Log InDark Underarms - by Editor
My armpits are very dark and I feel embarrassed everytime I wear something sleeveless. What do I doNULL
Dark underarms is a very common problem. Most of us, especially in the summer, like to wear sleeveless clothing. We naturally cannot do so until our underarms are free of hair, and so we get the hair removed. However, anyone who gets their underarms waxed regularly knows that one cannot re-wax the underarms until the hair has grown out substantially, and this is where the problem lies. Unfortunately, everytime we get our underarms waxed, our armpits are completely free of hair for a few days, maybe a week. But then the hair starts growing back and we reach a stage when we cannot wear sleeveless any longer, and neither can we get the hair removed as it is still too short for waxing! So while some of us grab our dresses with sleeves for the remainder of the month, others pick up the razor.
Shaving
While there is nothing wrong with shaving off hair from the underarm region, the underarm region does tend to get darker especially with Indian women, since they have black or brown hair. This hair is not pulled out from the roots, and so it is often visible below the skin even after shaving, especially if you are light-skinned. If you have not had any problems with shaving your underarms, and if your armpits have not darkened, you can continue shaving them.
Hair removal creams
Using hair removal creams on your underarms regularly will darken the region as the hair is not getting removed from the root, and is still present under the skin. In addition the chemicals often darken and burn the skin with prolonged use. Hair removal creams contain harsh chemicals. Think about it. The chemical is strong enough to literally melt the hair away. Sure, moisturizing elements are added to most hair removal creams to sooth the skin but there is no doubt that your skin too will feel the harsh effects of the chemical. While the use of hair removal creams is okay once in a while, don't make it a habit. So if you are planning to wear a sexy sari for your cousin's wedding and your entire stomach area will be exposed, you could consider removing the hair from your tummy with the help of a hair removal lotion.
Waxing
Waxing removes hair from the roots, so no hair is left under the skin. As a result, the shadow on your underarms that sometimes remains after shaving hair, is not usually present after waxing. It is present sometimes when the hair breaks instead of coming out from the roots, or when the hair has not grown out completely so it cannot be waxed out. However, over a period of time, with regular waxing, your underarms will remain free of hair for longer each time and after some years you will forget that you ever had a problem of dark underarms. In addition to removing hair from the roots, waxing also removes dead skin. Your armpits contain thousands of dead skin cells, and this is especially true if you have dry skin. Apply a light moisturizing lotion every night, and scrub your underarm region with a pumice stone daily, while taking a shower.
Epilating
If you feel you must remain hair-free on a daily basis, instead of shaving the hair invest in an epilator. It is not very painful if you remove hair when it is still very small, and if you do so every few days. Your underarms will remain hair-free and clean.
Deos
Dark underarms could also be caused by regular use of deos and anti-perpirants, so try and keep your underarm region deo-free when you at home, and apply it on if you feel you need to. Instead of applying your deo when stepping out in the morning, apply it in the afternoon, when you feel you need to do so. If you are wearing sleeveless however, apply an anti-perspirant, and wash if off when you reach home. If your underarm region is itchy or inflamed, you may have a bacterial infection and may need to apply a light medicated cream or anti-fungal powder.
Name: kapila kothari
City: INDIA
Comments: HI GOOD IDEA
Name: shubhangi
City: mumbai
Comments: i want to remove hair which is growing on hand, underarms and on chin. i want some homemade treatment that remove unwanted hair, can u suggest. i have problem using hair remover like anne french, i get itching problem. i cant do waxing. can u give information of epliating what exactly it is is thier any shaving machine for women. please give suggestion for me to remove unwanted hair without doing waxing, without using any cream or lotion
Name: rekha
City: ludhiana
Comments: kindly note that the underarms remain dark even if there are no hair on it so what should be done in such cases
Name: geetanjali
City: baroda
Comments: pls tell me what should i do as the skin colour of my underarms has itself become very dark it is visible even if theres no hair pls help!!
