Have you ever wanted to wear that nice, sassy dress and changed your mind halfway about wearing it because you feared it would show up your dark under arms? Have you spent time wondering what happened to your perfectly normal under arms before they suddenly turned ‘black’?! 😀

Well, let’s help you out with causes and treatment.

Causes of dark under arms could be a build up of dead cells, over-exposure to the sun (listen up Africans :D), irritation in people who wear coarse fabrics or shaving. It could also occur in people who use oral contraceptives and in disease conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, etc.

Solutions depend on the cause. Gentle exfoliation using a pumice stone can remove dead skin cells and wearing loose cotton clothing may also be helpful and less abrasive to your under arms. If you use shave sticks, try using a shave foam too and throw away disposable shave sticks after each use. Depilatory creams, if used, should be rinsed off thoroughly with warm water. Other helpful measures include not spraying your deodorant directly on to your under arms (maintain a distance of about 6cm) and using sunscreen. Obesity can lead to excess under arm skin which also become darkened. Solution to this is weight control with portion control and exercise.

Creams with fruit acids could help lighten the under arm or home remedies using a lemon slice rubbed on your under arm and washed off thoroughly after about 15 minutes could be helpful. Otherwise, get your dermatologist to provide other options for you.

Have a great day!