Thread: Underarms never look smooth/hairless

I have dark hair and pale skin, and I find that my underarms never look clean-shaven. You can still see the dark hairs under the skin even immediately after I've shaved.

I tried waxing early in the summer, but it didn't remove all the hair and my underarms still looked shadowed from what was left under the skin. I suspect part of the problem was that I had only let the hair grow out for 10 days or so before I waxed, but summer is not the ideal time to let your underarm hair grow out!

Does anyone have any suggestions for this problem? Would (better) waxing or a depilatory like Nair be a potential solution?

Pretty much all I can find online when I search for information on this describes dark skin discoloration under the arms, not a dark look caused by dark hair, and no one else I know seems to have the same issue.

Help meeeeee!

Actually, I have the same issue with my armpits and, to a lesser extent, my legs. I've never found anything to help it, so I just deal with it. I suppose electrolysis might work, but I've never tried it.

Laser hair removal is supposed to be particularly effective on the light skin/dark hair combination. It's not cheap, but it's permanent. Have you talked to a dermatologist or electrolysist about this?

I tend to have the same problem, and right before I dance, I actually put a foundation onto my underarms and it makes them look flawless!

I have had the same problem for ages now, and I also get very painful (not to mention unattractive) ingrown hairs.

I have a handheld plucking thing that I got from CVS for about forty dollars, and that has just about saved my life! I use it on my legs as well. It's made by Emjoi, and I'd definitely recommend getting the hand-held size rather than the smallish ones that are intended for the upper lip. Those tend to be less powerful anyway.

It hurts a WHOLE lot less than waxing and has so far never bruised my skin or left marks.

I've been sugaring with good results. It lasts about a week to a week and a half. Here's the recipe I use and how to guide
Homemade Hair Removal- Do You Have Any Homemade Hair Removal Recipes?
I've successfully sugared 3 times now but I made the mix 5. You have to get it just right or it won't work. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Laser hair removal is supposed to be particularly effective on the light skin/dark hair combination. It's not cheap, but it's permanent. Have you talked to a dermatologist or electrolysist about this?

Sadly, it is not permanent.

But light skin/dark hair is the ideal combination to zap with the laser b/c the laser seeks pigment. It may make the growth lighter but as far as thick hair that is dark, it will eventually grow back, even with laser.

Doesn't Dove make a deodorant that's supposed to gradually fade the appearance of stubble? I haven't tried it, but I'm wondering if this might be a good minimally invasive alternative

Originally Posted by Azhia

Sadly, it is not permanent.

But light skin/dark hair is the ideal combination to zap with the laser b/c the laser seeks pigment. It may make the growth lighter but as far as thick hair that is dark, it will eventually grow back, even with laser.

I've never had it done, but I thought after a couple of rounds of treatment, regrowth was substantially diminished. Even old-fashioned electrolysis doesn't get all of the hairs in one cycle of treatment.

I read somewhere that exfoliating the arm pit helps to remove dead cells that build up and make the area look darker. Might be worth a try.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

I've never had it done, but I thought after a couple of rounds of treatment, regrowth was substantially diminished. Even old-fashioned electrolysis doesn't get all of the hairs in one cycle of treatment.

Substantially diminished, definitely yes. Permanent, definitely no.

It helps if you have regularly removed hair from an area for a period of time and then get that area lasered. I haven't had to deal with underarm hair for years.

However, other areas that did not get waxed as much, but still got lasered, I still have to get that waxed off. Will not get lasered again. I would undergo another 13-hour tattoo any day, than 2 minutes of laser. ..c::

I don't have super dark hair, but I find I have the best and smoothest results if I use a depilatory (I find Veet works better than Nair for me), followed by shaving with a safety razor to get any strays that the depilatory missed.

i have the same problem...dark hair and light skin. i shave and just ignore the shadows and hope no one is staring at my pits :(
i hate having dark hair sometimes lol

Originally Posted by Azhia

Will not get lasered again. I would undergo another 13-hour tattoo any day, than 2 minutes of laser. ..c::

Why, is laser painful?

electrolysis is permanent and good for any color hair/skin. make sure you go to someone who is licensed, and in good standing with the state board. take something like tylenol before you go in and you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

I've never had it done, but I thought after a couple of rounds of treatment, regrowth was substantially diminished. Even old-fashioned electrolysis doesn't get all of the hairs in one cycle of treatment.

True, but it does take several applications. I had a couple of dark hairs on my chin that eventually were gotten rid of but it took several applications. And I too am in this five o'clock shadow category. I sometimes wonder if leg makeup by Sally Hansen would help cover this up.

Sounds like it would be easier buying a tub of Nads then cooking up your own sugaring goo.

I'm doing laser hair removal, and, no, it's not necessarily permanent. I learned that hair growth goes through dormant cycles. In twenty years, I might be growing "new" underarm hair. But, then again, everyone is different.

If you sign up for laser hair removal, make sure to find one with a lifetime policy of some sort. The office visits are usually very low so you don't have to worry about future treatments. That is, if they stay in business for the next two or three decades. Ha, ha.

Thus far, my results have been ideal. I have tanned skin and dark hair. Since my first treatment, I noticed a significant change. After two weeks, the underarm discoloration started to lighten up. The hair growth still goes through stages but I don't have that intense darkness that embarrased the heck out of me. I couldn't stand to raise my arms in class. I felt like the whole world had a magnifying glass pointed at my pits.

I have a bit of shadow but it doesn't bother me - but then, I happily sported unshaven armpits for about a decade. If I am performing I always shave with my shower, so I have just freshly done it.

