Monday, May 5, 2008

How to Lighten Dark Underarms

If you have an underarm area that is dark then you are not alone. Many women suffer from this condition yet they each think that they are the only one with the problem.

I have underarms that are darker than the rest of my skin and for this reason I do not wear sleeveless clothes. The dark skin under my arms has long been a concern of mine because it makes me so uncomfortable.

Dark Underarms are caused by:
  • Strong Chemicals
  • Too Much Shaving
  • Dead Skin Build Up
  • Medical Conditions
  • Friction
Ways To Deal with it:
I have read many different methods for dealing with the dark skin in the underarm area and decided to try out some of them.

This is a bit gross but here is a picture of my underarms before I started any of the treatments. Even though the (camera phone) picture is poor you can see the line of difference between the underarm area and the rest of my skin. While the rest of my skin is brown the underarm area is quite black and just plain ugly.

Rub Lemons Under Arms
All I can say is that I would have been better off making lemonade. While lemons do have bleaching properties they did not work under my arms. I would rub lemon juice under one arm every evening after taking a shower as soon as I got home.

I went to bed smelling slightly sweet and lemony but after one week the left armpit (with lemon) looked just like the right one (no lemon).

Stop Using Antiperspirant/Deodorant

Well this one was not an option for me because I perspire a lot. I would apply my regular stuff in the morning and then wash it off as soon as I got home in the evening. I would shower again in the morning and apply some antiperspirant because I knew I would be sweating all day. In my job I have to walk around a bit so it is not like I was just sitting at a desk in the air conditioning all day. On Friday evenings I would wash off the underarm stuff and not use any on Saturday. I would reapply some on Sunday so I could go to church and run other errands but then take it off again until Monday morning.

Both armpits remained equally dark even though I have been doing this for a month now. Some people mention that if you must use a product then you should use Dove Moisturizing products because the dark skin might be as a result of skin that is too dry.

I substituted Dove with no results under my arms but it did leave a residue on my clothes and made them light!!!!

Wax instead of Shaving

I have always shaved under my arms or used a depilatory cream but I had never waxed before. I bought a Sally Hansen wax kit with the prewaxed strips and got busy. I took a shower, then dried my under arm area and rubbed the strip between my hands to warm it up. I peeled the strips apart and placed one under my arm and followed the directions and then let it rip.

Ouch!!!!

Waxing hurts.

A lot.

Especially when it is your first time and you are doing it yourself.

Waxing is supposed to help with the discoloration by removing all the layers of dead cells each time you pull the strip off. I was lucky that I did not bleed because I felt such an intense pain for a few seconds. The pain subsided quickly so I went in for another strip because I had not gotten all of the hair off.

I have waxed for three days now because I have not been able to get all the hair from one area out with one swipe. I am only doing the right armpit so I can compare the effects of the waxing to the other side.

I think the waxing is working....or maybe it is just my imagination because I am so tired of trying different things out.

I will continue waxing for about a month and then I will repost the pictures from that. I need to let the hair grow out a little longer so the wax can grip it so I can pull it out.

Have you tried to lighten your underarm area? What have you tried and did it work?

249 comments:

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Anonymous said...

After undergoing with a quick bleach my UA lighten from gray to brown.
After two months, I have to come back for another session. While waiting for the next session, I'm applying a whitening cream twice a day for a faster effect.You may want to use "MAYFAIR". You'll see that your UA will lighten after a few weeks of application. Make sure to use it consistently. IT doesn't matter the amount you apply it but instead how often you use the cream. so might as well do it in the morning and night

Then try to use BODY RECIPE Skin Lightening Powder. This is very effective. I'm using this twice a week. Apply this on to your UA for 15 to 20 min then rinse with water. You'll see the effect. I suggest to consistently use MAYFAIR for maintenance. :) Hope this info would help. :) Find the Body Recipe in HBC (health and beauty care) this is very affordable. I bought mine for 129php i guess for 120ml. :)

Anonymous said...

Hey girls ! i have the same problem too , im from philippines and the weather here is so hot , i need to use a deodorant to unsweat my underarms , specially im a girl , it is a big TURN OFF if our underarm is wet . So i tried to use some deodorant , but the result = i noticed that my underarms is getting dark color :( Im scared to use some chemical soap because i have a sensitive skin , i badly needed some advice :( Please reply !

Unknown said...

