Mehendi looks beautiful initially, but as days pass by, the colour fades and it turns into a light orange colour, making you wish the colour just disappears!

Dip and Paste!

Always consult your mehendiwali on how to remove mehendi once it starts fading. Jyoti Chheda, who runs a beauty salon, suggests applying bleach on chemically-treated mehendi. It could be Fem, Jolen or Wella (preferably).

For natural mehendi, Colgate toothpaste also works to an extent.  If you love swimming, take a dip in the pool. Since the chlorine content in the water is high, it helps the colour to fade.

Nisha Bhatia, a beautician with Big Boss Beauty Parlour in Juhu, Mumbai says, "Apply a paste of baking soda powder mixed with lemon on your hands to remove the faded colour. However, this paste can make your hands dry and rough."

To soften your hands, mix half a spoon of honey and glycerine, one spoon curd, one spoon besan or wheat flour and make a paste. Apply it on your hands for 10-15 minutes. Do this at least for a week to remove the colour completely. This paste can also be used to remove haldi stains from the skin.

Painted in Yellow

Pre-wedding rituals such as the haldi or sangeet ceremony can prove to be messy as well. A haldi stain on your designer saree is not what you need.

Haldi or turmeric stains are difficult to remove but not impossible. After washing the stain with soap, 60 % of the stain is removed. Apply talcum powder on the stained area after you have washed it to prevent the stain from getting stronger.

Alternatively, apply a paste of lemon and baking soda on the stained area and wash it off. This will help remove the turmeric stains from the fabric and on your hands. Applying skin bleach also helps.

During the haldi ceremony, ensure that it does not mix with the area where the mehendi is applied. The colour of the mehendi could fade while trying to remove the haldi. Wearing gloves during the ceremony is a good option.

This wedding season, enjoy the get-togetherness, the happiness and the significance of wedding rituals without worrying about stains!