Why do I have dark underarms? See Reasons

Dark underarms have been an embarrassing problem, both for men and women alike. But do you know the reasons why there can be a discoloration in the armpit area?

Here are some reasons that may answer the question “Why do I have dark underarms?”

1. Shaving

If your armpit hair is darker than the color of your skin, then shaving can cause dark underarms. Shaving only cuts the hair off at the surface of your skin. This darkness is due to the hair follicles that are just below the surface of your skin. Shaving may also cause itching if a sharp razor is not used. Shaving too much will lead to skin hardening and skin darkening because of the irritation and abrasions caused.

Waxing unwanted hair is a better alternative to switch to if you think shaving is causing your underarms to look dark. Waxing gets rid off the hair right from the roots, making the darkness less visible.

2. Deodorants And Antiperspirants

Deodorants and antiperspirants sure does protect the body from bad odor. But, these also contain chemicals that may be harmful for the skin causing it to be dark.

Using mild deodorants or following natural remedies may help fight body odor. The best and commonly used natural remedy is applying baking soda to your underarms. This will avoid the exposure to harsh chemicals found in deodorants.

3. Accumulation Of Dead Skin Cells

Dead cells are formed all over our body and accumulates on the surface of our skin. The underarms are no exception to this. Accumulation of dead skin cells around the underarms may be another reason for darkness in the area.

Exfoliating the underarms is a good practice to avoid the accumulation of the dead skin cells.

See also: 12 natural remedies to get rid of dark underarm

4. Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a common, often harmless, condition where certain spots on the skin appear darker than the surrounding skin. This is due to the excess melanin – the pigment that gives color to the skin – that forms deposits on the skin.

If you feel that the darkening of your underarms is due to hyperpigmentation, then it is best to consult a dermatologist and follow the prescribed medication if any.

5. Friction Caused By Tight Clothes

Underarms are sensitive areas and wearing tight clothing can cause friction between the cloth and your skin. This can cause discoloration.

It is always better to wear clothes that are not tight near sensitive areas. Wearing loose clothes, especially after underarms are waxed, is advised.

6. Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis nigricans is the medical term for darkened, thickened patches of skin that usually develop in the armpit and around the groin and neck. You’ll have thickened, brownish-grey or black patches of skin. These patches may occur anywhere, but are usually seen around the neck, in the armpit, around the groin, and sometimes in other skin folds. This medical condition is usually a sign of obesity, diabetes, or abnormal hormone levels.

Always consult a doctor to know what steps you can take to treat this condition. With proper guidance, this discoloration may be controlled.

7. Bacterial Infection

Our underarms are a perfect home for bacteria to dwell in. Excessive sweating can be the cause of bacteria being trapped in the skin in the underarms. The bacterium Corynebacterium minutissimum causes excessive sweating and the least serious problem is body odor. However, this can also cause a chronic infection in the deeper layers of the skin called erythrasma.

A visit to the doctor will help you if you think bacteria is causing darkness in your underarms.

8. Smoker’s Melanosis

Smoker’s Melanosis is a condition that results from tobacco smoking. In this case, hyperpigmentation is caused by smoking. The underarms will have dark patches as long as smoking continues.

Smoker’s Melanosis can be treated first by quitting the habit of smoking. Not only will it help in reducing the darkness in your underarms, you will be quitting a bad habit that harms other parts of the body, too.

9. Melasma

Melasma is a common skin problem. It is usually seen as dark patches on the skin. It appears mostly on those parts of the body that are exposed to the sun. Women are more likely to get melasma than men. This is also common during pregnancy because the hormones during this period seem to trigger melasma in women.

The most common treatment is applying sun protection on the skin at regular intervals. If it does not seem to fade, visit a doctor and follow the steps to recover from this skin problem

10. Addison’s Disease

Addison’s disease is caused when the adrenal gland is damaged. One of the symptoms of this is disease is darkening of the skin or hyperpigmentation.

Other symptoms of this disease include extreme fatigue, weight loss and decreased appetite, low blood pressure (even fainting), salt craving, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle or joint pains, irritability, depression, body hair loss, or sexual dysfunction in women.

It can affect people of any age, although it’s most common between the ages of 30 and 50. It’s also more common in women than men.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to visit the doctor and follow the steps to treat Addison’s disease.

Now that you know the reasons for your dark underarms, there is one important bit that has to be taken care of at all times.

