The two common causes of dark underarms (and elbows and knees, too)

In a recent episode of Pinoy MD, resident dermatologist Dr. Jean Marquez revealed the common causes of dark underarms, which also prove true for elbows and knees, too. See them below:

Products with high alcohol content. Look out for deodorants and antiperspirants with high alcohol content. These dry up your underarms, and when armpits get dry, they lose oil, thereby allowing friction. Friction irritates the skin, which results in producing unsightly darker underarms. 

The same is true for soaps and body scrubs that you apply to your elbows and knees. Using products with high alcohol content—and using them often!— dries up the skin, irritating it, and then resulting in thicker and darker skin.

Shaving. Because it brings about mechanical trauma, shaving is seen as a main cause for dark underarms. “Especially when you’re shaving on dry skin,” Dr. Marquez says. Shaving doesn’t just remove hair, it also takes with it a thin layer of skin, which again irritates the skin, resulting in thicker and darker skin.

Reminds Dr. Marquez, “when irritated, the skin thickens and then darkens.”

So what can you do? Moisturize!

Moisturizing prevents dry and thirsty skin.

You can get a hair laser removal treatment on your underarms, so you can stop shaving and the subsequent irritation, but if you're not ready for that yet, remember to moisturize before shaving.

Avoid products with high alcohol content. And for your elbows and arms, use sunscreen.—LA, GMA News