Today, where overt appearances make a huge impact, darkened skin patches can affect the psyche of a person and make him or her conscious and embarrassed. Fashion trends have paved way for many clothing styles that expose regions such as the back, waist etc, and require one’s skin to look evenly colored if not radiant. Although skin color is primarily determined by genetics, factors such as exposure to the sun, diet, hormonal imbalances, obesity, excessive use of chemical based beauty products, tight clothing, etc, can affect the skin tone and color adversely leading to hyper-pigmented back, underarms, neck, regions under skin folds, inner thighs, and make for an unpleasant experience.
Dark skin in the region of the neck, back and waist is not uncommon. Many young and old people suffer from such a condition where although most of their skin is light toned, certain regions can be dark or hyper pigmented. In such cases it is important to identify the cause and then work towards it. Simultaneously cleansing, exfoliating and bleaching/peeling and nourishing the hyper pigmented skin can lighten dark patches and brighten the skin tone.
Cleansing: This is a very important step and must be done with care. The back, neck and waist junction must be cleaned with a good soap. Gram flour paste made with water is an effective cleanser and can remove grime and uric acid (as a result of sweating) built up, which are the primary causes of darkening of skin.
Exfoliating: Coarsely powder almonds, mixed with milk make an instant scrub. This can be used as an exfoliating scrub to remove dead cells and reveal younger skin. When done consistently over a period of time, the hyper pigmented patches will eventually fade to give way to lighter skin. Alternatively sugar also works as a good scrub.
Bleaching and Peeling: Lemon juice works as an excellent bleach. Lemon juice mixed with honey and turmeric can be used as a face pack. Rubbing papaya over dark areas over a period of is also known to lighten skin tone. The enzyme papain in papaya acts as a natural peeling agent. Another ingredient, which acts as an effective peel is raw milk. Apply it over pigmented areas and leave on as long as possible.
Nourishing: Well nourished skin takes good care of itself. Make sure your diet provides you with adequate Vitamin E and C. Wheatgerm is an excellent source of Vitamin E and citrus fruits can provide you with the daily Vitamin C dosage. In addition to consuming Vitamin C and E, juice of these fruits and Wheatgerm oil can be applied topically to provide additional nourishment.
Take care so as not to indulge in sour and pungent foods. Your diet must primarily comprise whole foods and grains, vegetable and fruits. Steer away from processed and refined foods.