Hi. Do try underarm peeling set atleast once if you face the problem and really wanted to do something about it. I am very impressed with the results.
I have the product and if anyone is interested in buying, do write to me at seno019@gmail.com. I am based in New Delhi, India

Anonymous said...

I've been suffering with this for years, and the only thing that has recently worked is hydrocortisone cream! make an appointment with your dermatologist (your primary doctor probably wont care)and you will soon see results. Good Luck!

Raani said...

Ok ladies. I read this for remedies before going to this hair and beauty store which sells cream for both body and face. I bought the body one and my underarms have so much improved in just a week. My friends use the face one for lightening and pimples and I have seen so much difference on their face. The shop address and name is Fashion Hair & Beauty, 38 Railway St, Liverpool 2170, NSW, Australia. Ph : +612 98214034. Hope this works for you ladies.

Anonymous said...

I heard that scrubbing you armpit with a brush with soap in the shower helps, it help a little but it never got me real result, and i heard using lemon only makes your armpits darker, so does anyone have any suggestions

Unknown said...

I tried some whitening deo and anti-perspirants but none of them worked. What I learned from doing some researches is that black underarm can be due to allergic reaction of your skin to some of its ingredients. In my case, it's the aluminum that irritates and burn my skin.
Girls, if you really want to clear up your black underarm, be careful in choosing your deodorant. Staying away from deos that contains alluminum (whether it is alluminum zirconium or chlorhydrate, as long as there is alluminum there) will really help you lighten it up. Yes, this would take time. In my case it took me about 3 months to see the full effect but it was worth waiting. I can now wear sleeveless and can raise arms as well without getting embarrass.
Try to look for deodorant that has lesser chemicals like DEONAT, but I have to admit that you cannot rely on its protection all day long. you have to re-apply every now and then to avoid the stinky odor from your sweat. plus the product itself (since it has natural ingredients) doesn't smells really good but would really help you some way to stay away from alluminum deos and thus, have a whiter underarms.
With regards to the odor, if you really want your sweat to smell not that stinky, i recommend drinking WHEATGRASS everyday. It comes in powder form, then you have to dissolve it to cold water and drink it on an empty stomach. About 30 minutes before eating breakfast. It is a good source for detoxifying your body as well and helps in regulating bowel movement.

Anonymous said...

I do not know if you still keep this blog active but, I wanted to say that what can help you, is to buy the xtreme brite products they really work the gel and exfoliating soap.... trust me it works slow but it does after 3 weeks I notice a major change and the good thing is these products do not contain any harsh chemicals. You can get it on ebay or Amazon.

Anonymous said...

First you have to take care of excessive sweating. Use sweatblock (sweatblock.com). If itching with this product occurs, apply anti itch cream. I used to sweat a lot that i had to use clinical strength anti perspirant w/c caused my underarm to darken even more. Now that i use sweatblock i can use gentle deodorants or not use any @ all. Next use celabright (celabright.com) twice a day. It cost $50 per bottle. After few weeks i'm now starting to see results. I also wax and pluck. I never shave my armpits.

Anonymous said...

I had this same problem- and i cured it by doing four things

1. exfoliated regularly
2. started waxing- not shaving
3. stopped using deodorant with aluminum chloride as an active ingredient
4. and bought a skin lightener from a cosmetic surgeon, not from the chemist as those ones do not work

this totally got rid of my problem

Anonymous said...

hi i am 18 years old and has the same problem... i have tried every thing and the results just didint satisfy me. over the years i have learned that the best solution to this problem is to ACCEPT it as it is... and to stop abusing my underarms with harmful and non-harmful too, experinments. the more products you try the more resistant the under arm skin becomes to treatments. anyway, now i am done trying to FIX it, i wear sleeveless, and people dont even notice it...and even if they did no1 s copmplaining:D!!

kitty blue said...

ELOW!! DARK UNDERARM IS MY PROBLEM TOO BUT THANK GOD,. THEY LIGHTEN, NUT DUE TO WAXING IT BECOME DARKEN AGAIN. BUT NOW I HAVE THE PRODUCTS THAT I'VE BEEN APPLYING ALL OVER MY UNDERARM,. AND IT REALLY WORKS FOR,ME.. NOW MY UNDERARM IS LIGHTER THAN BEFORE,. !! =)IM USING A PRODUCT THAT IS SO CHEAP.. BUT IT REALLY WORKS FOR ME. =)

wearebeautiful said...

