Let me see you put your hands up! These are the words you hear in concerts, parties, and yoga sessions. Everything just seems more fun and fantastic if you wave those hands up in the air like you just don’t care. But when you hear these words, does your mood suddenly shift from “Let’s do this!” to “Nah, I’m good”? If we are getting this right, one of the reasons may because you are not confident about your underarm.
We get it. Although it’s really sad how society and beauty standards taught us that underarms should be white, flawless, and sweat-free, we still can’t seem to accept that they may not be as shiny and sparkly like those of models. When it comes to our underarms, we don’t want them getting any sort of attention. So, we try to get rid of sweat and bumpy texture. Also, we do our best to keep it white and make it smell nice. In short, we just want a problem-free underarms. Is this so much to ask?
No matter what type of issues you have with your armpits, we are here to shed a light on your concerns. Remember, taking care of your underarm is not just about making it look pretty but also practicing proper hygiene to avoid any sort of skin problems to occur. Without further ado, let’s get right to your free guide on underarm care!
Why Should You Take Care of Your Underarms?
Is this something you might know the answer to? We say, yes and no. Showing your underarms some love and attention is like a basic practice to do. After all, it is also a part of your body. But why do most people tend to forget these babies? Is it because they can be hidden? Or maybe because they are not really the first thing that people notice when they look at you?
We always go gaga in purchasing products that will make our face look younger and free from any sort of unwanted features (wrinkles, acne, blackheads). The thing is, we sometimes do so much just to achieve the type of skin that we’ve been dreaming to have. However, giving your face too much attention also means that you might be neglecting another important area of your body – the underarms.
The Science Behind
The underarm area or armpits are one of the thinnest skin and most sensitive area in our body. Skin rubs on skin in this particular area which makes it prone to irritation. Since it also receives less light and air compared to the rest of our skin plus the use of harsh hair removal products and deodorants, it can lead to the darkening and sweating of our armpits.
Moreover, since our underarm area tend to be sweaty, moist, and dark, bacteria that cause body odor tend to enjoy this particular spot. The pH level in the rest of our skin is at 5.5 which forms a natural acidic layer that prevents it from growing bacteria. However, our underarms have a little higher rate at 6.5 pH wherein the lack of acidity makes it more prone to bacteria causing odor.
So, it is not just really about addressing the discoloration issues or rough texture of your armpits. Showing some TLC to these parts is being hygienic and avoiding any form of irritation from forming.
Common Underarm Problems
Now that you are well-aware of the significance of taking care of your underarms, it is time to know more about the problems that you might face if you don’t start giving them priority! Here are some common underarm issues to look out for.
Sweating and Body Odor
Sweating is normal. It’s part of our daily life. However, you should know that there are two different types of sweat glands in our body, one specifically is found in our underarms. The first type of sweat glands is the eccrine glands which is found in almost all skin in our body. It releases a watery sweat that maintain homeostasis and stabilize our body temperature throughout the day. On the other hand, appocrine glands releases a milky fluid that is higher in protein and fat. The property of these glands make it easier for bacteria to break down and thus creates a smelly body odor.
What may be the cause of sweating in this area, you may ask? Well, it can vary depending on the person. However, the feeling of being nervous and stressed may be one of the main reasons why you excrete too much sweat in your underarms. Since the appocrine glands are much sensitive to stress hormones, you are likely to sweat in this particular area more than the rest of your body.
Discoloration or Darkening
Dark underarms are often the main reason why individuals don’t wear sleeveless tops. Truth is, the discoloration in this area is not really something that you should stress about since it’s quite normal that underarms, elbows, and knees, are a shade darker than the rest of our skin. But since most people find it uncomfortable and embarrassing, they tend to look for whitening agents to address this concern.
There are various reasons as to why your armpits may appear dark. One of the main reason is when you expose this sensitive part to harsh chemicals which can be found in deo, wax, and cream. It can also result when inflammation occurs through plucking, shaving, or waxing your hairs. Moreover, dark underarms can also result from overexposure to UV rays that produces brown-colored pigment.
