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bottle of ink image by Alfonso d'Agostino from Fotolia.com

India ink is a dense, carbon-based permanent ink often used in pen drawings. Amateurs sometimes use India ink as a replacement for henna when drawing temporary tattoos on themselves or their friends. Because of the density of India ink, these tattoos can be tricky to remove. With a few household products and a bit of scrubbing, however, you should be able to remove your temporary tattoo.

Scrub the tattooed area with warm water and a rough abrasive soap made with volcanic pumice. Mechanics use this kind of soap to remove grease and oil.

Rub vegetable shortening on any ink that remains on your body and use a paper towel or rag to wipe it off.

Wet a cotton ball with nail polish remover and use it to dab at and wipe away any remaining ink. Wash your hands with regular soap and water afterward.

Tip

Permanent India ink tattoos, made by injecting ink below the skin with a needle, can't be removed except through laser tattoo removal.