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Discover what causes skin discoloration on your underarms

As the body’s largest organ, skin goes through a lot on a day-to-day basis. Everything from your morning shower to walking in the sun can affect its appearance and texture. If you have ever wondered what causes skin discoloration, then you’ve come to the right place. Committed to making beauty a source of confidence, Dove is here to teach you all you need to know about underarm discoloration and skin hyperpigmentation.

06 December '23

1
What does melanin have to do with uneven skin tone?

Melanin is a natural skin pigment. If your skin is irritated, the body responds by producing melanin to protect and care for your skin. Melanin levels vary from person to person depending on their natural skin tone, so concentrations of the pigment may appear as it works to protect the body from UV light and irritation. This is known as skin hyperpigmentation due to increased melanin.
2
What causes skin discoloration on your underarms?

Your underarm skin color is mostly down to genetics, but irritation is also a factor. Shaving or even just friction can damage your skin so it produces melanin to try and protect itself, which creates a change in color and sometimes, texture.
3
Do I need to be worried about it?

More than 1 in 3 of the women we asked told us that they worry about discoloration underarms – so much that it’s impacted their lifestyle. The sheer amount of us who have underarm marks shows that it’s common.
4
How can I care for uneven underarm marks?

Underarm discoloration and marks occur naturally so aren’t anything to be concerned about, but if you do want to try and reduce uneven skin tone on your underarms there are a few things you can do. Try exfoliation before shaving, change your deodorant if it causes irritation, and wear loose-fitting clothes to allow skin to breathe.
5
Do home remedies work?

There's a low chance home remedies will actually do anything to restore natural skin tone. None have been proven to work, so if you have concerns, look out for our top tips.
How to prevent underarm irritation
6
Which deodorant is best for restoring natural skin tone?

Our Even Tone antiperspirant deodorants are specifically formulated to help reduce the appearance of underarm marks and restore and replenish natural underarm skin tone over a period of three weeks. And because it's an antiperspirant, it fits easily into your regular routine, so continuous use helps you to maintain underarms with an even tone. Whether you like an antiperspirant deodorant dry spray or stick, Dove Even Tone has both.