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Dark underarms can be a significant source of embarrassment for plenty of people. There are many causes for dark underarms. The most common causes of people having dark underarms are wearing tank tops and wearing bathing suits when they are not swimming and playing sports. Dark underarms result from doing those things which can lower self-esteem and confidence.
Fortunately, some methods can help lighten or remove dark underarms, and the plans for doing so are relatively straightforward. There are other causes for dark underarms, aside from the most common ones listed. Listed below are other causes of dark underarms.
What Are Causes For Dark Underarms?
Aside from wearing tank tops, bathing suits, and playing sports, dark underarms can easily result from deodorants and antiperspirants. Chemical irritants and discolor the arms and darken the skin. The accumulation of dead skin cells can also result in the underarms going dark if exfoliation is not happening often enough. Irritation and abrasion from shaving as well will cause discoloration to the area too. If you wear tight clothing that causes friction to your body, that also can result in dark underarms.
However, there are also health-related reasons for discoloration of underarms. First of all, if you smoke, you could have smoker’s melanosis. That is when smoking causes hyperpigmentation, which results in dark patches happening in certain parts of your body. If you are obese, diabetic, or have hormone imbalances, you could have a condition called acanthosis nigricans, causing certain parts of your body to darken. Addison’s disease is another cause of discolored skin because the adrenal gland has damage. You could also have erythrasma, a bacterial infection that causes skin darkening in the underarms, or any skin folds.
In cases such as those described in the previous paragraph, you need to receive medical intervention right away to treat the underlying cause. However, for the other causes of dark underarms, there are simple methods for lightening the area. That includes changing habits that are causing the discoloration of your skin.
How Can You Remove Dark Underarms Naturally?
There are various ways to lighten underarms, which largely depends on the reason that you have dark underarms in the first place. If the cause in your case is due to smoking, then you have to stop smoking. Work with your doctor to plan for weaning you off if you cannot quit cold turkey.
If shaving is the reason for your dark underarms, you will want to consider laser hair removal instead of strongly shaving. This way, you don’t have to worry about hair growing in too often. Eventually, with the laser hair removal as the method to get rid of underarm hair, you can stop altogether.
You will also want to stop wearing tight-fitting clothing that contributes to dark underarms and wear clothing that fits loosely instead. It will make a world of difference. Those are the essential things to do to remove dark underarms. Now, let’s go over the other natural methods that can lighten your underarms.
1. Change Your Deodorant Or Antiperspirant
If you are using a commercial brand of deodorant or antiperspirant, they contain chemicals darkening your skin. Even if the products have a claim that they are natural, they likely are not. That is especially true if it shows through your underarms and switches to natural alternatives such as apple cider vinegar or baking soda. Those work very well with containing odors, which means you can stop using deodorants and antiperspirants.
2. Exfoliate Your Underarms
Exfoliating your underarms sounds like an unnatural thing to do. However, if the excess dead skin is darkening your underarms, then it needs exfoliation. You can use a facial exfoliator, and if you do it twice a week, that is perfect. It may hurt a little, but it is the way to keep dead cells away.
3. Potato Juice
Take a potato and grate it. Allow the juice to fall and then collect the juice to apply to your underarms. Allow the liquid to settle in for ten minutes. Then go and rinse it off with cold water and do this daily as you will see your underarms will lighten.
4. Lemon
Take a lemon and cut it, and then put the sliced on your armpits for ten minutes. After that is up, then rinse your underarms with cold water, and you will want to apply moisturizer immediately after drying them.
5. Cucumber
If you find lemons too acidic, you can use cucumber for the same purpose. Cut up a cucumber in thick pieces and then apply them under your underarms and keep them there for ten minutes. After the time is up, then go rinse it off with cold water.
6. Tea Tree Oil
Take a spray bottle and pour in eight ounces of water and add five drops of tea tree oil into it. Then spray it on your armpits, and do this daily as you will see them lighten up over time. Allow them to dry naturally.
7. Coconut Oil
Please take a few drops of coconut oil and massage them into your armpits. Keep it there for 15 minutes, then wash them with lukewarm water and gentle soap. You will want to do this about two to three times daily.
Those are natural ways of getting rid of dark underarms. However, you can achieve this result professionally and in other ways too.
What Are Other Methods For Dark Underarm Removal?
There are plenty of lightening creams that contain kojic acid, tretinoin, and hydroquinone that lighten pigments. They are safe for your armpits. You can also look into laser therapy for pigment removal, as well as chemical peels. Some procedures cleanse the skin through microdermabrasion or dermabrasion for removing dark pigments from underarms. However, other than the creams, these professional methods can be quite painful and are more expensive. However, the removal method is up to you.
Conclusion
Are you ready to decline the invitation to your friend’s pool party or beach outing due to your embarrassment over having dark underarms‘? If that is the case, you are not alone in how you feel. However, before you decline that invitation, you will want to look into dark underarm removal methods.
Some methods involve changing your lifestyle, such as quitting smoking. Others allow you to try out natural methods that do work to lighten your skin. You can go the professional route as well if you prefer. Either way, there are solutions to removing dark underarms, so you no longer have to be embarrassed.
