Dark Underarms

Dark underarms are very common but can make you too embarrassed to raise your arms or wear sleeveless clothing. The dark color of the underarms is more noticeable in people with fair skin than in those with dark complexion. Several factors cause your armpits to become dark. Learn what those causes are in order to treat and prevent the problem properly.

Causes of Dark Underarms

– Constant contact with clothes: Constant rubbing against tight clothing irritates your underarms and turn them dark.

– Shaving: The friction of the blade’s edge against your skin causes it to darken. Excessive shaving can also thicken the hair. Your armpits will look dark when the thick hair comes near the surface of the skin and when you have ingrown hair.

– Chemicals: Some deodorants and hair removal creams contain alcohol, harsh chemicals, and perfumes which irritate and burn the skin, resulting in discoloration of the skin.

– Poor hygiene: Improper personal hygiene can cause infection and dead skin accumulation on the skin surface and turn the area dark.

– Medical conditions: People who are overweight may experience a condition called “acanthosis nigricans”. This condition causes dark markings on the neck, underarms, and groin. Type II diabetes also causes hyperpigmentation around your neck and underarms.

– Excessive sweating: Uric acid in the sweat can darken the armpits over time.

– Pregnancy: Dark spots commonly appear during pregnancy. However, the spots will fade away a few months after you give birth.

How to Get Rid of Dark Underarms?

– Wash the underarms with soap twice a day. Doing so removes sweat and grime on your armpits.

– Wax instead of shaving. Waxing can pull hair from the roots and help remove dead skin cells on the surface of your underarms. If you can’t give up shaving, apply a shaving gel or cream for sensitive skin before shaving.

– Use anti-fungal powder instead of a deodorant. The powder kills yeast, soothes the skin, and relieves itching, burning and irritation.

– Scrub the dark area twice a week. Scrub your underarms with a pumice stone or homemade body scrubs. Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells.

– Apply a bleaching or whitening cream. Do this every night. The main ingredients in most of these skin whitening creams are Hydroquinone and Kojic acid.

Home Remedies for Dark Underarms

– Lemon: Rub your underarms with lemon once or twice a week. Lemon is the bleaching agent. After a shower, pat dry the underarms. Then rub lemon slices or lemon juice onto the area. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off thoroughly.

– Potato juice: Potato is also a bleaching agent. Apply potato juice on the underarms. Leave on for 10 -15 minutes. Then rinse off.

– Turmeric powder: Mix turmeric powder, one teaspoon lime juice, and one teaspoon cucumber juice to make a paste. Apply this paste on your armpits. Leave on for 15 minutes and then wash off.

– Baking soda: Baking soda is a drying agent which helps absorb excessive sweat. It also kills bacteria. After you take a shower, rub a little baking soda on the underarms and armpits.