Always make sure that you keep your body clean. It is important to shower at least once a day and stay hygienic.

12 Natural Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Dark Underarms

1. Lemons

It is the ultimate natural bleaching agent. You can use it to whiten any parts of the body, and that includes underarms too. Nevertheless, lemons are also good antiseptic agents, thus they get rid of odor from your underarms. All you have to do is just rub a slice of lemon against your armpit, and leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing. But however, bear in mind that lemons can dry out your skin. Therefore, we advise you to apply some moisturizer or body lotion afterwards.

 

2. Potatoes

Just like lemons, potatoes are bleaching agents too. But usually, potatoes are moisturizing and they rarely cause any skin irritations. They contain a mild portion of acid, which makes them beneficial for whitening purposes. You can either simply rub a slice of potato, or throw it into a blender and later squeeze the juice out to apply onto your underarms.

3. Cucumber

Rub a slice of cucumber daily on the affected area. This will bleach the skin, and keep I moist at the same time. You may also try this remedy along with some lemon juice or honey.

4. Saffron

Saffron to get rid of dark underarms? Who would have ever thought! All you have to do is to add a pinch of saffron to about two tablespoonfuls of mild lotion. Mix it well and apply onto your underarms. Not only does it whiten your skin, but it also gets rid of unpleasant odors from your armpit.

5. Baking soda

It does wonders to your underarms. FYI, baking soda is also a natural bleaching agent. But it is usually milder and does not trigger any side effects when used on skin. To use it for your underarms, make a thick paste out of baking soda and some water. Apply it onto the affected area, and leave it to dry. Once it dries, rinse off with lukewarm water.

6. Orange peel

This sure is one yummy, fragrant remedy! The bleaching work is done by the citric acid found in orange peels. Dry some orange peels under the sun for about three to four days or until the peels are completely dried. Grind them until they turn into powder form and store it in a tight container. Take about two tablespoon of it and mix with some rose water to apply on your underarms. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes before washing off with cool water.

7. Milk

It has been said that milk is equally as effective as lemons when it come to whitening. This is because milk contains some vitamins and fatty acids that will help brighten up the tone of your skin. Simple apply some milk on your underarms and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Repeat this daily for best results.

8. Coconut oil

There’s nothing that coconut oil can’t do! After all, it is an universal remedy for health and beauty. This remedy involves a slow whitening process. So we suggest that you use this remedy everyday. Massage some coconut oil into the skin of your underarms for about 10 to 15 minutes before taking your bath. FYI, coconut is a natural deodorant.

9. Vinegar

This remedy effectively rids unpleasant odors and any dark spots found in your armpit. Rub some vinegar onto your underarms and leave it on for at least 10 minutes before rinsing off. For better results, you may try mixing some rice flour with decent portion of vinegar and then apply. It will help kill the bacteria and germs caused by excessive sweating.

10. Gram flour

Gram flour is an incredible way to whiten any part of your body, and armpit is no exception. It can also get rid of acnes when applied on face skin. I would personally encourage you to try this remedy as it is not only effective, but also safe to try. Make a paste out of some gram flour, lemon juice and yogurt ( you may also use fresh curd). Apply this onto your underarms daily and watch the magic happen!

11. Apples

Scrubbing your armpits with mashed apple can actually get rid of dark spots and odors too. Apple contains acidity to some extent and AHA which is capable of killing germs and bacteria that cause the darkening of your underarms. It is also a great way to exfoliate your skin. Now this adds another reason to why you should become an apple lover.

12. Yogurt

Where there’s the whitening, there’s the yogurt. Yogurt is highly beneficial for your skin, including that of underarms. Yogurt when applied on underarms, especially with a mixture of honey will rid impurities that have been causing skin discoloration. It can also neutralize the odor from your armpit area. For this trick, mix in a bowl two tablespoons of yogurt with one tablespoon of honey. Apply onto your underarms, and leave it to dry. Rinse off with cool water.