Hi Ladies! Stop trying your luck with those whitening stuffs that doesn't work wonders on your dark armpits. I'll share my tips to you and it will surely work because it is done by professionals. Sounds like expensive right? Yes it is, but this one will give you a huge discount.

1. IPL (Inyense Pulse Light) permanent hair reduction.
-1st step is to eliminate those unwanted hairs in your UA's permanently. You may need 5-8 sessions of this to get the best result but it may still vary depending on hairgrowth on your pits.

2. Underarm Diamomd Peel
-Once you already finished all the sessions you needed, you may start to get diamond peel sessions for you pits. It will help you to eliminate chicken skin and it will give your pits a glowing and whiter apperance. After every session of this, during shower scrub your pits using your fingers only you will see that your pits is exfoliating. Do this everyday.

3. Underarm Bleaching
- When you're done with the diamond peel stuff, you can have this treatment if you are not yet satisfied.

All those stuffs are really expensive, but using this deal i also used you can avail them more cheaper.

wearebeautiful said...

http://www.cleverbuy.com.ph/referafriend/?bl=bm9lbGxlbG9jcXVpYW9AZ21haWwuY29t&link=frontend/deal/view/id/1361

That is where you can buy those treatment more cheaper. Just sign up then buy the deal that you want. You can pay through credit card, paypal, bank etc..

Anonymous said...

Hello ladies, I have been suffering from this condition since I was younger..I am now 24, I have tried different things and nothing has helped..right now I am using bio ~ oil that I purchased at walgreens..my first bottle was kinda working so when I ran out I bought anther bigger bottle, and it stopped working :(I'm frustrated..I am the only one in the family that had this..I shower daily and scrub everywhere..but I have skin discoloration all over my body..neck, elbows, knees, and underarms..I have not used sleeveless shirt in forever, much less wear a cute pair of shorts..someone please help

Anonymous said...

try "magic Cream".its very effective. use it as your deodorant.2x a day morning and evening .after 2-3 months you will see the difference.
used also apricot scrub thrice a week.to removed dead skin.
thrice a week wipe your UA with lactacyd for baby using cotton to remove dirt.
trust me your UA will become white.

Anonymous said...

Talk to your doctor about this. If you use birth control pills it may be partly hormone related. If the darkness is cause by excessive pigment, then maybe your doctor can prescribe a tube of Retin-A, and a tube of Hydroquinone to be used daily.

Anonymous said...

Hello Diva In Training. Last thing I read from you was that nothing has worked for you yet. I also have dark underarms and my mom used to have it also many years ago, but she told me that she had a recipe written down for what to use to lighten them and today I was looking and looking for it and I found it in her closet.

The recipe consists of:
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tbspn alcohol
2 lemons cut into 4 pieces each

Put all of this into a jar that you can put a lid on. Make sure lemon pieces are submerged. You are going to leave this mix sitting for 5-8 days and then each night put it on your underarms with a cotton ball and leave it on all night.

My mom said she did this until she finished the whole thing and after that she did not need it anymore because it lightened her underarms. I made the mix today and I am gonna start using it in 6 days. I have high hopes and I really hope it works because I am getting married in a few months and need my underarms lightened.

Anonymous said...

hi ladies..i also have the same concern coming from the same activities just to have clear and white under arms. Just a suggestion, you may use Veet hair removal cream and Yoko underarm whitening cream. I am using it for weeks now and im getting good results so far.Hope these things will work for you as well..:)

Anonymous said...

Hi guys! I use Scion Whitening Deodorant. Since I started to use this, I never had a problem with dark underarms again. I bought Scion whitening deodorant at http://houseofscionph.blogspot.com/p/whitening-deodorant.html

Anonymous said...

I have the same problem. Start with getting laser treatments. It's very cheap and the results are great. I barely shave and noticed my skin lighter.

Anonymous said...

Hi guys! You can also try this product at http://houseofscionph.blogspot.com/p/whitening-deodorant.html

It really lighten my dark underarms in 10-14days.

Anonymous said...

Get a permanent hair removal in your armpits.. Since you won't have to shave or wax anymore you won't hurt this area.. Apply a smooth deodorant (whichever you like) and that's it! For some people home remedies or ebay products work.. But every skin is diferent and for "severe" cases it is just a matter of skin pigmentation.. You can use 1000 products and nothing will work.. Try giving your armpits a rest with a permanent hair removal and don't waste more money with chemical and dangerous products for the body..

Unknown said...

