Got Dark Knuckles? Here Are 6 Tips to Help Fade them Away!

Having dark knuckles can be a difficult thing to deal with for women of colour. It could be that you have them naturally or they could have been induced either by bleaching, excessive tanning, exposure to extreme/hazardous washing agents etc.

I usually get questions on how to fix this problem from women who have gotten dark knuckles one way or the other; and either don’t know how to get rid of them or are simply unaware that you can do this with some simple natural methods.

But firstly, how can you get dark knuckles? You need to know that it could be genetic, a health issue or based on how you use your hands. For instance, dark knuckles become more emphasized when you use a lightening cream or if you expose your hands to a lot of chemicals like washing agents, bleach used for clothes or excessive washing of hands.

You must remember that because you use your hands a lot, your routine must focus on pampering those hands.

The skin around the knuckle is tough and any lasting routine must have the ability to keep the area soft to enable it absorb any treatment, and include some type of scrub to help peel off darkness and hyper pigmentation.

On that note, check out these tips that can be used for both hands & feet to help you get rid of those dark knuckles.

1. Get a bottle of a good revitalizing lotion. Use a Q-tip, dab it in the lotion and apply it on your dark knuckles. Be sure to lay on a thick layer and ensure it gets absorbed into the skin. After the 5-minute mark, clean it off.

2.  Get raw shea butter and smother your hands and feet with it, including under the feet to keep them soft. Shea butter is great for moisturizing and keeping the skin even, so it will work well for those dark areas.

3. If it is severe, for the first one week wear disposable non-sterile powder free vinyl medical examination gloves on your hands and sleep over night with it. This will help lock in moisture. Then wash your hands with a mild scrub in the morning.

4. For the feet, tie them with a regular polythene bag. The heat generated from the closure of the gloves or the bag will help with skin peeling fast. Do this every night for 1 week.

5. If it is not severe, then simply wear a cotton glove and a pair of cotton socks for the feet for about two weeks.

6. Using a scrub or skin polish as well is great for the skin. Scrub the dark areas 2-3 times a week to help exfoliate the skin and reduce hyper pigmentation.

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Got a remedy for dark knuckles? Share your secrets with us!

Photo Credit: Dreamstime/Rmarmion