The excitement of walking down the aisle cannot take your mind off your dark and fuzzy
armpits! Think of all the fancy gowns you can wear with perfect underarms. What about
the after party, where you can lift up your hands to the music without second thought?
And oh, skinny dipping, swimming and a little sunbathing on your honeymoon may also
be on the list.
To bring back the confidence, we have researched on what it takes to have perfect
underarms; the cost of at home fixes, derma clinics, all the way to advanced treatments
in spas and salons.
Whitening Underarms at Home
Underarm Whitening Deodorants
How it works: This is a deodorant that does more than keep your underarms free of
odour; it has skin whitening ingredients that lighten your armpits with time. Its whitening
effects are however slower compared with other products.
How much: From €6.00 and above
How frequently you should use: Daily
Best for: Those on a tight budget
Try: Aliver Deodorant for Sensitive Areas, €9.70 (60ml), Nivea Extra Whitening Pore
Minimizer Roll On, €25.82, (50ml), Belo Essentials Whitening Deodorant €14.91, (2 x
40ml), Dove Whitening Deodorant, €15.40 (3 x 40ml).
Underarm Whitening Creams
How it works: These are creams meant to whiten your underarms. Compared to
deodorants, underarm creams work a lot faster. There are hundreds of products to
choose from but please avoid products containing harsh chemicals.
How much: Starting at €17
How frequently should you use: Typically applied twice daily on clean, dry skin.
Follow the ‘how-to-use’ instructions to the letter.
Best for: Those who can afford to pay extra over deodorants. Effectiveness of these
underarm whitening creams depends on product’s ingredients.
Try: KB Underarm Whitening Spray, €16.60 (60ml), Amaira Skin Lightening serum,
€39.55 (30ml), Zeta White 3-Point Lightening System, €101.12, (moisturizer + face
wash + night cream), Meladerm Skin Lightening Cream, €44.00 (50ml).
For a full list of safest underarm lightening creams and what else to look out for when
choosing one, check this list here.
Getting rid of the Fuzz
Basic Disposable razor
How it works: Shaves the armpit hair at the skin surface for less fuzz
How much: From €3.00
How often you should shave: Weekly. If done more aggressively it can lead to razor
burns, hence skin darkening.
Best for: Those after a cheap and quick fix
Try: Gillette Blue 11 Disposable Razor, €3.21 (5 pcs), Wilkinson Sword Extra
Sensitive, €3.04 (1pc), Schick Slim Twin Disposable Razor, €11.54 (12pcs), Bic Lady
Twin Razors, €4.46 (10 + 5pcs), Gillette Blue II Plus Slalom Razor, €4.37 (8 pcs)
Reusable Razor
How it works: Differs from the disposable ones in that it has a stronger handle hence
blade cartridges can be replaced.
How much: €8 and above
How often you should shave: Once a week to avoid razor burns which can result to
skin darkening.
Best for: Those going for shaving as a long-time solution. In the long run they are
cheaper than the disposable ones.
Try: Gillette ProGlide Flexball Razor, €14.37 (1pc), Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Razor,
€10.99 (1pc), Solimo 5-Blade Razor for Women, €8.94 (1pc + 2 refills), Gillette Breeze
Spa Razor, €9.58 (1pc).
To Keep Away the Fuzz Longer
Plucking
How it works: This involves use of tweezers to pluck underarm hair. Each strand of
hair is plucked from the base. If the tool is dirty or harsh chemicals are applied after hair
removal, the skin can darken due to irritations.
How much: Depends on brand
How frequent you should tweeze: 2 – 3 times a month; depending on re-growth
Best for: Those whose pain threshold is high and don’t mind DIY procedures
Try: KCT Professional Slant Tip Tweezer, €2.36 (1pc), Anbina Tweezer Set, €9.79
(3pcs), Tweezerman Wide Grip Tweezer, €18.72 (1pc), Benefit Grooming Tweezers
and Brush, €21.50 (1pc), K-Beauty Professional Slant Tip Tweezers, €4.65 (2pcs)
Threading
How it works: It involves use of a thread to coil on hair strands and pluck them at the
follicle. The art originated from Egypt and India before spreading to the west.
How much: €12 and up for a session
How frequent you should do it: 2-3 times a month depending on re-growth
Best for: Those going for a longer lasting solution as opposed to plucking
Try: Bushra’s Beauty Salons Threading, from €12, Iconic Beauty Salons Threading,
from €18, Essence of Beauty Salon Underarm Threading, €15, La Mode Beauty
Treatments Threading, from €12, Beauty Ninety6 Treading, from €13.
Depilatory Cream
How it works: Topical creams with hair dissolving chemicals. Hair is removed from
your underarm by wiping it off.
How much: from €5 depending on quantity and brand
How frequent you should use it: Depends on how fast your hair grows. A patch test is
however necessary to avoid skin irritation.
