In this post, I explain 10 common reasons for underarms…
Rash
Does the underarm area feel itchy?
Does it look red?
If the answer is yes, then maybe it’s a rash.
A rash can be caused by eczema, a fungal infection, or an allergy.
An off-the-shelf skincare product cannot treat an underarm rash. Only a doctor can treat it. The doctor will give you a prescription, use that product, and the rash vanishes.
Scrubbing
When we see darkness in our underarms, we might incorrectly assume that we can scrub it away.
But unfortunately, scrubbing will only make the existing darkness worse.
Scrubbing can happen when you use exfoliating scrubs, a pumice stone, a body sponge, or basically anything harsh.
What exactly happens when you scrub?
Scrubbing leads to inflammation. Inflammation will lead to pigmentation.
Pigmentation is when an area on the skin appears darker than its surroundings. The darkness in the underarm area is usually pigmentation.
Why does inflammation lead to pigmentation?
Melanin is a pigment found in the deeper layers of skin. Melanin offers protection to the skin.
Whenever the skin is inflamed, additional melanin is produced. The skin starts producing additional melanin as a defence mechanism, but some of this additional melanin is just excess.
Excess melanin travels to the visible layer of skin and deposits itself there. It appears in the visible layer as dark spots and patches. The dark colour is from the colour of melanin.
That’s how inflammation leads to more melanin production (some excess), and excess melanin leads to dark spots and dark patches in the underarm area, which is darkness in the underarm area.
Leave-on Chemical Exfoliation
One reason for the darkness could be leave-on chemical exfoliants. If you are using them, the underarm region could be getting darker.
Leave-on chemical exfoliants like salicylic acid and glycolic acid work well on our face – but not so much in the underarm area.
Leave-on exfoliants in the underarm area
Leave-on chemical exfoliants are exfoliating products that you leave on the skin for long periods of time for them to work. You don’t wash them away.
The skin in the underarm region has folds. Chemical exfoliants are acids. When we apply these acids to the underarm area and go about our day, the folds in the region rub against the acids and the acid becomes very potent. The potent acid leads to redness and inflammation. Inflammation leads to pigmentation (which is darkness in the underarm region).
But why do we need to exfoliate our skin?
Exfoliation is the process of getting rid of unwanted cells and excess oil from the visible layer of skin. If we don’t exfoliate, these unwanted cells and excess oil give skin a dull appearance and a rough feel, which is not good for the skin’s health in the long run.
There are two ways to exfoliate:
So how do we exfoliate the underarm area then?
Lack of exfoliation will only make the darkness in this area more prominent. So we need to exfoliate but exfoliate in the right way. Use chemical exfoliant washes in the underarm area. These work well because they exfoliate gently; it is not a leave-on product. They do their job, and then you wash them away.
Beware of the glycolic acid myth…
Beware of the myth that chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid whitens the underarm area. They don’t. They exfoliate, and as a result, skin brightens – does not whiten. But if used incorrectly, chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid can darken your underarm area.
Tight Clothing Around Underarms
Just be cautious of tight clothing when trying to eliminate the darkness in the underarm area.
Tight clothing will create friction against the folds in the skin in the underarm area. This friction will lead to inflammation, and inflammation will lead to pigmentation, which, from the paragraphs above, we know is darkness in this area.
I am not saying tight clothing is bad – not even remotely. I am saying that tight clothing around the underarm area can cause further darkness if you are trying to eliminate this darkness. So just be aware of that.
Shaving
Shaving with the wrong products could be why your underarms are dark. Here are a few key points you need to be aware of:
Use shaving gel. Don’t use soap.
Check the ingredients in your shaving gel. It should not have fragrance.
Fragrance is a sensitising ingredient. Sensitising ingredients cause inflammation. And inflammation leads to pigmentation(darkness).
Make sure your shaver is nickel-free. Many people are allergic to nickel, which can lead to inflammation and pigmentation (darkness).
Make sure the blade is sharp. If it is dull, it will result in ingrown hair. This will lead to inflammation, which in turn causes pigmentation (dark skin).
Don’t leave the shaver in the shower. This will make the razor blade dull.
Replace the shaver regularly.
Finally, after shaving, apply some calming skincare products to the skin. Calming skincare ingredients will reduce any inflammation that shaving could have caused. Use ingredients like centella asiatica and allantoin.
Antiperspirants | Deodorants
This is an extremely common reason for underarm darkness in many people. So here’s what you need to know about antiperspirants and deodorants…
So the solution:
Acanthosis Nigricans
This is a skin condition.
This condition’s distinctive feature is a dark, velvety patch that is raised and darker than the surrounding area.
This skin condition usually occurs when there is a fold/crease. The underarm area has plenty of folds and creases.
Treating this needs a visit to the doctor. Only prescription medication can fix this.
Puberty
Hormonal changes during puberty can cause underarm darkness in some teenagers.
Use pigmentation-inhibiting skincare products and soothing skin products.
Using soothing skin care products won’t stop the darkness caused by hormonal changes, but it will at least help bring the area back close to normal once you cross puberty.
Internet
There are plenty of overnight fixes for underarm darkness on the internet. Please don’t fall for it.
They would have turned their idea into a multi-million dollar business if it were that easy.
Gimmicks like using toothpaste, onions, and lemon – all these do nothing for the underarm darkness.
Instead, they can, in many cases, irritate your skin, and irritation will eventually lead to pigmentation (darkness).
So please avoid and stop all the overnight magic remedies.
Glycolic Acid as Deodorant
The effectiveness of using glycolic acid as a deodorant frequently trends on social media.
Yes, it can work as a deodorant. But at a considerable expense.
Glycolic acid is harmful to the underarm area. It causes inflammation, which leads to pigmentation (darkness).