Dark Armpits

[Eva726]

Hello Doctor,

So ever since I could remember, I've hard dark armpits that are brownish/gray. It's so embarrassing! I love tank tops but I hate my armpits.

I am Chinese a chinese 18-year-old female so I don't have very smelly sweat. I eat healthy, exercise moderately, and I'm not overweight. I do have mild eczema all over my body that I've managed to control and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a pain specialist some years ago because I had been in a car accident when I was 12 years old.

Please tell me why my armpits are so dark and how I can get rid of it. I'll do anything!

Thanks so much!

[Eva726]

Thanks for the reply!

I've actually had erythrasma before when I was very young but it's not like the darkness  of my armpits. My armpits don't itch or burn, and the darkness doesn't spread or change very much.

I get sweat dermatitis too during the summers (and sometimes on my armpits because it is so warm and damp!) but that goes away with corticosteroid cream that I use for my eczema.

I've noticed that I get warm and cold very easily so I break into a sweat several times a day simply because my sweater is a little warm. The excess sweat is probably causing the discoloring so I'll try to keep it cool and dry.

Thanks!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Darkening of the armpits can be continuous sweating in the area or skin conditions like erythrasma. The main treatment for sweat dermatitis is prevention. The best thing to consider is to prevent that portion of the body from sweating like by wearing light and cotton clothes, taking cool refreshing baths, maintaining the temperature in your homes and cars and avoiding strenuous activities.

If however sweat dermatitis occurs, then please apply calamine lotion on the rashes. If the symptoms are severe then please get erythrasma ruled out from a dermatologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.