For women, pregnancy will never be an easy job. Some wouldn’t even want to be in that position for various reasons. A medical condition, fear of parenthood, overwhelming responsibilities, busy schedule, chosen profession, body changes, mental and financial instability, individual goals, and even morning sickness— any of these could be your reason. As for me, it’s all about what pregnancy might do to my poor armpits. I’m not kidding!

Are you curious enough to know what your armpit looks like during pregnancy? Are you afraid of pregnancy, as well, due to the possible changes that might affect not only your whole life but your body, as well? If you’re pregnant, try to observe your armpits and see if there’s skin discoloration, excessive sweating, lumps, and rashes going on. After that, you might, as well, try gender prediction basing on your armpit’s pigmentation. Tell us in the end if it’s true!

   

CONDITIONS OF ARMPIT DURING PREGNANCY 

A child is considered a blessing for people, but the aftermath of pregnancy on a woman’s body, specifically on a woman’s armpit, might affect her physically and mentally. Here are the changes on your armpit that you might encounter during pregnancy and on how you can cope up with them right after:

1. SKIN DISCOLORATION (HYPERPIGMENTATION)

What causes skin discoloration? You might’ve asked this to yourself a few times already. There are a lot of factors why discoloration on the armpit happens, and that includes pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, your armpit might’ve darkened because of hormonal changes. The increase in melanin during pregnancy causes skin discoloration not only on your armpit but on the other body parts, as well. The discoloration underarms will fade away months after the pregnancy, but that’s not the case for all expectant moms. 

Do you know the Mask of Pregnancy? 

 Melasma is a skin condition, specifically a tan skin discoloration, that happens during pregnancy, and this is what they call the Mask of Pregnancy. Asian and Middle eastern are most likely to experience Melasma due to the excessive melanin in our bodies. In short, Melasma happens to people with darker skin tones. 

An expectant mom encounters increased estrogen, progesterone, melanocyte-stimulation hormones (MSH) during the second and third trimesters of the reproductive period. There’s no identified root of melasma occurrences other than the external sun exposure that might’ve easily darkened the armpits during pregnancy. Do not worry if you’re experiencing Melasma today because it immediately fades away after pregnancy, but to be sure, avoid direct sun exposure to ease the possible discoloration.

How is it treated?

If you’re not a hundred percent convinced that Melasma will fade away after pregnancy, try the treatments below to get rid of it yourself.

Medication and Procedures

Consult a dermatologist for a prescription-strength medication. DO NOT BUY MEDICATION IF NOT PRESCRIBED. 

• Prescription-strength hydroquinone creams. Hydroquinone slows down the production of melanin. If you’re about to apply this on your armpit, make sure to cover yourself with sunscreen right after to avoid direct sun exposure. If you have a worse condition of Melasma, your dermatologist might prescribe you higher-strength cream.

•  Azelaic acid. Azelaic acid exfoliates the skin. This prescription strength is also as effective as hydroquinone, but with few side effects, such as burning sensation, skin peeling, and redness. 

• Tranexamic acid. Tranexamic acid is safe for all skin types and colors. It provides anti-inflammatory that eases pigment production process and helps restore the skin barrier, as well. 

 

Home Remedies and Procedures

It’s advisable to consult a dermatologist first to ensure the procedure’s safety. 

1. Lemon, Baking Soda, and Honey

If you wished to exfoliate your armpits to whiten the darkened underarms— lemon, baking soda, and honey is the perfect home remedy for you!

Ingredients: 

• Lemon
• Baking Soda
• Honey

Procedures: 

1. Lemon and Baking Soda 
2. Cut a lemon in half and rub the halves over the armpits. 
3. Take about half a teaspoon of Baking Soda and rub it on in a circular motion.
4. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash off. 

 

2. Lemon, Honey, and Baking Soda

1. Mix some Lemon Juice and Honey equally in a small dish. 
2. Apply it on the armpits and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with luke water. 
3. Apply baking soda as before and leave it on for 10 minutes before washing.

 

3. Apple Cider Vinegar 

If you wished to get rid of dead cells on your armpits to whiten your darkened underarms, apple cider vinegar is the perfect home remedy for you! 

Ingredients: 

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Water

Procedures: 

1. First, take three (3) tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on a cup of water. 
2. Mix it.
3. Apply it on your darkened armpits and let it stay for five minutes.
4. Rinse. 
5. Repeat the process for days for the best result.

Other Home Remedies that you can try: 

1. Aloe Vera Gel- apply it on your armpit and let it dry for 15 minutes. 
2. Potato Remedy- peel the potato, squeeze it, apply it on your armpits, and rinse after 10 minutes. 
3. Sugar and Olive Oil- exfoliate your armpit with sugar and hydrate it with olive oil. Scrub the mixture of two on your armpits, leave it for 10 minutes before rinsing. 

 

2. EXCESSIVE SWEATING

Excessive sweating at night during pregnancy is one of the dilemmas that an expectant mom has to experience, and they call this pregnancy glow, as well. During pregnancy, your body temperature increases due to the growing baby in your tummy. Sweating regulates your body temperature to avoid overheating, which might lead to stroke and other complications unhealthy for you and the baby.

Make sure to drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself and replace what you lose when sweating. Dress comfortably to ease the irritability from excessive sweating. Do not forget to take a bath or a quick shower, as well, with lukewarm water. Apply antiperspirant on your armpit at night to stop the sweating and possible unwanted odor. Call your doctor if you’re feeling itchy all over, dehydrated due to excessive sweating and if your sweating does not get better after a month of giving birth. 

3. ARMPIT LUMPS

Who wouldn’t get worried if you see lumps on your armpit during pregnancy? What if the armpit lump indicates a condition? What if it’s cancerous? Understandably, you might worry yourself too much once you see one on your armpits because aside from the fact that it looks cancerous, you’re pregnant, as well, reacting to hormonal change. Where does it come from? Lumps are part of your breast that expands during pregnancy. Most armpit lumps go away after pregnancy, but it’s advisable to consult a doctor for assurance. 

If your armpit lumps hurt, you can try hot compresses, over-the-counter pain medicine, acne type medication, and antibiotics if there’s an existing infection. Do not squeeze your armpit lumps!

FINAL THOUGHTS

For women, pregnancy will never be an easy job. An expectant mother has to sacrifice a lot of things in life. It’s not just about parenthood and all the underlying responsibilities. It’s all about their sacrifices, as well, to birth life into this world. The armpit is one of the things an expectant mother might be insecure about due to the mentioned conditions. 

Armpit conditions are more than just a way of gender prediction. If you’re one of those people who shamelessly look for pregnant woman’s armpits so you could predict their child’s gender, please, stop it. Be sensitive. 

If you’re pregnant today experiencing all the mentioned armpit conditions in this article, please know that you’re a hero sacrificing your well-conditioned armpits to birth life. I salute you!