Dark Armpit Skin: Causes And Remedies

Some of you may have had to suffer embarrassment due to dark armpit skin. It causes low self esteem and you cannot enjoy water and other sports. You try to cover your armpits with sleeves. Armpits tend to darken, irritation, rashes due to a number of factors:

• The foremost being constant friction due to rubbing against tight clothing. The area under the arm has skin folds and is in a humid condition, so the rubbing causes discoloration of the skin.
• Dead skin build up can make the armpits look dark.
• A negative reaction to certain de-odorants can be manifested as darkening of the skin.
• In an obese person there will be extra flesh and the surrounding skin may rub against armpit skin causing it to turn dark.
• Some androgen based contraceptives may make the condition worst.
• Shaving, used to get rid of hair from the armpits, if not done in a proper manner will make them look dark.
• If the armpits are not cleaned properly, it will aggravate the condition.

If the skin of your armpits has darkened or any other problem like irritation or rashes, there are some precautions you can take to restore them to a better condition. It is best to be cautious early and prevent the skin from degenerating.

• Wear clothes which are comfortable and not too tight. Avoid synthetic clothes and try to wear natural fibers.
• Exfoliate your armpits twice a week using a scrub. Clean them daily.
• Do not use hair removal creams to get rid of unwanted hair in the armpits as the chemical in it causes darkening of the skin.
• Waxing is the best option especially if the roots of your hair are dark.
• If you want to shave your armpits use a sharp, good quality razor meant for woman.
• Shaving enlarges the pores so use a shaving cream to moisturise and dampen the armpit. Shave in the direction of the hair growth.
• Shave at night for best results as you do not need to you a deodorant at night. The skin gets scraped while shaving so it will get time to rest before chemical in the form of deodorant are applied to it.
• You can use an anti fungal powder instead of a deodorant. It will save your skin from the effect of alcohol and chemicals present in deodorants.

Some foods like red peppers produce excessive sweat. Try to avoid or at least reduce usage. This will keep armpits drier and less prone to chafing. Try rubbing lemon slices to whiten your armpits. They will cause dryness so rub Vitamin E oil afterwards. A dermatologist should be consulted if necessary. He will be able to recommend proper treatment after examining your underarm skin.