Dark underarms is one of the most common questions we encounter during our practice. Most patients have tried everything to make their underarms whiter but they end up disappointed. Here are some tips we can share to improve the texture and appearance of underarms:
1. Never scrub! Treat your underarms like you would treat a baby's skin. The thing is, the more friction you apply, the darker it becomes! You can't scrub the darkness away.. so say goodbye to those loofahs, beaded scrubs and whatnot.
2. Apply deodorant only if you absolutely have to. If you don't sweat excessively then there's really no need to put deodorant. Especially for people who work in an airconditioned office all day. Save it for those active and warm days.
3. Invest in permanent hair reduction. Constant shaving causes friction while waxing and plucking is painful and induces trauma to the skin. All of these can contribute to the darkness. A variety of lasers are available to permanently reduce the hair but make sure you go to a reputable laser center since low quality lasers do add to darkening of underarms.
Now for some frequently asked questions:
I did all these three suggestions and despite that, my underarms are still dark, what should I do?
Consult a Dermatologist. There are procedures in the clinic such as peels that can be performed. There are also effective whitening creams that are mild enough to apply on underarm skin. These creams can be prescribed by Dermatologists.
I'm getting married and want to whiten my underarms, how long before the wedding should I start?
Depending on the severity, but 6 months before the wedding should be good enough. For laser hair removal start 1 year before.
I sweat profusely and cannot afford to skip deodorant, what do I do?
There are whitening anti-perspirants with good whitening ingredients. For people who excessively sweat there are preparations that significantly reduce sweating, more than commercially available anti-perspirants, but these should be prescribed. Botulinum toxin A injection is also an option.