Best for: Those going for a quick fix close to the wedding day
Try: Veet 3 Minute Cream, €7.19 (100ml), Lashllo Hair Removal Cream, €14.01
(50ml), YYtech Hair Removal Cream, €10.50 (60g), Nad’s Sensitive Hair Removal
Cream, €4.99 (150ml)
DIY Waxing
How it works: Involves use of resin based cold or hot wax to remove hair at the root at
the comfort of your home. The wax is applied and a strip or piece of cloth is placed on it.
Once it holds, it is yanked to strip the hair. Alternatively, a wax coated strip is pressed
on the hair in the direction of growth; it’s then ripped off in the opposite direction.
How much: Varies with brand and number of strips
How frequent you should wax: after every 2 weeks or once a month; depending on
re-growth
Best for: Those who can stand the tearing pain
Try: Veet Wax Strips Sensitive, €8.39 (20 strips), Rio Total Body Waxing Kit, €50 (with
instructional DVD), Non-woven Hair Removal Waxing Strips, €7.49, (100 strips),
Lifestance Wax Hair Removal Kit, €25.41 (3 wax seeds), Remove Hair Waxing Strips,
€6.97 (52pcs).
Professional Waxing
How it works: Waxing done by a trained professional in a spa or salon
How much: From €15
How frequent you should do it: 1-2 times a month depending on re-growth
Best for: When going for a hair removal method that will last you through the
honeymoon
Try: Oslo Beauty Salon Underarm Waxing, €18, Bushra’s Beauty Salons Waxing, €30
(full arm with underarm), Essence of Beauty Waxing, €15, Lombre Hair Beauty Salon
Waxing, €15, Neelu’s Beauty Arnotts Underarm Wax, €15.
IPL Hair Removal Treatment
How it works: IPL stand for Intense Pulsed Light. It’s a hair reduction and skin
lightening technique that involves use of broad spectrum light.
A high-powered flash gun delivers a light beam that is absorbed by the melanin inside
hair follicles. Once its absorbed, the light gets converted into heat energy which
destroys hair from the root up.
Several treatments are needed for the desired effect. Re-growth is expected several
months after treatment and is handled by touch ups during revisits.
How much: From €25 – €200 per session
How often you should do it: 5-10 sessions done in intervals of 4-6 weeks
Best For: Those looking for long lasting solutions
Try: Urbana Clinics Underarm Treatment, €40, Ailesbury Clinic, from €150, Eden
Electrolysis Clinic, from €75, Therapie Laser Clinics, €69 (+bikini), Revive Beauty Laser
Clinic, €25, Blossom Health & Beauty Clinic, €35.
To Smoothen Underarms at Home
DIY Peeling or Scrubbing
How it works: Achieving a lighter and even skin tone by DIY exfoliation
How much: €15 and up
How often you should scrub: Frequency of use varies from one product to another
Best For: A long term DIY treatment; scrub cream lasts through many applications
Try: Ren Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, €17.99 (100ml), Decleor Glow Ritual & Body,
€42, (cleanser, awakening cream and exfoliator), Kaeso Body Scrub, €19.19 (450ml),
Simply Body Sugar and Oil Scrub, €21.03.
To professionally whiten underarm skin
Salon Scrubs
How it works: Spa-grade scrub using hard to come by or in-house products
How much: Rates are different and depend on spas
How often you should scrub: As often as your skin can allow.
Best For: A day or two before your wedding; usually followed by a message for
relaxation
Try: Delphi Resort Spa, €60, Oceana Spa Milk & Honey Buff, €100, South WilliamClinic Marine Scrub, €60
Underarm Lightening and Smoothening Treatment via Dermatologist
How it works: Professionals use skin care products and derma tools to treat skin
How much: Depends on specific treatment
How frequently you should do it: Once or twice a month depending on treatment
sessions required
Best for: Those with persistent underarm blemishes that don’t respond to normal
treatments.
Try: Baggot Street Medical Skin Rejuvenation, €290, Complete Laser Care
Pigmentation Treatment, from €40, DermaGlo Clinic Chemical Peel, €100.
Advanced Derma Treatments
How it works: Use of advanced techniques and equipment for skin care
How much: Depends on extent of skin treatment sought, the equipment to be used and
sessions required.
How frequently you should use: Strictly as per the dermatologist’s advice. The
procedures are delicate and should be done by a reputable and licensed derma.
Best for: Those with underarm skin conditions that cannot be treated by any store
bought creams, derma tools, or normal skin care treatments.
Try: Advanced Laser Light Clinic Aesthetics, €270, La Jolie Clinic Micro-needling €300
(4 sessions), Ailesbury Clinic Fractional Laser, from €250.
Conclusion
Having looked at the cost of perfect armpits from all possible perspectives, you cannot
blame dark, hairy and rough armpits for ruining your wedding look.
You don’t have to strike some activities off your list either; depending on your budget,
time, patience and sometimes threshold for pain, you can always find something that
works for you.
The options run from simple DIYs to salon, derma and advanced treatments. You can
now go ahead and shine on your big day!
