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Most people are embarrassed about their dark underarms, which cause them to avoid wearing sleeveless tops and bathing suits in public.

Like any kind of skin blemish and discoloration, dark underarms can result in a lack of confidence and self-esteem.

But what causes the discoloration exactly?

According to experts, there are various causes for armpits to darken including external factors like deodorants or antiperspirants, shaving, lack of exfoliation, friction from wearing tight-fitting clothes, and smoker's melanosis (hyperpigmentation caused by smoking).

Other causes of dark underarms include hyperpigmentation (increased melanin), acanthosis nigricans (a sign of obesity), erythrasma (bacterial infection), melasma (dark patches on the skin), and Addison's disease (damaged adrenal gland).

So how do you lighten underarms naturally?

The first step is to address the factors you can control, like:

• Changing your deodorant or antiperspirant to alternative methods like baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Some people even recommend to stop using deodorant altogether.
• Stop shaving. Excessive shaving causes friction resulting in discolored dark underarms. Most people try to switch to regular waxing for hair removal than shaving.
• Exfoliate at least two or three times a week to slough off dead skin cells.
• Wearing loose-fitting clothes
• Stop smoking

The second step is going for alternative methods recommended by Pinoy MD resident dermatologist Dra. Jean Marquez.

Here are some of her suggested ways in lightening your underarms:

1. Use baking soda as a deodorant

Did you know that human sweat is actually odorless? Sweat only gains an odor after it is broken down by bacteria in your armpits converting it into acidic waste products.

To eliminate the smell of sweat, try patting baking soda onto your armpits to make sweat less acidic.

2. Try using aloe vera

Aloe vera contains anti-bacterial properties to help soothe and lighten your skin.

Dra. Jean Marquez suggests gently massaging aloe vera extracts onto your underarms and let it dry for 20 minutes and then rinse it off with water.

3. Go for laser treatments

Suitable for cases in which underarm pigmentation has not responded to topical creams, underarm whitening laser treatments help break down the melanin to help lighten the underarms faster. The degree of improvement will depend on factors such as depth, severity, and skin type.

If you are concerned about the skin of your underarms being darker than the rest of your body, discuss your situation with your doctor.

If your underarms aren't the result of an underlying condition needing medical treatment, talk with your doctor about some of the alternatives for lightening underarms.

For more tips, watch this episode from Pinoy MD:

How to get even-toned, smoother underarms

READ: 5 natural ways to lighten your underarms