When the time comes to wear a sleeveless, do you refrain from it? Even when you wear it, do you try to avoid raising your hands in the air? If you do so, we know the reason is dark or patchy underarms. Your underarms are the place where the sun doesn’t shine very often. Like many other body parts, underarms rarely receive whiffs of fresh air. Which means the amount of sweat produced in the underarms is uncontrollable. Along with the sweat, the glands in underarms also excrete a lot of salt, causing abrasion and darkening of the area.
Most people have this issue with underarms and look for an effective whitening remedy. While there are a lot of surgical and non-invasive procedures to lighten dark underarms, they are also harmful to the natural pores of the skin. Procedures such as laser therapy or bleaching might seem good but they also remove a layer of the skin and burn the sweat glands. Doing so may give you shining underarms but it also removes the ability of your underarms to regulate the body heat. So, it is always wise to go for remedies that are harmless and focus on the actual issues which cause patchy underarms. Here’s all you need to know about darkened underarms and how to treat them.
What causes dark underarms?Before going for underarm whitening, it is good to know the causes of darkening as it helps find the right remedy according to your issues. There are a number of reasons why your armpits are patchy. Here are the most common ones-
- Increase in serum cortisol levels
A steroidal compound called serum cortisol is present in the human body which acts as a stress regulatory hormone. When the levels of this compound increases in women it triggers the release of another hormone known as the adrenocorticotropic hormone which increases the secretion of melanin, the compound that gives colour to the skin, this causes hyperpigmentation or darkening of the underarm and skin. To know if the darkening of your underarm skin is being caused due to high serum cortisol you can take a serum cortisol test.
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Antiperspirants and deodorants
Most deodorants and antiperspirants have alcohol as the major compound. They are also loaded with other minerals and chemicals which are irritable to the skin. Since the underarm skin has a higher sensitivity towards irritation and heat, the sprays cause the underarm skin to burn and become itchy. This causes the melanin to react naturally and turn that area darker to create a barricade against incoming heat from chemicals. So, if you’re a regular user of antiperspirants and deodorants you are bound to have underarms that now need whitening therapy.
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Shaving
Shaving and sometimes even waxing your underarms can cause patchy skin. When you shave, the sensitive underarm skin gets a lot of abrasion and tends to turn black over time especially if you’re not using a good shaving cream for your armpits. You can use a herbal hair removal cream to clean your armpit hair without irritation. With waxing, it might feel that the skin might not get upset but the pulling of hair from the armpit causes a lot of little wounds which again causes the melanin to act on the skin and make it darker.
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Hormonal imbalances
Due to daily stress and post menstrual stress, a lot of women get hormonal disbalances which can also cause darkening of skin in the armpits and neck. Most of these hormonal disbalances occur due to issues like thyroid gland dysfunctions or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Both of these issues cause darkened armpits indirectly because of irregularities in insulin, the disbalance of which can cause acanthosis nigricans (darkening of neck and armpits).
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Friction due to rough clothing
Clothing materials that are synthetic and have a rough feel to it can also cause dark armpits. When you wear t-shirts or tops made of polyester, rayon, nylon, spandex, or rubber, there is a friction between them and the armpits. So, if you’re an active woman, these clothes can cause darkening of armpit skin.
While there are a lot of ways in which the armpit skin can become dark and patchy, there are also a number of ingredients that act as an underarm whitening remedy. Here are some of those natural compounds-
- Baking soda
Baking soda is used as an exfoliator in many beauty products. Applying 4 tbsp of it mixed with 1 tbsp of rosewater every day with a cotton ball and then washing it off in 5 minutes is beneficial. It removes dead skin cells from the armpits and makes it brighter.
- Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil has a soothing effect of skin affected by abrasion and can help moisturise and brighten it. Applying tea tree oil on the underarms every night before bed can act as a whitening remedy.
- Aloe vera
Aloe vera is another natural compound that is very soothing to the skin. On burnt and darkened skin in the armpits, gel extracted from aloe vera leaves acts as a rejuvenating agent. Apply and massage it on the armpits and wash it in a few minutes.
- Lavender oil
Lavender is an essential oil which has the ability to reduce the effects of melanin on inflamed skin. This essential oil can be applied in small quantities to the underarms a few minutes before shower as a whitening remedy.
You can easily heal your burnt and darkened underarms with the use of natural compounds. They are not only beneficial to the skin but also have zero side effects. Not only do they make the skin supple and soft but also make it healthier in the long term. To lighten dark underarms faster, you can use Namyaa’s Underarm Whitening Cream and Mask which has the goodness of aloe vera, tea tree oil, and lavender oil along with activated charcoal which is the best exfoliator for dead skin. All of these ingredients are naturally extracted and will give bright underarms within weeks of use. Try Namyaa’s hygiene range to keep your skin and intimate areas clean and fresh.