Why do our nipples and privates darken?

Our breasts/nipples and genital areas can darken with age and irritation (rubbing of garments or breastfeeding), but the main cause is hormonal changes. This explains why it darkens a lot during puberty and also with pregnancy, causing pigments in your skin.

This is similar to pigmentation on the face, which hormonal changes is a huge factor for many Asian women. Other types of pigmentary changes found during pregnancy include dark underarms, development of a dark line called linea nigra down the middle of the tummy, as well as the worsening of existing pigmentation such as freckles and birthmarks.

While these changes and dark pigments may fade gradually after pregnancy, they usually never revert completely to a pre-pregnancy state. Many ladies look to lighten these private areas and opt for whitening treatments like armpit whitening treatment to reverse the effects of pregnancy and to regain that nubile attractiveness.

Examples of pigmentary changes in a women’s body:

  • Nipple darkening
  • Underarm pigmentation (dark underarms)
  • Linea nigra
    this dark vertical line down the centre of the tummy can sometimes be an early sign of your pregnancy!
  • Genital darkening
    genitals normally have more pigmented cells than other body areas, and this melanosis is increased with hormonal changes during and after pregnancy. It is not a disease or anything to be stigmatised against, but some individuals prefer a lighter genital area, just as some people want a bikini hair removal.

Various Evidence Based Options

Never start skin pigmentation treatments like underarm whitening treatment in Singapore without a proper medical examination to rule out dangerous or cancerous skin disease. Treatment with good skincare, topical/oral medication and medical peels are all age-old proven therapies for many types of skin pigmentation. More recently, laser treatment is proving to be the mainstay of skin pigmentation and underarm whitening treatment based on the direct targeting of diseased pigmentation cells with various lasers. Various types of removal laser treatment can help target different types of skin problems and pigmentation such as underarm pigmentation more effectively.

All of the above are suitable pigmentation and skin whitening treatments in Singapore, including underarm whitening treatments.

Various lasers with various depths and targets.

The Veritas Method

Nipple and private area whitening treatment is one of the hardest pigmentary conditions to manage, since the pigmentary conditions and skin cells are complex and the areas affected are delicate. There are very few treatment centres that treat this condition routinely, because run of the mill treatments will yield poor results but have disastrous consequences.

Some possible consequences caused by whitening these areas include skin irritation, worsening of pigmentation and patchy overlightening. It is important not to use medical creams that can cause irritation in this area, so even the topicals need to be specially selected. A popular medical ingredient used in many illegal overseas retailers (which cannot be well regulated by HSA) include hydroquinone, which has been banned in some Europe countries due to the possibility of repercussions with its long term usage. While we still use hydroquinone for certain pigmentary conditions, we do not recommend it for body whitening because of its potential for irritation and other side effects.

Body and private whitening like underarm whitening is more complex because of the deeper layers of pigmentation involved in areas like the underarms, as well as the poorer healing capability of body skin as compared to facial skin. This is why it requires proper equipment (only a combination works) and proper expertise to optimally treat this condition and the underarms.

A common mistake when it comes to skin pigmentation treatment like underarm whitening is to rely on a single (often very hyped in the media) treatment device which can miraculously treat skin pigmentation. The latest trend is Q Switched/Pico laser for pigmentation treatment. Please take note that this is suboptimal because whitening technology like Pico laser is only 1 part of our treatment protocol for skin pigmentary conditions like dark underarms – it normally targets 1 layer very well, and needs to be combined with other whitening laser treatments for optimal results. Single device laser treatments usually result in unsatisfactory results and high side effects. This clinical paper showed how a very useful laser caused multiple ramifications when used alone excessively: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4695430/

FAQs

What are dark underarms caused by?

Dark underarm skin can be caused by an imbalance of hormones like abnormal levels of progesterone and oestrogen which causes skin to darken. Dark underarm skin can also be a result of dead skin cells build up, some lifestyle habits and harsh ingredients from skin care products. This dark underarm dilemma actually affects a lot of women, and many opt for underarm whitening treatments.

Can underarm hair cause the skin colour of armpits to darken? Will laser hair removal treatment work?

Yes, underarm hair also adds to the appearance of dark skin on armpits. Instead of shaving or other hair removal treatment, laser hair removal treatment can help in permanent hair loss in that area and thus underarm whitening too.

Contact Us

Please drop us a call or send in a contact form and we’ll be happy to assist you.

13 Stamford Rd, #B2-35 Capitol Singapore, Singapore 178905

ask@veritas.com.sg

+65 6283 3885

+65 8129 9789

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