Name: sneha
City: usa
Comments: hi! has anyone tried bleach on the underarmsNULL does it really worksNULL does it really lightens the dark colourNULL
Name: vandu
City: usa
Comments: hi, skin colour of my underarmbecome very dard by using hair removing cream .pls tell some home made treatment for lighting my skin.if I will do waxing reguraly then it will effect.
Name: anika
City: alwar
Comments: hi girls,if you have dark armpits and its not coz of the hair its probably cuz u r suffering fron Ancathosis Nigrosis.u'll probably be suffering from pigmentation in other parts of your body,like the nape of neck,ankles,the part of u'r body where the the thigh joins the butt and knuckles.its hormonal and there's little u can do about it.most women with PCOS have it.its related to LUtenising hormone which is related to insulin which is of course related to diabetes.actually caused due to insulin resistance
Name: jenny
City: costa mesa
Comments: use make up like the spray on stuff by sally hanson to lighted your pit use tweezers to remove your hair from under arms
Name: Candice
City: Las Vegas
Comments: I'm actually African-American, but i was searching online for why my armpits are extremely darker even when the hair is removed when I stumbled onto this website. The ladies on this site seem to have the same problem I do, and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to lighten the skin, without using makeup to do so.
Name: anonymous
City: Right here
Comments: I had darker armpits, too. I went to get get a facial one day and happened to mention my armpits to the specialist. She recommended that I try cleansing my underarms with a glycolic cleanser. I brought one and it worked great on me. The underarms are much more like the rest of my skin color. They are slightly darker, but not noticeably.
Name: Danielle
City: Las Cruces
Comments: Hi, I've had dark underarms since I was about 12 also. I've been using Ambi bleaching cream for about 4+ months and my underarms are a little lighter but still noticably dark.
Name: naina
City: dhaka
Comments: hi..very good suggestion but how will i wax the under armsNULLNULLNULL pls tell me.....
Name: Preeti
City: Denver
Comments: Hi its my first time hopefully you can help me. I used to shave my underarms then started to wax about 2 years ago. I still have black spots is there anything i can use to lighten that black spot. Please Its very important.
Name: Makeda
City: MyTown
Comments: Apply lemon juice to your pits, neck, etc. for 15-20 minutes a day. Use should notice a difference within a week.
Name: Howdy
City: Denver
Comments: Dark Armpits - Chances are, your dark underarms aren't caused by hyperpigmentation but result from a persistent buildup of dry skin, says Colorado dermatologist Richard Asarch, director of the Asarch Center for Dermatology and Laser. The unsightly dark spots are probably tons of dead skin cells trapped in microscopic "hills and valleys" on your skin. To rid yourself of this buildup, apply an OTC moisturizer with exfoliating lactic acid to damp skin morning and night. Try AmLactin 12% Moisturizing Lotion, $10.95, or Stiefel LactiCare Lotion, $11.95. If you don't see improvement after six weeks (or don't want to wait that long), ask your doctor for a prescription-strength skin-sloughing solution, like Retin-A, which should yield results in only two to three weeks. Warning: If the darkened area is itchy or inflamed, you may have an allergic reaction or bacterial infection, either of which can be cured with a topical prescription medication.
Name: noone
City: nowhere
Comments: I'm a 14 year old african american girl and I have dark underarms. I thought it was because of my ezema but now im not sure. Im about to start high school and i dont want dark undeerarms. could someone give me a fast easy solution pleeeez?!? (Something that isnt to exspensive either)
Name: diane
City: Bulacan
Comments: I had darker armpits, too. I went to get get a facial one day and happened to mention my armpits to the specialist. She recommended that I try cleansing my underarms with a glycolic cleanser. I brought one and it worked great on me. The underarms are much more like the rest of my skin color. They are slightly darker, but not noticeably.
Name: Jojo
City: Somewhere in The United States
Comments: Can anyone recommend a glycolic cleanserNULL Also, Epilating instead of shaving really does help.
