5 Common Causes for Dark Underarms That You May Not Know About!

5 Common Causes for Dark Underarms That You May Not Know About!

Ideally, your underarms should be the same shade as the rest of your body. However, when it turns a shade darker, this condition might make you self-conscious! You may start avoiding clothing that exposes the underarm area, prevent actions involving raising your arms or even become more conscious of how you move. Many people (men and women alike) suffer from dark underarms, so you’re not alone!

Common misconceptions that people with dark underarms lack personal hygiene are harmful and stereotypical. Dark underarms do not reflect one’s hygiene, nor do they necessarily indicate any health problems. Usually, one of the leading causes of dark underarms is an overproduction of melanin or scarring from hair removal methods like shaving, waxing, or epilating. The underarm skin is usually a folded and hidden area and is generally darker as it can accumulate dead skin cells!

Regardless, the first step to having flawless underarms is recognizing what is causing the pigmentation!

Shaving and Waxing

Long-term use of shavers can cause dark underarms, especially if the hair is coarse and the razor is dull. The underarm skin is very soft and sensitive, so that it can get easily irritated. If you aren’t careful, unwanted cuts, razor burns, bumps, and ingrown hairs can cause dark underarms.

You might be wrong if you think waxing is the better alternative to shaving! Waxing rips and pulls hair off the underarms, and it’s common to experience light bleeding during your waxing sessions. All of these may lead to scarring, irritation, and dark underarms!

If hair removal is your concern, opting for QM Medical’s IPL Permanent Hair Removal can eliminate unwanted hair on your underarms, which means less shaving or waxing. QM Medical’s IPL Permanent Hair Removal gradually heats the skin with our No Pain System to effectively damage the hair follicle and prevent regrowth, making permanent hair removal procedures pain-free and safe.

With IPL Permanent Hair Removal, as there isn’t any constant shaving or waxing involved, the chances of irritating your underarms are close to zero, meaning you are one step closer to having brighter underarms!

Deodorant and Antiperspirant Use

Deodorants and antiperspirants are not made equal. Some deodorants have certain chemicals that may irritate the skin. This irritation can result in the darkening or thickening of the skin over time. You may also experience chemical burns from overusing these products, which might also lead to dark underarms!

Friction

Wearing tight clothing or clothing that rubs against the skin can cause darkening of the underarms.         Over time, it can also trap sweat, dirt, and dead skin cells on the fold of the armpit, which may give the illusion of dark underarms!

Dead Skin Build Up

There is a reason why treatments like dermaplaning, chemical peels, and exfoliating facials are so popular. These treatments aim to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, dirt, and other impurities sitting on the top layer of the skin. After an exfoliating treatment, the skin looks and feels smoother and brighter.

The same logic applies to our underarms! Dead skin build-up can give the appearance of darker underarms. Exfoliating regularly can help remove superficial melanin.

Hormonal fluctuations

Sometimes your skin will become darker in certain areas due to melanin production. Excessive pigmentation can also occur due to hormonal fluctuations! Abnormal levels of progesterone and estrogen can stimulate excess melanin production, leading sensitive areas (such as the underarms) to turn darker.  It is also common for pregnant women to find areas of the skin’s surface to become thin and turn darker!

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), also known as photo rejuvenation, is based on emitting high-intensity pulses of light to promote collagen production in the dermis and restore skin to a more youthful state.

IPL penetrates deep into the dermis to disperse dark pigmentation. When the light touches the skin, it hits directly on the dark pigments and lightens them. The lightening effect can be seen immediately after the treatment, and your skin will also feel smoother.

Free consultation with us today!