Zimpapers Logo

Yoliswa Dube-Moyo
I think it’s safe to say summer has finally set in! Summer has got to be my favourite season for obvious reasons. Great weather, blue skies and I get to wear all my pretty things. A lot of us go for shorter, airy pieces of clothing during summer but few of us make sure our legs are perfect for the show.

But two things that distract me on someone wearing something short are dark knees and hairy legs. I don’t know, for me it just seems like you’re not quite well-groomed.

I know quite a lot of women have to deal with dark spots on their knees but do we know what causes them and how they can be dealt with? Black knees and elbows happen when there is a build-up of thick, dead skin caused by friction. In some cases, it may just be dirt, but in others, it may be brought on by medication, hormone imbalance, or hyper-pigmentation of the skin.

That said, dirt is a major cause of dark knees and elbows. Often during a shower, we overlook the hard to reach places like knees and elbows. Over time, the dirt build up can penetrate into layers of dead skin cells that actually grow to protect your knees and elbows from friction and chaffing. The layer of dead skin cells becomes even darker from the dirt stain and it appears much darker than the healthy skin around the knees and elbows.

Be sure to scrub your knees and elbows thoroughly to remove dirt particles that may be hiding on the outer layer every time you hit the shower.

If your clothes rub or cause friction on your knees and elbows, moisturise those areas daily to keep your skin from drying out. Sunlight can cause dark knees and elbows to get even darker. Even though the skin cells are dead, the outer layer can still absorb sunlight. The dead skin cells are already dark and with exposure to the sun, they will get darker. An even skin tone adds to your beauty and having dark knees and elbows can detract from it. This is a common issue that can make one self-conscious about wearing short-sleeve dresses and tops as well as skirts and shorts.

If you’re trying to get rid of dark spots on your knees and elbows, a sugar and olive oil scrub is a great way to both exfoliate and moisturise. Mix equal parts of sugar and olive oil to make a paste. Rub this paste on the affected areas for about five minutes. Rinse off and you’ll notice a big difference in the black skin on your knees and elbows. The combination of lemon and honey is used in many home remedies and it will help with dark knees and elbows as well. Lemon juice has natural bleaching properties and the honey will moisturise the skin, helping to prevent further blackening of the knees and elbows.

The juice of one lemon and one tablespoon of honey should be mixed together and left on the skin for at least 20 minutes. Wash off this mixture and you’ll immediately notice your skin becoming lighter. Tomatoes and grapes also contain bleaching properties that will help remove unsightly black spots from your knees and elbows. Rub the juices from these fruits regularly on black spots and you’ll notice them begin to fade with time.

Vinegar and yoghurt also work wonders. Mix a few tablespoons of vinegar with plain yoghurt and leave the paste to dry on the dark spots. When the paste dries up, rub it in a circular motion for a few minutes and then wash off. It works and will leave your skin soft, supple, and considerably lighter. Baking soda also pops up in a lot of home remedies for dark knees and elbows. To use baking soda for this condition, simply take one tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with some milk to make a paste. Scrub this onto the knees and elbows in a circular motion every other day until you see an improvement. The baking soda will work to exfoliate and the milk will moisturise the skin.

Feedback from “Mystery can be sexy”
Good morning. Mystery can be sexy! Great article and so true. How I wish my dear sisters would read that. Indeed there is a thin like between sexy and trashy. Unfortunately few know they have crossed over. – +263772815***

Less is always more. And that’s exactly it, if the hemline is short, the rest looks best covered up and vice versa. – Tendai

Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to catch up with me on Twitter handle @PatternStyleZw or WhatsApp +263774492700.