Name: Torya
City: denver
Comments: Instead of using shaving cream use lotion to shave your underarms or any other sensitive part on your body the lotion makes it bump free no razor burn and it makes it smooth and non dark.
Name: Lolita
City: NEW YORK
Comments: I think 2 different problems are being talked about here. I think some are asking about the fact that they can still see the shadow (like when a man shaves his beard) of their dark hair. Those talking about their actual skin being dark is a different story. I have this on my neck, groin, nipples, and armpits. Im Afro-Cuban, medium brown in color. As I search the internet for what it may be, I keep coming up with sominthing called Acanthosis Negricans (which I believe Anika, above meant to call it. The confusion is that they seem to attribute it to obesity, (which Ive never been) and Diabetes (but I wasnt allowed to eat a lot of sugar as a child (I do now though, even in the form of pasta). This is very tramatic. Its not only a problem of fashion and wearing short sleeves, but the thought of being nude for the first time with someone is what makes you consider staying single. You feel so ugly, and no cure. Through my life no doctor or dermatologist has ever recognised or taken it seriously enough to help. If I met more people with it, maybe, I wouldnt feel so abnormal. Its not only dark skinned people who have it. Search the web for pictures, and white people have it too (or atleast their skin looks white - they dont show faces so they could be of Latin decent which would mean they have African in their genes anyway). I wonder if the lemon thing works - it seems natural. Or maybe were lacking something in our diets like protein or we are putting too much sugar/starches in our system. Im going to look into the "insulin resistance" relation, and see how that could have happened in my childhood or is it really with me until Im old and dont care what I look like cause the rest of me is all wrinkled anyway. Do men get thisNULL Good luck everyone.
City: INDIA
Comments: HI GOOD IDEA
Name: shubhangi
City: mumbai
Comments: i want to remove hair which is growing on hand, underarms and on chin. i want some homemade treatment that remove unwanted hair, can u suggest. i have problem using hair remover like anne french, i get itching problem. i cant do waxing. can u give information of epliating what exactly it is is thier any shaving machine for women. please give suggestion for me to remove unwanted hair without doing waxing, without using any cream or lotion
Name: rekha
City: ludhiana
Comments: kindly note that the underarms remain dark even if there are no hair on it so what should be done in such cases
Name: geetanjali
City: baroda
Comments: pls tell me what should i do as the skin colour of my underarms has itself become very dark it is visible even if theres no hair pls help!!
Name: sneha
City: usa
Comments: hi! has anyone tried bleach on the underarmsNULL does it really worksNULL does it really lightens the dark colourNULL
Name: vandu
City: usa
Comments: hi, skin colour of my underarmbecome very dard by using hair removing cream .pls tell some home made treatment for lighting my skin.if I will do waxing reguraly then it will effect.
Name: anika
City: alwar
Comments: hi girls,if you have dark armpits and its not coz of the hair its probably cuz u r suffering fron Ancathosis Nigrosis.u'll probably be suffering from pigmentation in other parts of your body,like the nape of neck,ankles,the part of u'r body where the the thigh joins the butt and knuckles.its hormonal and there's little u can do about it.most women with PCOS have it.its related to LUtenising hormone which is related to insulin which is of course related to diabetes.actually caused due to insulin resistance
Name: jenny
City: costa mesa
Comments: use make up like the spray on stuff by sally hanson to lighted your pit use tweezers to remove your hair from under arms
Name: Candice
City: Las Vegas
Comments: I'm actually African-American, but i was searching online for why my armpits are extremely darker even when the hair is removed when I stumbled onto this website. The ladies on this site seem to have the same problem I do, and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to lighten the skin, without using makeup to do so.
Name: anonymous
City: Right here
Comments: I had darker armpits, too. I went to get get a facial one day and happened to mention my armpits to the specialist. She recommended that I try cleansing my underarms with a glycolic cleanser. I brought one and it worked great on me. The underarms are much more like the rest of my skin color. They are slightly darker, but not noticeably.
