What Causes Dark Under Arms To Appear?

What Is Hyper Pigmentation?

There's nothing worse than finding that perfect sleeveless top only to steer away from it because your underarms are not summer time ready. You fear raising your arms up because people will see your dark underarms. Surprisingly enough hyper pigmentation is a fairly common problem. Essentially hyper pigmentation: it is a condition when patches of skin darken due to excess deposits of melanin (the pigment producing enzyme). Those that naturally posses more melanin tend to have darker complexions.

Causes mostly stem from the environment, such as; exposure to UV rays and chemicals in skin care products. These environmental factors activate melanin into production therefore creating patches and uneven skin tone.

Main Contributors Of Dark Underarms

Deodorants/ Antiperspirants:

These are the biggest culprits of dark underarm woes; because it is a product that is used almost daily. Ingredients such as aluminum react with the naturally occurring bacteria found on the surface of skin. Couple that with sweat and salt for an instant case of darkened pits. Not only does aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex cause this reaction, it is added in large amounts to keep sweating at bay. Rather than going without fresh smelling pits, consider using a natural alternative or go with a product labeled as a deodorant only.

Friction:

Friction in skin can cause irritation and flare ups as a response to the heat generated from the rubbing of surfaces. When it comes to underarms, friction typically comes in two forms:

Tight Clothing: Rather than having sweat whisked away from loose fit clothing, tight clothing traps sweat and allows the bacteria to thrive. As the material from garments rub up against skin, this also can cause rash like symptoms to the generally gentle underarm area.

Obesity: This condition carries multiple issues; however, the physical ailments can really alter one's quality of living. When one is carrying extra weigh on them, this can cause sweat to become trapped under the layers of skin. This lack of ventilation causes dead skin cells to build layers and layers further compounding the appearance of darkened underarms.

Diabetes:

Discoloration also known as acanthosis nigricans is often the first sign of onset diabetes type II. It is distinctive with an almost smooth texture coupled with the dark coloration. This is caused by the spike of insulin that stems from a diet high in sugar and fats. In this case, lightening the area may be a temporary solution to a problem that requires medication attention.

Shaving:

This cause is another huge culprit; aside from in-growns that can sprout about, shaving only removes hair from the surface. Due to the fact that hair is removed at the surface area, bits of stubble are left behind causing a shadow effect; regardless of how close you think a shave is. Another reason why shaving causes dark pits? When skin is irradiated by the motion of a dull blade, melanocytes are generated as a response to the irritation that is caused.  This is huge reason why methods such as laser hair removal and waxing are much better options because they remove hair below the root.

Now that you have an idea of what may be causing your underarm woes, using a natural remedy can help lighten underarms over time—without the use of harmful chemicals!