Ingrown Hairs
When dead skin cells clog hair follicles, the growth of hair moves sideways under the skin instead of upwards. Another reason for this is when the hair follicle is bent or twisted and penetrates back to the skin. The visible bumps that you see may be the result of tweezing, plucking, waxing, and shaving.
Aside from how it looks, ingrown hairs can also cause irritation, inflammation, and soreness. Ingrown hairs are know to just disappear on their own. Although nothing that serious is really at stake when you have ingrown hair, you should also watch out when they don’t improve at all since it might have been infected already.
Chicken Skin
The bumpy texture in your underarm also labeled as “chicken skin” is caused by too much keratin building up on your pores. Although the reason behind this skin condition is not really known, some professionals linked genetics or dairy and gluten consumption to be the culprit. It can also be triggered even more when using products that are highly fragrant and harsh body scrubs or exfoliating creams.
There is really no solution to address this concern. However, it is suggested to avoid being too rough on your underarms. Also, you should go easy on the exfoliating products that you use. You should also try to practice moisturizing your armpits to make it more smoother.
Show Your Underarms Some TLC
Underarm problems are not something that should really make us swear and cry. However, we understand that you may just want to feel confident in this particular area. So, we gathered some tips to help you come up with your very own underarm care routine.
Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliation gets rid of the deepest and well-hidden dirt in your skin. Cleansing alone will not work if you really want to keep your underarms smooth. Because of the countless products that we apply on our armpits, overtime it accumulates dirt and dead skin cells that may cause for bacteria and clogged pores to develop.
What exfoliation does is it gets rid of anything on top of your skin that may prevent you from getting the most from your hair removal procedures and products. Before removing your underarm hair, it is suggested to exfoliate once a week. When looking for a good exfoliating product, keep in mind to avoid those that have too much chemical ingredients since it may be harsh on your skin. Instead, look for products with exfoliating acids such as AHA which also aids in lighting your underarm.
Moreover, remember not to exfoliate if your skin is showing some allergic reaction, redness, or irritation since it might make your condition worse. Also, do not rub too much on your skin. We know that you want to say goodbye to those bad elements but being to harsh might do you more harm than good.
Choose A Proper Deodorant
We cannot stress this enough! Deo is one of the main products that we allow our underarms to absorb. It may seem like all deodorants out there are the same but really, they are not. Deodorants are our best pick in preventing body odor. However, deodorants are mostly confused with another underarm product. This is known as antiperspirants.
From the word itself, antiperspirants prevents our armpits from producing sweat. We already mentioned that sweating is normal and necessary, right? However, is you use antiperspirant instead of deodorant, you may be placing your underarms at risk of having clogged pores, bumpy skin texture, and irritation.
So, choose a deodorant that just have the right fragrance and moisture. Do not be too happy with a perfume type of deo since most of the time it contains harsh chemicals that might not work well with you underarms.
Practice Proper Hair Removal
There are many options in getting rid of your underarm hairs. From plucking, waxing, shaving, and tweezing, name it, and it’s there. When done properly, you are looking at a smooth texture of your skin without any strand of hair saying hello to anyone who sees it. However, do it aggressively and wrong, then you might be stranded on a dark and bumpy skin.
Not because you have the right equipment means that you can just work your way with it. Improper usage of hair removal products can burn your skin, cut your skin, and generally irritate your skin. So, it is very important to be gentle in removing your hair.
When you are using a shaver, make sure that the blade is new and is not rusty. If your shaver is not working well, your hair might not bite into the blade properly causing less hair to be removed and more friction to your skin. For waxing products, remember that your hair should have a certain length before your try to strip it off. If you hurriedly take out your hair, chances are you might be pulling too much on your skin which will hurt and cause irritation.
Underarms are also important, you know? It is not the first thing that people get to see but shouldn’t we be fair in all areas of our skin? As much as you need to address certain armpit problems, make sure to always consult your doctor before purchasing any product or undergoing any sort of treatment. You know, just so you get the best TLC for your underarms.