Many women exfoliate the night before getting mehndi. You can use a loofah to do this. It is also suggested that you shave or wax the area you intend to paint (if it is a hairy area). Hair removal is not a necessity; it is just that the henna sometimes stains better on hairless skin. It is also important to moisturize the area very well. Do this about a week in advance of being painted, but not on the same day you are being painted.

Beyond prepping your skin, you will have to make some other arrangements before being painted with henna. If you plan to be painted on the insides of your hands, you can forget about using them for much of anything until after you have scrapped off the dried paste. Many Eastern women actually fast the night before being painted so they will not have to use the bathroom. You do not need to go to that extreme, but if you plan to get henna on the palms of you hands, make sure that you will not be driving, cutting up food, washing dishes, or whatever else you usually do with your hands. It helps if you treat the time you have henna on your hands as a short vacation. Think of it as time for you and only you. It also helps to have a person you are really close with around to assist you, like a boyfriend, a sister, or your mom. The next time, they can get henna painted on them and receive royal treatment from you!

Don’t forget that you can paint yourself, too! You can either paint one hand at a time or paint you feet. It is a little tricky to do this, but it gets easier with practice. Most people think mehndi is more fun when it is shared.