Put Your Hands Up In The Air!
Does the thought of lifting something from the top, grabbing a book from the highest shelf, or even wearing a sleeveless top make you nervous? We don’t blame you if your underarm skin is causing all that anxiety—to be more specific—the chicken skin on your underarm (or in proper medical terms, keratosis pilaris). Bumpy, red, large pores as cruel as the similarity may be, many women in the Philippines admit to being bothered by the fact that their underarm skin resembles that on a chicken. A Beauty Understanding Survey Report, Clear, December 2011, found that 74% of Filipino women are bothered by their chicken skin that feels bumpy and looks rough too!
This is an absolute no-no, especially if you—like most women—like to wear sleeveless tops. In fact, the same survey said that more than eight out of 10 women consider their underarm condition before choosing their clothes and that chicken skin makes 70% feel unconfident, 63% unattractive, 62% unwilling to reveal their underarms, and 84% would think twice about raising their arms.
The numbers have stated the truth—how our underarms look can have a huge impact on how we feel and even dictate how much confidence we have. So what makes the wish list when it comes to perfect underarms? Hair-free, even-toned, smooth, soft, dry all day but also moisturized.
What causes chicken skin?
First things first—like all other skin on your body, your underarm skin is very delicate. It actually has a weaker barrier function due to the different mix of lipids in your underarm (cholesterol and ceramide). Then there is also the issue of sweat, odor, and keeping it hair-less.
Which brings us to a Catch-22 situation. The most popular means of underarm hair removal are shaving and plucking. The problem with that is when you shave your underarm hair, you are also shaving your skin off. One-third of what you shave is actually skin. While skin can rejuvenate itself, regular shaving disrupts this natural cycle by exposing new skin cells way too soon, leading to dry, damaged, and chicken skin. Same goes for plucking! Every time you pluck (or shave), you are causing micro abrasions to your skin. This damages skin, leaving pores to appear enlarged and the area bumpy. What more if you have ingrown hair or suffer from skin irritation.
Also read: Bye, Bye Blotchy
Chicken Skin No More!
Don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that you’ll be growing a bush on your underarm simply to avoid chicken skin. By using the right products and practicing the right method of hair removal, you can put chicken skin to the rest. And guess what—it is simple!
It’d be best if you could stop shaving and plucking, and opt for a safer hair removal method like waxing. Visit a salon to do this right; the therapist is trained to prevent ingrown hair. But if you must shave, make sure to do this at the end of your bath. This is because your skin is most supple and the hairs are softer, making removal easy. Avoid shaving over and over in the same spot; you’ll take off even more skin! Shave in the direction of the hair growth, and make sure to apply a body moisturiser to keep the area smooth.
Also read: Put An End To Underarm Problems
The right way to pluck? Use a good pair of tweezers. Make sure the tips meet so that you can get a good grip on the hair. Grab one hair at a time and pull in the direction of the hair growth. This prevents damage to the hair follicle. Once you’re done plucking, splash your underarms with cool water to seal the follicles and prevent them from becoming infected.
The one thing you must do to prevent chicken skin? Use the right deodorant to not only help prevent odor but keep the area moisturized. Dry skin will increase your chances of having chicken skin. When skin is properly moisturized, it makes plucking and shaving more effective, which means less damage to the skin. So look out for benefits like moisturization; this will ensure that your underarms stay soft and smooth all day long.
Now, who wants to have smooth, chicken-skin free underarms? Put your hands up and say, “Aye!”