Name: Danielle
City: Las Cruces
Comments: Hi, I've had dark underarms since I was about 12 also. I've been using Ambi bleaching cream for about 4+ months and my underarms are a little lighter but still noticably dark.
Name: naina
City: dhaka
Comments: hi..very good suggestion but how will i wax the under armsNULLNULLNULL pls tell me.....
Name: Preeti
City: Denver
Comments: Hi its my first time hopefully you can help me. I used to shave my underarms then started to wax about 2 years ago. I still have black spots is there anything i can use to lighten that black spot. Please Its very important.
Name: Makeda
City: MyTown
Comments: Apply lemon juice to your pits, neck, etc. for 15-20 minutes a day. Use should notice a difference within a week.
Name: Howdy
City: Denver
Comments: Dark Armpits - Chances are, your dark underarms aren't caused by hyperpigmentation but result from a persistent buildup of dry skin, says Colorado dermatologist Richard Asarch, director of the Asarch Center for Dermatology and Laser. The unsightly dark spots are probably tons of dead skin cells trapped in microscopic "hills and valleys" on your skin. To rid yourself of this buildup, apply an OTC moisturizer with exfoliating lactic acid to damp skin morning and night. Try AmLactin 12% Moisturizing Lotion, $10.95, or Stiefel LactiCare Lotion, $11.95. If you don't see improvement after six weeks (or don't want to wait that long), ask your doctor for a prescription-strength skin-sloughing solution, like Retin-A, which should yield results in only two to three weeks. Warning: If the darkened area is itchy or inflamed, you may have an allergic reaction or bacterial infection, either of which can be cured with a topical prescription medication.
Name: noone
City: nowhere
Comments: I'm a 14 year old african american girl and I have dark underarms. I thought it was because of my ezema but now im not sure. Im about to start high school and i dont want dark undeerarms. could someone give me a fast easy solution pleeeez?!? (Something that isnt to exspensive either)
Name: diane
City: Bulacan
Comments: I had darker armpits, too. I went to get get a facial one day and happened to mention my armpits to the specialist. She recommended that I try cleansing my underarms with a glycolic cleanser. I brought one and it worked great on me. The underarms are much more like the rest of my skin color. They are slightly darker, but not noticeably.
Name: Jojo
City: Somewhere in The United States
Comments: Can anyone recommend a glycolic cleanserNULL Also, Epilating instead of shaving really does help.
Name: Torya
City: denver
Comments: Instead of using shaving cream use lotion to shave your underarms or any other sensitive part on your body the lotion makes it bump free no razor burn and it makes it smooth and non dark.
Name: Lolita
City: NEW YORK
Comments: I think 2 different problems are being talked about here. I think some are asking about the fact that they can still see the shadow (like when a man shaves his beard) of their dark hair. Those talking about their actual skin being dark is a different story. I have this on my neck, groin, nipples, and armpits. Im Afro-Cuban, medium brown in color. As I search the internet for what it may be, I keep coming up with sominthing called Acanthosis Negricans (which I believe Anika, above meant to call it. The confusion is that they seem to attribute it to obesity, (which Ive never been) and Diabetes (but I wasnt allowed to eat a lot of sugar as a child (I do now though, even in the form of pasta). This is very tramatic. Its not only a problem of fashion and wearing short sleeves, but the thought of being nude for the first time with someone is what makes you consider staying single. You feel so ugly, and no cure. Through my life no doctor or dermatologist has ever recognised or taken it seriously enough to help. If I met more people with it, maybe, I wouldnt feel so abnormal. Its not only dark skinned people who have it. Search the web for pictures, and white people have it too (or atleast their skin looks white - they dont show faces so they could be of Latin decent which would mean they have African in their genes anyway). I wonder if the lemon thing works - it seems natural. Or maybe were lacking something in our diets like protein or we are putting too much sugar/starches in our system. Im going to look into the "insulin resistance" relation, and see how that could have happened in my childhood or is it really with me until Im old and dont care what I look like cause the rest of me is all wrinkled anyway. Do men get thisNULL Good luck everyone.
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