5 Reasons Why Body Scrub Treatment Is A Number One Beauty Regimen

There is always an exciting feeling that comes with getting your skin polished, cleaned and buffed; it is called rejuvenation. Body scrub has been practiced for a long time using local remedies according to one’s culture and tradition or even preference. The Indians and Asians particularly love this treatment when getting their brides ready for their marriage ceremony. It is also common in Hausa culture here in Nigeria, when preparing the bride for their big day.
The treatment is a process that involves exfoliating the skin using an abrasive ingredient to buff and polish the skin. A major ingredient used are usually sugar and salt mixed with other ingredients, depending on what the client wants and skin specifications. It can be done as often as you want it done, people who are very meticulous about their skin prefer to do it once a month in a spa, which normally involves steaming the body in a sauna. It can also be bought and used at home during one’s spare time. For people who want to know more about body scrub, these are 5 reasons why you should be interested;
LIGHTENS SKIN NATURALLY
Bleaching and toning heavily is not the answer to beautiful skin. However, if you want to take off dirt and brighten your skin or even give an even complexion and take off dark marks, your answer is body scrub. Body scrub lightens the skin naturally by exfoliating dead skin, giving the skin a beautiful and brighter complexion.
SMOOTH AND SILKY
What better way to achieve smooth and silky skin other than by scrubbing your body with a body scrub. It is usually abrasive, but in turn gives a smooth finish after the whole process.
REMOVES UNWANTED HAIR FROM THE SKIN
You heard that right. The treatment removes unwanted hair from the skin. Body scrub treatments like Hammam which is an ancient Asian body scrub treatment, aside removing dirt from the skin removes hair too.
REMOVES PIMPLE
Body scrub has been known to take off pimple from the body especially when done with body steaming, thereby making the pimple soft enough to go off after scrubbing.
REDUCES BODY ACNE
Body acne cannot be totally cured but reduced with body scrub treatment. People with acne are advised to go for professional scrub treatment or use a body scrub at home to clear surface dirt and reduce the acne.

CAUSES OF INFERTILTY AND TREATMENT

Infertility is inability to pregnant after one year of trying. Or inability to pregnant after six months, if a woman is 35years or older. Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant can also be infertile. Pregnancy involves many steps. Before a woman gets pregnant, she must ovulate (release egg from one of her ovaries). Then the egg must pass through an oviduct or fallopian tube to the uterus. Along the way, a man’s sperm fertilizes the egg.

Causes of Testicular Pain

Like most men, they'd rather ignore the pain than go to the doctor and figure out why they are falling apart. That goes double when it comes to pain "down there." Most men experience testicular pain from just thinking about it, but many have experienced the real thing -- from a cyst to varicose veins in your scrotum that make it feel like a bag of worms.
As much as you might want to avoid a visit to a doctor's office, testicular pain isn't something you can disregard. There are a number of reasons why the egg-shaped sex glands in your scrotum may be hurting, and none of them are good. In many cases, trying to pretend the pain away could mean worsening your problem -- even to the point of needing surgery or getting your testicles removed. 

Possible Causes of Testicular Pain

The testicles are very sensitive. Even a minor injury can cause pain. Abdominal pain may occur before testicle pain in some conditions.
Common causes of testicle pain
include:

1. Injury

2. Infection or swelling of the sperm ducts ( epididymitis ) or testicles ( orchitis ).

3. Twisting of the testicles that can cut off the blood supply ( testicular torsion). It is most common in young men between 10 and 20 years old. It is a medical emergency that needs to be
treated as soon as possible. If surgery is performed within 6 hours, most testicles can be saved.

4. Mild pain may be caused by fluid
collection in the scrotum, such as:
Enlarged veins in the scrotum (varicocele )
Cyst in the epididymis that often contains dead sperm cells (spermatocele )
Fluid surrounding the testicle
( hydrocele )

5. Pain in the testicles may also be caused by a hernia or kidney stone.

Testicular cancer is almost always painless. But any testicle lump should be
checked out by your health care provider, whether or not there is pain.

Home Care:

Non-urgent causes of testicle pain, such as minor injuries and fluid collection, can often be treated with home care. The
following steps may reduce discomfort and swelling:

Provide support to the scrotum by wearing an athletic supporter.

Apply ice to the scrotum.

Take warm baths if there are signs of swelling.

While lying down, place a rolled towel under your scrotum.

Try over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Do NOT give aspirin to
children.

Preventive measures to take:
Prevent injury by wearing an athletic supporter during contact sports.
Follow safe sex practices. If you are diagnosed with chlamydia or another STD, all of your sexual partners need to be checked. If they are infected.
Make sure that children have received the MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella) vaccine.