Creams available in pharmacies can change the tone of the skin, but they need time to take effect
Various creams, ointments, and deodorants promise to lighten spots in areas like the armpits and bikini line quickly and with little effort. But not all of them work as advertised, and some products can actually make the marks worse.
According to Dr. Camila Hoffmann, dermatologist From German Oswaldo Cruz Hospital (HAOC), these areas are generally a shade darker than the natural body color (without the effects of the sun). “We will never have these areas with the same tone as our skin, so if the darkening is naturally small, it is already considered satisfactory,” she says.
Additionally, some skin tones tend to change color more easily. Elisete Crocco, coordinator of the cosmetics department of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD), explains that darker skin, which has more melanin, tends to darken more.
“What most creams do is remove the pigment that’s trapped inside the cells. These are our keratinocytes, where melanin is deposited. The active ingredients can also inhibit the production of new pigment by these melanin producers,” she explains.
Why does the skin darken?
The main cause of this increased melanin production is minor trauma. This is what happens in the fold areas: the skin is in constant friction with itself or with clothing, causing small inflammatory processes.
This also occurs in men, especially in the groin area, due to contact with the scrotum. They may also have spots under the armpits, but since this population tends to maintain hair, the hair is there to protect them from trauma.
Waxing, on the other hand, causes even more irritation. Camila emphasizes that “the best type of hair removal is the one that the patient adapts to best”, however, if the person wants a less abrasive method, laser hair removal is the most recommended, especially because it lasts longer and does not generate new hairs. those.
Another possible cause of stains is resistance insulina hormone produced in the pancreas that controls blood sugar levels. In these cases, the cream is useless and the patient is advised to consult an endocrinologist to treat this resistance before attempting to change the color of the skin.
“It’s important to note that this doesn’t just happen to overweight people, it can happen to thin people, too,” Camila adds.
Choosing a good cream
Experts agree that some creams available in pharmacies and sold without a prescription work, but require at least two weeks of use. Also, since the concentration of active ingredients is lower, the creams may not achieve the desired tone.
If there is still interest in these products, the SBD spokesperson’s advice is to avoid retinoic acids, also known as retinol. “These are acids with a high potential for irritation or flaking, which can cause trauma and, if the person is exposed to the sun, they can still stain,” explains Elisete.
Your doctor will teach you how to swap this acid for other substances, such as kojic acid, mandelic acid, or niacinamide. Typically, creams use at least two or three different whitening active ingredients.
She adds that these same acids can be sold in the form of a serum or cream to be applied to the face, in different formulations than those for the body. “The face is a smaller and more sensitive area. Under the armpit, for example, the skin is more compact and worn, and it also needs a formulation that releases the substance little by little, over a longer period of time,” she explains.
Homemade recipes
Homemade recipes, in most cases, do not work and can even make the spots worse, doctors say.
“I see many patients who use tea, especially picão tea, which is poisonous. The action of the herbs in contact with the sun can generate an allergy that will only worsen the browning,” warns Elisete.
It’s also important to be wary of any recipes that involve lemon or vinegar—which can cause burns—and to avoid corticosteroids. Camila says corticosteroids increase blemishes and can make stretch marks harder to remove. “Stretch marks can be up to a finger’s thickness,” she says.
The best solution, they emphasize, is to contact a dermatologist, who will investigate the cause of the stain to formulate the appropriate active ingredients for effective whitening. Another tip is to understand that this is a natural process and there are no risks in maintaining the stains, since reversing the situation only brings aesthetic benefits.
Source: Terra
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