Dry your underarms before you begin waxing. If your underarms are sweaty then wax will not stick properly to the hair. Wash the underarm skin and then pat dry. You can also apply talcum powder to soak up any moist in the skin. This will make your underarm waxing procedure less painful.

Anonymous said...

I stopped using harsh chemical deoderant and started using Crystal brand. I never smelled! Then at home I started moisturising at night. It seems to have lightened the skin to a light brown instead of a dark brown/black so far.

Anonymous said...

Here's what you should do to lighten your underarms:

1. Use a strong peel to remove the dead skin cells and the dark pigments.

2. Use a whitening soap AM and PM and leave it on for 5 minutes.

3. Make sure that you use a whitening deodorant.

4. Last but the most important, use a lightening cream AM and PM.

I use Diana Stalder products and it works for me. You have to be consistent and patient though. Goodluck!

Anonymous said...

Have you had any luck four years on?

Diva In Training said...

I still have not had any luck with lightening my underarms. I think the big problem is that I have not gone with one thing long enough to see results. Or if I do start to see results I end up doing something that reverses it.

I am going to start again with the process and I will keep you guys and gals up to date.

Anonymous said...

My Colonic therapist has suggested JIM HUMBLE - MMS SOLUTION. So as soon as I can find it and try it I will let you know.

x x

Anonymous said...

Hi I am 15 and suffered from dark underarms due to stubble for 3 years. I am a filipina with very coarse thick hair due to shaving.

Here is what I have done:
1. I put Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser or a Aloe Vera Cream Cleanser on my underarms and extofilate it with a pumice stone every night.
2. I remove underarm hair by sugaring hair removal my underarms. I then moisturise with aloe vera cream.
3. I continue to care for skin as usual until the next sugaring.

I have fixed my problem with underarm sugaring. Underarm sugaring is like waxing but is made up of natural ingridents honey, lemon juice, and sugar.
Underarm sugaring is less harsher then waxing, less painful and gets rid of only the hairs whereas waxing gets hair and a layer of your skin off.
Not only that but since sugaring is made up of natural lightening products, it will also lighten and get rid of dead skin cells on your underarms!

Being a low pain tolerance girl, I was unsure about my hair being pulled from the roots. I decided to give it a shot and is by far the best decision I have made.
Sugaring has gotten rid of all the hairs on my underarms except for ingrowns. The lady told me by the second or third appointment, the hair should be completely gone.
My underarms after were really red.. had a lot of red dots. But that is normal and disappears in 3 days or less.
For the pain, I'd say it is a 5 on a 1-10 scale! The pain wasn't at all bad, and this is coming from a girl who finds stubbing her toe painful af!
If you do decide to get your pitties sugared, make sure it is by a professional in a reputable salon. After you get your pitties sugared, remember to soothe your underarms with aloe vera gel/cream, tea tree oil or baby oil to heal and soothe skin.
Give your underarms 3 sugaring appointments before you can say I give up!

Good luck on your journey!


Anonymous said...

i have the same problemm, i would like to get help on getting them back to my normal color, it suckss not wearing summer tank top clothess. pleasee help what is a goood home redemm.

Anonymous said...

Dove sells a deoderant that helps with this. It really works. It's called Dove Clear Tone. Helps restore skin to it's natural tone.

Fdoty said...

Did anyone mention Xtreme Brite Gel? I heard its a miracle. Look it up on YouTube!!

Anonymous said...

I soaked in a hot bath for the first time in years to help ease aching muscles and by accident, discovered that a good scrub under my arms after the soak got rid of at least 50% of the darkness. I used Epsom bath salts in the water, but I'm not sure if they contributed anything. I'm going to start soaking once a week and see if the darkness continues to fade.

monica said...

girls its not dirt so dont scrub because it will cause friction. i used magic cream and it worked. it didnt take to finish the whole cream to see the result. i cant believe it myself! it removed ALL the dark spot. i used it after shower day and night as a regular deodorant. dont mix it with anything and don't worry it would give you any foul odor. just smooth on a very tiny amount. trust me.

Anonymous said...

I've been looking around for tips on making my underarms lighter and it seems like everyone else only had a little darkness while I have ALOT. My under arms are darker than yours and I'm so embarrassed by them =( but everything I've tried like you hasn't worked either, except for the wax. I really hope that worked for you! lol I desperately need to make that area at least a 10 shades closer to mine =( Has the wax worked even a little?

Anonymous said...

