing most people don't realize about henna. It's not sitting on top of your skin like a marker, sticker, face paint, or glitter tattoo would.

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It's IN your skin cells.

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That's why we call it a stain.

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It's also why it takes so long to develop a good color: henna causes your skin cells themselves to become darker. And it's also why henna is only one color. The skin cells can only turn one color when exposed to henna.

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As long as those skin cells are on your body, so is the henna design. Anything you do that makes the skin shed faster will cause the design to fade faster. So keep the area warm and dry as much as possible. Some people put vaseline/petrolium jelly or a simple lip gloss overtop of the design before showering to prevent water from reaching the skin, but it's not necessary.

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Putting aside the (unintentionally) racist/classist issue of why people judge henna as "unprofessional" (or worse!) or "not suitable" for women/kids/employees/students (ahem), the short answer is they're out of luck. The henna will fade when it fades.

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Remember: a henna design a reaction between the henna plant and the topmost layer of your skin cells. It's not on top of the skin. It is the skin. You can't remove the stain without... well.

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(By comparison a permanent tattoo is ink that goes just below the top layer so that it doesn't shed off. That's why a tattoo is applied with a needle.)

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That said!​

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If you want the stain to fade faster then you'll want to promote new skin growth so that the old skin cells shed faster. Here are some ways to fade your henna a little faster:

• Stay well-hydrated and stick to a good diet. I know, I know. "Drink water and eat healthy" is such annoying advice. But the things that keep the body healthy, like adequate water and good nutrition, also keep the skin healthy and help it renew itself.

  • NOTE: this does NOT mean that sitting on the sofa and eating junk is a solid plan for keeping your stain longer! ;)

• Use lotion after every time the design comes in contact with water. Personally I really like Gold Bond, but any good lotion will do.

• GENTLY give the area a little extra scrubbing when you wash it. If you scrub too hard you're going to damage your skin. The top layer of skin is there for a reason! You're trying to encourage it to grow normally, not give yourself a rash or an infection. Go easy with the exfoliating.

• Pool water and ocean water can cause a design to fade a little faster. (By, like, maybe a day max. Don't marinate in the pool thinking it'll cause the design to go away, okay? Marinate in the pool because you like the pool.)

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So the moral of the story is: enjoy your new henna design! And if you want it gone faster, treat yourself well. Eat some fruit. Go for a long swim. Use the fun lotion. But most of all don't fret too much. Henna fades in a week in most cases, and you'd be astonished how many starchy little old ladies absolutely love seeing henna. (No seriously. My 90+ year old Gram rocks henna at bingo. She's a superstar.)

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1. Henna itself has a grassy smell. Henna paste often also contains things like lavender or eucalyptus, which help bring out the color. You probably noticed those smells when you were getting your design. A lot of times that smell hangs around a little on your skin, especially if you're taking good care of the stain.

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2. As the henna reacts with your skin, it releases a slight odor. Most people never notice unless it's very close to their nose. But if you're sensitive to smells and wondering why the heck your arm smells funny, that's why. It's the henna at work. It'll last a day or two, and stop once the stain is as dark as it's going to get.

No worries, drop me a line! I'm always happy to answer any questions I can.

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Here are some ways to reach me:​