Breaking the Therapy

According to one doctor, sweat mixed with alum chloride, the active ingredient in most deodorants, can stain skin and your clothes. Using deodorants will prevent body odor all right, but the flipside is that it can also cause darkening of the skin.

Wondering which is a good antiperspirant ingredient? The newest ingredient, Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Glycine, is better tolerated by the skin and is less likely to cause irritation or acne. Furthermore, applying these antiperspirants before bedtime reduces the risk of their mixing with sweat, and eventually lessens incidence of stains.

Hair Begone

Whether you’re shaving, waxing, using depilatory creams or getting laser treatment, all may cause inflammation that breeds chicken skin and dark underarms. Shaving means hair is not pulled out completely from the roots, so it is often visible especially if you’re light-skinned. This leaves a “shadow” on your armpits, making them appear dark. Waxing on the other hand removes hair from the roots, which eventually becomes less traumatic for armpits. Also, waxing exfoliates the skin, removing dead skin cells, which gives your armpit a spa-treatment feel. Most dermatologists recommend waxing for at-home hair removal.

Permanent hair removal or “lasering,” although a bit pricey, is the safest way to hair removal. It is done once a month (but you have to undergo five sessions). Another way to remove unwanted hair is by using depilatory creams or hair removal creams. The only downside to this is that creams often contain harsh chemicals that are strong enough to literally melt the hair away. The use of these creams is okay once in a while, but don’t make it a habit, as prolonged use can darken skin.

To help counteract irritation and trauma to the skin, some experts recommend rubbing an ice dub over the area to reduce redness, inflammation, discomfort and the flare-up of unwanted, unsightly hair bumps. You may also consider taking a Tylenol or Advil before you remove hair to reduce the amount of inflammation that may arise.

Bleaching Out the Underarms

Apart from a plethora of over-the-counter products and derma-friendly procedure for underarm whitening, there’s the introduction of a ultrasound procedure that exfoliates the armpits using water while it bleaches. You can avail of this service at Belo Medical Group. Mesowhite is the newest addition to the science of skin whitening. This requires injecting Vitamin C to the dermis of your armpit for 6 sessions. Visible results can be seen on your 3rd visit (not for the faint-hearted). Salt mixed with grapeseed oil is another option, but of course dark underarm therapy should be done under the supervision of a licensed dermatologist.

For those of us who are on a tight budget and can’t afford these expensive procedures, there are several over-the-counter products that can whiten the skin, with tons of applications and patience required. Look for ingredients such as melawhite and other natural extracts like licorice, grapeseed, and Vitamin C. These natural extracts, when regularly used, can whiten the underarms. But before heading to the drugstores, make sure you consult your dermatologist for adequate advice regarding underarm therapy.