Are you plagued with dark armpits? Don't swear off sleeveless tops just yet - find out how your deodorant or anti-perspirant may be causing this problem, and how you can solve and prevent it

Dark underarms have always been a problem for women with pigmented skin. For some women, this is caused by pregnancy, and for others, the use of the wrong deodorant or anti-perspirant. Many commercial deodorants and anti-perspirants contain ingredients which are too harsh for underarm skin. Ingredients such as alcohol and aluminium salts irritate the underarm skin and can cause the area to darken.

Solutions

There are a few solutions to this problem. Chief among them is lightening the underarm area with whitening products. However, be careful about which whitening products you use for this purpose. Your underarm skin is sensitive, and too harsh a product will only solve the problem temporarily but cause further hyperpigmentation problems later on.
Exfoliating the area with a good physical scrub or chemical exfoliant will also make the area lighter, as exfoliating removes the darkened top layer of the skin.

Prevention is better than cure

Avoid deodorants that have too strong a fragrance, or deodorants that contain alcohol. Try a crystal deodorant instead. Always use a good sunblock on your underarms and all areas of the body.