Darkening armpits can be triggered by hormonal disorders, improper shaving, or Acanthosis nigricans. Professor and Interim Chair of Dermatology, Dr. Adam Friedman explains that deodorant or certain medications can also cause armpit darkening. Read the article to learn about the other causes of armpit discoloration.
Lemon juice
It will help you remove dead skin cells and lighten your skin, over a period of time. How to use: Cut a lemon in two slices, and gently scrub your underarms with them for a couple of minutes. Let the lemon juice sit on for approximately 5-10 minutes. Then, rinse it off with cold water.
Mix 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 tablespoon of rose water with enough powdered orange peel to make a thick paste. Gently scrub your underarms with the paste and then leave it on for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off with cool water. Repeat two to three times per week. Lemon.
Shaving or plucking underarm hair too often may cause dark underarms, so moisturizing can be helpful to reduce underarm irritation.
Toothpaste has bleaching properties that whiten dark underarms. However, make sure to use only white toothpaste since coloured variants have chemicals that can irritate sensitive underarm skin. Matcha green tea is antioxidant that will scrub away the dead skin cells and unclog the pores.
Organic bleach is great!
But the skin under our arms is way more delicate than the rest of our body. Which is why only organic, mild bleach works great for reducing dark underarms. If you use regular bleach on your underarm area, you will experience the same kind of burn similar to if you use perfume.
Aloe vera has an antibacterial nature which helps to soothe inflamed skin. It also helps to lighten discolored armpits.
Although dark underarms are usually harmless, they're worth getting checked out by a dermatologist — especially if you think you might have a condition like diabetes or an underactive thyroid gland. Treating the condition that caused it will usually make the dark skin fade.
Baking soda does have some useful properties that makes it popular among natural deodorant enthusiasts. For instance, baking soda is effective at absorbing all types of moisture, including sweat, which makes it useful for keeping your underarms dry. It also effectively kills odor causing bacteria.
Sorry, ladies. It's all #FakeNews. Instead of bleaching your underarms, acids found in calamansi and apple cider vinegar do the exact opposite. “Calamansi may cause irritant contact dermatitis that could lead to dark underarms,” Sy-Chua remarks.
The consensus among dermatologists is that toothpaste is not an effective way to treat your skin, and can in fact damage your skin. The toothpaste can be an irritant that causes redness and peeling.
The same goes for hair removal creams like Anne French or Veet. Both of these also remove hair on the surface only, which makes the underarms look darker. The fact that shaving results in ingrown hair also further contributes to the problem.
Testers rated the Hydro Silk 5 razor the best at easily gliding over delicate armpit skin, saying ti was comfortable to hold and provided long-lasting smoothness. Like other razors, it comes with a suction cup holder, though some testers found that it wouldn't secure well to the shower.
Cut out thin slices of a potato and gently rub over the armpits. You can also grate the potato and apply to the dark arms and leave it for 15-20 minutes before washing it off properly. Try the method four times a week to fasten lightening of underarms.
Most sources suggest that the longer your daughter can wait before starting to shave, the better. There's no "magical" age that girls should start shaving, but the general consensus is that most girls start at some point between the ages of 11 and 14.
Because hair holds onto moisture, shaving your armpits may result in less sweating, or at least less noticeable sweating (sweat rings on your shirt sleeves, for example). Shaving may also cut down on the odor associated with sweat. Most hair is porous, meaning it's able to absorb and hold onto sweat.
Using tawas
Some Filipinos use tawas to mask body odor, but the rough alum crystals—no matter how tiny they are—can damage the skin under your arms, leading to skin irritation and dark pits.
Tawas Powder is an Effective Deodorant
Tawas powder also has a known whitening effect on the skin so if you are trying to lighten your underarm areas; this is an excellent item to use.
We want you to know that using lemon juice to lighten armpits is a myth. It has never been proven to work, and it can actually be a dangerous practice! Lemon has been shown to lead to the exact issue you are trying to avoid – more hyperpigmentation.
The bottom line
Due to its odor-fighting properties, baking soda may be able to combat underarm odor. However, baking soda isn't designed for the skin. It's much more alkaline than your skin, which could disrupt your skin's natural pH balance.
Mix a little turmeric powder with milk and then apply this paste on your underarms. Wash it off with water after five to 10 minutes. Turmeric leaves a yellow tinge that fades off later so make sure you don't have to show off your underarms right after using this remedy.