Body · Self-Tan · Sub-chapter 05
Dark ankles, patchy knees, orange palms, a tide-mark at the wrist. Most of these have a fix. Almost none require emergency exfoliation.
58 how-to's · Updated 3 May 2026 · Avg. 4 min per piece · Edited by Nelly · Beauty & Style Director
How DHA colour can be removed
DHA colour develops within the surface stratum corneum. Those cells shed naturally over one to two weeks. Targeted removal works by accelerating that shedding locally: a damp exfoliating mitt, a cotton pad soaked in micellar water, or a mild AHA applied to the problem zone. Widespread panic scrubbing usually creates the bigger problem it was supposed to fix.
Fix by problem type
- Dark ankles — damp mitt immediately post-develop, or AHA after 8+ hrs
- Orange palms — micellar cotton pad immediately, nail-brush on knuckles
- Patchy knees — AHA lotion on zone, then even the surface before re-applying
- Tide marks — circular exfoliation at the exact demarcation line
- Streak lines — perpendicular exfoliation across the streak (not parallel)