Effective Steps For Lightening Dark Elbows
It is commonly found that skin around elbows is dark and hard. Some people have brown elbows while other people have almost black elbows. Some people think that dark elbows occur due to aging. However, this is not true. Color of skin on an elbow depends upon the pigmentation also.
Dark elbows do not look good and if skin color is fair, these look quite ugly. There are many reasons due to which dark elbows occur. For example, poor skin care is one of them. Due to dryness in skin also, dark elbows occur. However, dark color of elbow is not permanent. By changing some habits, a person can prevent elbows from darkening.
For example, leaning on elbows should be avoided. While applying moisturizer on hands, elbows should always be covered. All activities that put pressure on elbows should be reduced. These practices also help in fast lightening of elbows when any other remedy is being used. While going out, most of people apply sunscreen on face only.
Sunscreen should be applied on elbows also, as skin over it picks up tan more quickly that skin on other parts of body. Sunscreen with SPF 15 or more is very effective in protecting elbow from harmful ultraviolet rays of sun
There are some steps that can be taken for lightening dark elbows. These include daily care as well as herbal and home remedies. Time taken for lightening the elbows may be up to ten weeks in certain cases. But results are obtained for sure, if these steps are followed. These steps also prevent elbows from becoming darker again.
Effective Steps for Lightening Dark Elbows
One of best remedies for lightening the dark elbows is exfoliation. Many experts feel that elbows must be exfoliated two times in a week. For exfoliation, loofah and a scrub can be used. Some of the exfoliating scrubs commonly used are sugar scrub and beaded scrub. These scrubs are very helpful in cleaning elbows. One aspect that must be understood is that skin over elbows is thick as well as rough.
If it is not exfoliated regularly, it appears dark even if it is properly cleaned. In other words, though cleaning of elbows help in preventing skin infections, exfoliation is necessary for lightening it. The skin around elbows normally contains cracks in which dirt is held easily. This dirt is removed through use of granular scrub only, which must be applied once in a week. Exfoliating elbows more than twice a week is not recommended. This is because it may lead to chronic dryness of skin.
In case, elbows become red or if irritation occurs, instead of using a loofah, regular washcloth should be used. For exfoliating the skin, pumice stone is also used. Darker areas of elbows should be scrubbed with pumice stone, which leads to removal of dead skin cells. When done regularly, this treatment results in fading of darker areas over elbows.
Lime juice treatment is also considered as effective in lightening dark elbows. For this treatment, requirements include pieces for freshly cut lime and coconut oil. First of all, a piece of lime is rubbed on elbows. This is followed by rubbing a mixture of lime juice and coconut oil over elbow. This mixture is left on elbow for duration of half an hour. Afterwards, it is washed with warm water. This treatment should be done for at least three to four days in a week. However, if skin becomes red or dry or if cracks appear in skin, frequency of this treatment should be reduced.
Elbows can be lightened by applying mixture of yoghurt and vinegar also. These two are easily available in market. For preparing the mixture, equal quantities of two are taken in a container and mixed. This mixture should be applied on elbows. After leaving for half an hour, it is washed with water. Since yoghurt has good moisturizing properties, dryness of elbow is also dealt with effectively. In the same way, mixture of sugar, baking soda and chlorine can be applied on elbows.
It is an effective home remedy for treating darkness of elbows and knees. Since chlorine is a bleaching agent, hard skin over elbow also gets proper treatment. Cocoa butter is also effective in lightening the dark elbows. It should be massaged into the dark spots of elbows for hydrating the skin. Regular application of cocoa butter promotes cell turnover. Over a period of time, dark spots start fading. Hydrogen peroxide is considered as one of best bleaching agents.
Its application over elbows is considered as an effective way for lightening dark skin. A cotton ball dipped in hydrogen peroxide is applied directly on elbows. After 20 to 30 minutes, it is washed away with water. This exercise must be carried out twice in a day for fading dark areas. Mixture of coconut oil and walnut powder has also been found effective in lightening the dark elbows. This mixture has excellent exfoliating properties and is applied directly over elbow for removing the dead cells.
After half an hour, it is washed with warm water. Application of coconut and walnut powder also rejuvenates the skin. As a result, its suppleness increases. This mixture must be applied three to four times in a week. Results are noticed after four weeks usually. In some cases, where a person is allergic to walnut powder, sudden dryness may appear or excessive itchiness may be suffered. It is better if mixture is washed off immediately. In severe cases, a dermatologist should be contacted.
Honey is also effective in dealing with dark and rough areas of elbow and is one of tested remedies for lightening dark elbows. Honey should be applied to elbow directly 10 minutes before taking the bath. Honey has excelling softening and moisturizing properties, which help in rejuvenating the skin over elbow.
Apart from home remedies, lightening products available in market can also be applied. For example, Meladerm is an effective lightening product that can be used. These products may have limited side effects. For preventing dark elbows, it is necessary that sun exposure is minimized and good quantities of water are consumed. It helps in keeping the body hydrated and moisturized and prevents skin over elbow from becoming dark and rough.
Photo credit: Denznet.com
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