I always remember reading that Danny La Rue shaved (his face) several times when preparing to do his drag act. Maybe shaving twice would help?

Originally Posted by zumarrad

I always remember reading that Danny La Rue shaved (his face) several times when preparing to do his drag act. Maybe shaving twice would help?

Never works for me.

I have this problem too and have been using an epilator which works really well. My pits don't look as dark after using it, and the hair grows back less and less each time, which also helps lighten the area.

Don't kid yourself though - it hurts! But it's a manageable hurt and only a few minutes a week.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Braun-5270-Silk-%C3%A9pil-Xelle-System/dp/B000EZYKTS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1250175422&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Braun 5270 Silk-épil X'elle Body System Epilator: Health & Personal Care[/ame]

Theshadow on the underarms is caused by the root of the hair thats still under the skin. Sahving doesnt help because it leavesthe root there. You need to pull the hair out by the root.

Ihave a friendwho uses tweezers to pluck out her underarm hairs one atatime. She admits the inital hairremoveal is timeconsuming maybe 60-90 minutes per armpit but says once its done then you only need 10-15 minutes a day to stay hairfree. She says it doesnt hurt as much as an epilator or waxing and lasts longer than shaving.

Im interested n hearing more about electrolysis and laser.

I have this problem as well. I shave every day, but can't get it completely invisible. I even had a contest judge write a comment that I had five o'clock shadow under my arms! How embarrassing!

It generally doesn't bother me. I use an Epilady on my legs and it's pretty much kills most of the hair there. I've never tried it on my pits... might be worth a go. The epilator works very well and the pain diminishes after you use it a few times.

No advice/tips, but just wanted to "Thank You!" to Incognita for posting this; I'll be watching-reading-learning from this thread with a great deal of vested personal interest (same issue myself:))

Originally Posted by phillyraqs

Amazon.com: Braun 5270 Silk-épil X'elle Body System Epilator: Health & Personal Care

I second the epilator suggestion if you think you can tolerate it. It hurts the first time, but it is significantly less painful on subsequent uses due to the fact that the hair grows in finer (not stubbly) and it all doesn't grow in at once so there is usually less to take off. I use it on my pits about once a week for probably no more than a minute each.

I absolutely love mine.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I've been feeling even more acutely embarrassed about this issue since I asked my mom (a blonde) for advice, and she said: "Wow! That's so strange. I've never seen anything like that before!" It's so great to hear that I'm not the only person in the world with awkwardly stubbly underarms.

Originally Posted by jewelsdances

I tend to have the same problem, and right before I dance, I actually put a foundation onto my underarms and it makes them look flawless!

That's a great suggestion. I'll have to keep this in mind for performances while I keep looking for hair removal alternatives!

Originally Posted by Candide

I have had the same problem for ages now, and I also get very painful (not to mention unattractive) ingrown hairs.

Same here! The worst of all possible worlds.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

I always remember reading that Danny La Rue shaved (his face) several times when preparing to do his drag act. Maybe shaving twice would help?

I've tried shaving multiple times to no avail, unfortunately. Since the roots of the hair are the problem, multiple shavings only leave my skin more irritated, so that I wind up with dark roots and irritated red bumps.

Thanks to all who suggested an epilator! I didn't even know those existed, and I'm definitely going to give one a shot. I have tried tweezing the hairs individually, as mysterywoman suggested, if you can believe it, but they seem to grow back too fast to make that a feasible option for me. I was never able to keep on top of it, although the appearance of my underarms, while the effect lasted, was substantially improved.

My life's in too much transition right now for me to commit to laser removal or electrolysis, but I may consider it in the future. I have a friend who's had her whole body done and has nothing but praise for the process.

I had all my underarm hair removed with electrolysis for the same reason as the OP (light skin / dark hair combo) and I recommend it, but it's not a short-term solution. As in, if you go the electrologist TODAY, you will probably have some unattractive bumpy red spots under your arms for a couple of days, followed by growth of new hairs that were dormant and not treated at the last session. After a couple of weeks of that, though, your hair starts thinning out significantly and the "shadow" is less visible when you shave between treatments. After a couple of months I stopped shaving at all and was basically doing touch-ups every 6 weeks or so.

I started my treatments in the fall and wasn't performing at the time so there was no reason to go sleeveless and show my bumpy red spots from the treatment. By the time spring rolled around I was ready to look great in sleeveless tops or BD costumes without a shadow when I shaved. After a few more months I didn't bother shaving either.

If you want to go the electrolysis route, it's recommended that you stop waxing or plucking because it changes the growth pattern of the hair and makes it more difficult to treat.

I was a volunteer at an electrolysis school in Dallas so I got all my treatments for free - and I was a freelance writer so I had the free time to go at odd times during the day. If I was doing it all over again with a day job, I might have laser first to drastically cut down on the hair and then finish up with a few electrolysis treatments. That seems to me like the fastest and most cost-efficient way to get permanent results.

For the I-need-help-now solution, try dusting talcum powder under your arms. The white color lightens the area.

Originally Posted by jewelsdances

I tend to have the same problem, and right before I dance, I actually put a foundation onto my underarms and it makes them look flawless!

Great idea, Jewels!! I'm gonna try this. What type of foundation do you use so that it doesn't run when you sweat?

Originally Posted by mysterywoman

Ihave a friendwho uses tweezers to pluck out her underarm hairs one atatime. She admits the inital hairremoveal is timeconsuming maybe 60-90 minutes per armpit but says once its done then you only need 10-15 minutes a day to stay hairfree. She says it doesnt hurt as much as an epilator or waxing and lasts longer than shaving.