What are dark underarms? Dark underarms are particularly not harmful, however they do ruin our self confidence. The proper term for the discoloration is called hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is a common condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin colour, forms deposits in the skin. What causes dark underarms? Shaving may seem like the quickest technique to get rid of underarm hair. Having said that, razor blades can be abrasive as they remove the top protective layer of the skin, causing irritation. Tight clothing. Wearing very tight clothes generate friction against the skin and frequent rubbing can result in hyperpigmentation. Deodorants or antiperspirants. Deodorants contain paraben, alcohol and fragrances that can irritate the skin and cause inflammation leading to thickening and darkening of the skin over time. Many antiperspirants also use aluminum as an active ingredient, which clogs up the sweat ducts causing pigmentation in your underarms. Dead skin accumulation. Dead skin cells get accumulated in every part of your body and underarms are no different. When you don’t clean the area well or fail to scrub it every few days it can lead to darkening. Hormonal changes. Fluctuations of female hormones such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), pregnancies, even hormonal pills may cause our skin to produce more pigmentations over the folds on our body such as underarms, groins, or under our breasts. Very often dark underams