Don't know if people are still reading his but I just wanted to add😊if your going to wax, I would honestly recamend getting them done professorialy first😉You have more than one hair coming out of each pore, so the first time is the worst😣but it hurts less if you have an Esty. Do it. They can keep the skin more taught & that makes for a better easyr wax also, they can go back w/ tweezers to get the stubborn strays😳then as your hair grows back it will be thinner so the upkeep is so much easyr😍also when you do it yourself use a wax, it's easeyer on the skin & will keep you from taking off to much skin😁you don't want raw armpits, ouch! Hope this helps❤Amber

how to whiten underarms said...

i used amira. you'll see the result. :)

Anonymous said...

Hello everyone.
I see so many suggestions, but I can give you just ONE that worked for me.
in 4 freaking days i saw a difference.
You need;
1) Curd
2) Gram flour
3) Turmeric powder

Just mix these together. Apply. Leave for 15 minutes, scrub off. Use on the whole body if necessary. Excellent for the skin. do it regularly.
:)

Anonymous said...

I don't suggest that.I would scrub my armpits inthe shower and it actually made it worse

Anonymous said...

Did it work?

Anonymous said...

My name is lani I'm reading your post, your wondering where u can get the papaya soap ang glutathione go to pilipino store ..

Tumbleweeds said...

I stopped using deodorants. I've tried so many - dove, nivea, rexona, cool charm etc. None helped even if it claimed they have whitening effect.

As mentioned by some - use Tawas. I use the finely powdered tawas. No smell during summer/winter but be prepared to SWEAT since Tawas is not exactly an antiperspirant.

I don't shave either. I sugar-wax. Along with tawas I have used Amira cream.

Been almost a year since I started that and there's a huge improvement. The whitening process is gradual and requires patience. I'm not surprised it's taking a while though because I've had dark armpits for a long time...

Anonymous said...

My sisters and me all have dark necks and armpits this all happen after our pregnancy. so my smallest sister came over one day and shows me her very dark under arms and i was surprice because a week ago i saw her underarms and they were normal, so my other sister had gone to a dermatologist and he had recomended some products and i wanted to try them also so i had bought some products and i told my smallest sister to used them and she did , with the wash most of the dark in her underarms was gone and with the cream her underarm problem was gone, so i have had this problem for over four years and its taking longer for me to het rid of this problem but it has for now cut the darkmess in more than half in about two weeks so im not as embaressed to show my neck or arpits, both my sisters and me used and are using the BLUE CERAVE RENEWING LOTION for extremely dry, rough,bumpy skin and also the green cerave hydraning cleancer. i only use the lotion but will start to use the cleaner. remember u need to use a product for six months to really see results

Ritu Gupta said...

The good way to return the skin to its natural glowing complexion is through use of products. Melalite Cream is good and safe for use which is available online at premiumrxdrugs.com

Anonymous said...

Hi, I've tried almost everything, from derma products to home made remedies, nothing seem to work. What to do? I think the main cause is the friction because my inner thigh and underarms are both dark. But how can I prevent friction, i think its unavoidable. Im too hopeless.

Anonymous said...

I make my own deodorant. Use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add a few drops of essential oil such as: lavender or peppermint whatever your desirer. Also: You can make your wax. Just go to How to make sugar wax. Combine: 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan. Stir w/a wooden spoon for 5 min. or till it looks golden brown (amber) not to brown/honey color. Let cool and place sugar wax in a glass container. You can use cotton fabric strips. It works.

Anonymous said...

Personally I don't like wearing deodorant because it leaves a funky residue that you have to scrub a litter harder if you don't wash it good enough it will stay on your underarm and then you apply more deodorant so there goes more build up,try cleaning with rubbing alcohol and don't put deodorant on ,I had a niece with this problem I noticed that she had dirty dark armpits and told her that to stop wearing deodorant and to scrub all that build up off your sweat is like an acid and will lighten it up sure enough she came back and said it worked people don't need to pack alot of deodorant on because they never really wash it all off when showering.so I think that's why I don't have that problem let them breathe my daughter uses dove dark spot deodorant and that works as well all that other stuff is nonsense it doesn't hurt to try

gie said...

Do not scrub it. I used maxipeel#3 once a day for 3days only. apply it gently. then wait for about 5days, don't use any deodorant or antipersperant.instead use milcu powder only. peeling of ur UA will take about 2weeks. I have done it very effective. now I will do the same process again to lighten it more

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