Remove Sharpie Ink from Skin

Did your frat buddies draw certain compromising anatomical images on your face while you were asleep on the couch? Did your four-year-old turn himself into an art project just before grandma's 85th birthday party? No matter how the ink ended up on you skin, you can remove and hide it by following the tips and instructions below.

Steps

Quick Methods

  1. Use nail polish remover. Look for a nail polish remover that contains acetone. Put some on a cotton ball and rub it onto the ink to be removed. If on the face, be very careful to avoid getting it too close to your eyes or mouth. [1]
  2. Use rubbing alcohol. This works very similarly to the nail polish remover. Put some on a cotton ball and rub it onto the ink to be removed. If on the face, be very careful to avoid getting it too close to your eyes or mouth.
  3. Use facial cleanser pads. Use pads which include alcohol. Wipe at the affected areas. These will work better if the ink is on your face.
  4. Use baby oil. Use either olive oil or baby oil. Either should help to remove some (but probably not all) of the ink.
  5. Use sugar. You can also use sugar, in combination with any of the above methods, to scrub the area with the ink. This should help remove the dead skin cells which contain some of the ink.

Thorough Method

  1. Take about a tablespoon or so of Tide with Bleach (the powder), or whichever dish soap you happen to have near you. Mix this with some water in a bowl.
  2. Spread a little over the ink spot. Rub with your hand. If you can stand the pain, scrub with steel wool, as this helps a bit.
  3. Scrub a little bit longer, then rinse with water. If ink isn't completely gone, repeat procedure once more.
  4. Keep in mind that it is supposed to be "permanent", so don't expect it to come off completely, but this does work to get it about 50% off. If it's still there, try again the next day. You can save the soap solution if you want to.

After Cleaning

  1. Don’t panic if you cannot remove all of it. As your skin cells die (a very normal, fairly fast process) you should be able to easily scrub and wash off any remaining ink. This should not take more than a few days. In other words, the ink should come off more or less on its own.
  2. Try makeup. If any remaining ink needs to be covered up (for example, your frat buddies wrote racist slurs all over your face and you have an internship interview the next day), try makeup. You’ll need foundation and powder in your skin tone. You can also use Dermablend Cover Crème, which is well known for being able to cover just about anything and is frequently used to cover tattoos.
    • You may need someone a little more experienced to help you apply it if you don’t know how because it is harder than it sounds, but you should be able to cover up any remaining ink with makeup.
  3. Know that you will not get ink poisoning. The idea that you can get ink poisoning from getting ink on your skin is false.[2] Ink poisoning can only result from orally ingesting ink, and then only a great deal of it. Again, don’t panic. If you are very concerned, you can call your local poison hotline.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-sharpie-ink-stains/
  2. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002791.htm

Tips

  • Do not scrub too hard with the steel wool, as this will leave a red mark that is just as noticeable as the ink itself.
  • If these don't work, make a peroxide-dishsoap solution and scrub the area with a sponge. It won't come off completely, but it will fade it's barely noticeable. Also, scrubbing to the point where it hurts a bit won't leave red marks, so long as you don't rub hard continuously and for a long time.

Warnings

  • Do NOT eat Tide or Bleach! It is VERY dangerous. If you do, call poison control! Do not leave it out in reach of kids or pets.

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