Three particularly dark spots on the body… How can I get them back clean?

Elbows are particularly darker than other areas. Many people, thinking they're dirty, try rubbing them with a washcloth. Why are elbows so dark?

 

Calluses on the elbows are relatively common. This is because the elbows are structurally protruding, and the skin is relatively thick and wrinkled. Wrinkled skin, repeatedly folding and unfolding, can easily dry out. Dry skin, in turn, causes the skin to peel and build up, causing discoloration.

 

In particular, the elbows have fewer sebaceous glands than other areas to prevent dryness.

Avoid rubbing your elbows with a towel at this time. Forcibly removing dead skin cells may temporarily remove them, but it can damage the skin and lead to thicker dead skin cells. Dead skin cells are formed every two weeks, with the outermost layer shedding and the underlying layers growing back.

Therefore, if you have a lot of dead skin cells on your elbows, using a scrub product to remove them can be helpful. However, excessive exfoliation should be avoided. Exfoliation once or twice a week is adequate, and applying moisturizer afterward is recommended. Using whitening ointments or cosmetics can also be helpful. Whitening functional products work by interfering with the melanin synthesis process in areas with pigmentation, preventing the appearance of pigment.

 

Meanwhile, other areas besides the elbows can also darken: the armpits and groin. This, too, is related to skin characteristics. The armpits are prone to pigmentation due to frequent skin folds, and frequent hair removal can also irritate the skin and cause pigmentation.

 

Especially for those with sensitive skin, certain ingredients in hair removal products can irritate the skin, darkening it as if they were contact dermatitis. The groin area is also a sensitive area, prone to hyperpigmentation due to friction. Excessive exfoliation in the armpits and groin area can actually worsen hyperpigmentation, so gentle skin care and applying whitening products are helpful.

 

========================

If you have sensitive skin

I think the hair removal product ingredients are darkening.

Applying “whitening products” to the skin

Does this help?

 

I was only going to try whitening products on my face.