Dark marks on the legs can make it difficult for you to wear short skirts or bikini and hence ruin your best of moments. Luckily there are many natural remedies that you can use for home treatment of this skin problem. Read on to discover how to get rid of dark spots on legs for good.
What Causes Dark Spots On Legs?
Whether you refer to them as dark marks, dark circles, dark blotches, black dots, or dark spots on legs, one thing remains true: dark spots on the leg are the result of hyperpigmentation in skin tissues. Among the most common causes of dark spots on the legs are:
Excessive Exposure to Sunlight
Exposure to sunlight is the most common cause of hyperpigmentation and hence dark patches on the legs and other parts of the skin. This causes an increase in melanin production in the melanocyte cell production leading to formation of visibly dark circles in lower legs.
Ageing
The natural ageing process is often associated with dark spots know as age spots. These tend to occur in people aged over 40 years.
Poor Shaving
Shaving with blunt razors can cause darkening of skin pores, a condition referred to as strawberry legs. You will know you have strawberry legs if the darkening seem to affect the pores more than the rest of the skin. We have explained how to get rid of strawberry legs (dark pores) in another article.
Bug Bites
Mosquitoes, fleas, etc. can also cause dark marks on the legs if they bite you.
How to Get Rid Of Dark Spots on Legs – Home Treatment Remedies
Dark spots are usually not a health concern but they are definitely an aesthetic concern for most people. Nobody fancies the attention a huge glaring dark circle on their skin gets them. If they bother you, you will be delighted to know that you can remove them at home using natural remedies that are not only effective but also gentle and safe to use. This remedies work for blemishes on upper legs as well as lower legs.
Here is an outline of how to get rid of dark spots on legs using the top home remedies.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is one of the best home remedies for dark spots on the legs. It contains lactic acid which when applied consistently to the legs or any other area of the skin helps with exfoliation. This then helps to lighten the dark blemishes. And the best part, buttermilk is deeply moisturizing and nourishing to the skin and will thus not leave you feeling dry.
Method 1
- Pour some buttermilk into a bowl
- With the help of a cotton ball, apply the buttermilk on the black spots-affected areas of your legs.
- Wash the buttermilk off after 5 minutes or so.
- Repeat the process twice daily until you get the desired results.
Method 2
This method is particularly helpful for people with oily skin.
- Add ½ cup of buttermilk into a bowl or small base.
- Add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Apply the mixture to the dark spots and then rinse your legs with water after about 5 minutes.
- Use this home treatment a couple times daily until those dark blotches on the legs fade away.
Method 3
- Pour 2 tablespoons of buttermilk into a small bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of tomato juice and stir thoroughly to blend the mixture into a fine paste.
- Apply the mixture on the affected areas of your legs or feet.
- Wash the mixture off after 10 minutes.
- Follow these steps two times each day until you get rid of those pesky black marks on your legs.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is an amazing natural bleach. It can help to lighten dark spots on the legs if applied consistently.
Method 1
- Cut a lemon into two halves and squeeze its juice out into a small bowl.
- Apply the lemon juice onto the darkened areas of your legs using a cotton ball.
- Let the lemon juice work on the blotches for 30 minutes, then wash it off with cool water.
- Finish by applying a moisturizing lotion or cream to combat dryness.
- Repeat this natural treatment twice daily until your get desirable results.
If you have sensitive skin, dilute the lemon juice with rosewater, honey, or water before applying it to your skin.
Method 2: Lemon Juice and Sugar Scrub for Dark Spots Removal
Brown sugar is a great natural exfoliant and can be used alongside lemon juice as follows:
- Cut a lemon juice into two halves and squeeze the juice out.
- Add enough brown sugar to make a paste that is thick yet easy to work with.
- Apply the mixture as a scrub on your legs paying close attention to the areas affected by the dark spots.
- Leave the scrub on for 10 minutes or so before washing it off with water.
- Follow these steps 3 times a week until your get the desired results.
Castor Oil
Castor oil is yet another great natural remedy for black spots on the legs and feet thanks to its strong healing properties. As for how to get rid of dark spots on legs with castor oil, here are the steps to follow:
- With the help of a cotton ball, apply castor all over the affected areas of the legs.
- Massage the oil in for a few minutes and then leave it to work into the skin for 2-3 hours.
- Wash the castor oil off with water.
- Repeat this dark spots treatment a couple times every day, in the morning and evening.
Aloe Vera
The healing benefits of aloe vera for the skin are unrefuted. Applied topically, it can help to remove dark spots on legs naturally.
- Snip the leaf of an aloe vera plant off and squeeze the juice directly on the dark spots.
- Leave the juice on for 3 minutes at the very least, then rinse the skin with cool water.
- Repeat this treatment twice daily until the spots heal. This may take up to month so be patient.
Onion Juice
Onions may not be friendly to the eye but when their juice is applied to the legs, it does a fantastic job in as far as dark spots removal is concerned. This is attributed to its natural bleaching action which helps to lighten the affected areas of the skin.
Method 1
- Cut an onion into thin slices.
- Rub the slices over the dark spots.
- Repeat 2-3 times daily until the spots fade away.
Method 2
- Cut an onion into thin slices.
- Add some water and then squeeze the onions to extract their juice.
- Pour a tablespoon of the resulting juice into a small bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of honey and mix thoroughly until the ingredients get well blended.
- Work the mixture onto the areas of your legs affected by dark spots.
- Leave it on for 20 minutes, then rinse it off with water.
- Repeat this home treatment once or twice each day until the hyperpigmentation fades away.
Papaya
Papaya (pawpaw) also has the making for one of the best natural remedies for dark spots on the legs and other parts of the skin thanks to the enzymes and alpha hydroxyl acids present in it.
In addition to lightening dark spots, it has the added the benefit of leaving your skin cleansed, brighter, and healthy looking.
Here is how to get rid of dark spots on legs naturally with papaya pulp:
- Smash or grate fresh papaya.
- Apply the resulting pulp directly on the dark spots.
- Allow the papaya pulp 20 minutes to work its magic into your legs, then wash it off with water.
- Repeat this amazing home remedy twice daily and those dark spots will soon be gone.
Yoghurt
Who said that yoghurt is only good for digestion due to its helpful bacteria? It can also help to get rid of hyperpigmentation on the legs and feet thanks to its mild bleaching properties. To use yoghurt to remove dark spots on the legs, follow these steps:
- With the help of a cotton ball, apply yoghurt on the areas of the skin affected by dark spots.
- Allow it 20 minutes or so to dry, then rinse it off with water.
- Repeat the process once or twice daily for best results. You may also leave the yoghurt on the legs overnight if you don’t mind it messing your beddings.
More Tips to Help You Get Rid Of Dark Spots on Legs
Enough said on how to get rid of dark spots on legs but before we go, let us point a few tips that you will want to consider even as you use the above home remedies to remove those pesky dark marks that have invaded your legs, so to speak:
- Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight. A sunscreen will come in handy when you have to be outdoors in the sun.
- Scrub your skin with the loofah. This helps to exfoliate the skin and get rid of dead skin cells which in turn helps to make those dark spots on the legs less noticeable.
- Try a bleaching cream. The Mayo Clinic recommends looking for a cream with retinoids, bleach (hydroquinone), or mild steroids.
- Don’t expect overnight results. This is not really a tip but I thought it was befitting a closing remark for the article. While all the above natural remedies will help get rid of dark spots on legs, don’t expect instant results. It may take you as much as a week, 2 weeks or even a month to see results.
References
Mayo Clinic: Age Spots
