Dark armpits?

I know a number of people who have major issues with dark armpits, especially because it give the illusion that one hasn't removed their armpit hair. Today, I thought it may be interesting to discuss a few techniques you could try in order to set this issue straight.

What causes dark armpits in the first place?

There can be a number of different causes for this:

• allergies/sensitivity: maybe to the hair removal cream you're using, or to roll-on/deodorants with alcohol or an ingredient called Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY
• waxing: creates heat and possibly lifts off a little more than the dead skin layer upon removal
• shaving: also, by possibly pressing a little to hard and shaving off a little more that the dead skin, possibly using the wrong type of shaving stick, or as a result of little cuts you get each time you make a wrong move
• ingrown hairs

What can you do to try and fix it?

• laser hair removal: which is not always an affordable option but well worth the investment and you'll never have to shave afterwards
• try using an epilator, this plucks the hair from the root and does damage the skin's surface eg. Phillips has a number to choose from
• try using deodorant/roll-on with no alcohol or for sensitive skin eg. The Body Shop or Nivea etc
• exfoliate your underarms twice a week to get rid of the dead skin and encourage new brighter looking skin to come to the surface - some people use baking soda for this (refer to my previous post on bicarb here)
• rub your underarms with a lemon slice, after taking a shower at night
• try sugaring (it's a form of hair removal, similar to waxing but more gentle)
• underarm lightening deodorant/roll-on 

Do you have issues with dark armpits? What have you tried and did it work? Leave your comments below :)