12 Home Remedies For Dark Elbows And Knees + Preventive Tips

If you think you are the only one with dark elbows and knees, you are not alone. Many of us develop dark knees and elbows due to the accumulation of dead skin, overexposure to sunlight, or overproduction of melanin in the body. However, several home remedies for dark elbows can help lighten rough, tanned elbows effectively.

In this article, we discuss the top 12 remedies that can help you bid goodbye to your dark elbows and knees effectively. Scroll down to know more!

What Causes Your Elbows And Knees To Become Dark?

Dark elbows or knees are a result of localized accumulation of darker skin. This may be triggered by a range of factors like:

• Accumulation of dead skin cells on the affected area
• Exposure to the sun, resulting in hyperpigmentationⁱ  A harmless skin condition where skin patches become darker than the surrounding areas due to excess melanin production.
• Drugs like birth control pills
• Pregnancy, which may cause melasmaⁱ  A skin pigmentation disorder characterized by brown or gray discolored patches on the sun-exposed areas of the skin.
• Freckles
• Age spots
• Skin conditions like psoriasisⁱ  A chronic skin condition that causes itchy skin, rashes, and scaly patches, mostly on the knees, scalp, elbows, and trunk. and eczemaⁱ  A common skin condition characterized by irritation, dryness, inflammation, and red rashes on the skin, which cannot be cured.
• Inflammation or bruising from a previous injury

All these factors can cause dark skin or patches on your elbows and knees. Those with a darker skin tone are more susceptible to having dark elbows and knees. But no matter what the cause, the issue has several natural cures. And the most popular ones are listed below.

How To Lighten Dark Elbows And Knees Naturally

1. Baking Soda
2. Lemon Juice With Sugar And Honey
3. Turmeric
4. Aloe Vera
5. Olive Oil And Sugar
6. Coconut Oil
7. Potatoes
8. Gram Flour
9. Hydrogen Peroxide
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
11. Essential Oils
12. Cocoa Butter

Home Remedies To Lighten Dark Knees And Elbows

1. Baking Soda

You Will Need

• 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking soda
• Water (as required)

What You Have To Do

1. Take 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking soda.
2. Add a little water to it to form a thick paste.
3. Apply the baking soda mixture to your knees and elbows.
4. Scrub gently for a few minutes and leave it on for another 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Wash off with cold water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this twice a week.

Why This Works

Baking soda exhibits exfoliating and skin-lightening properties (1). It helps remove dead skin cells on the outer layer of your skin, thus revealing new and brighter-looking skin.

Sherelle Saint Rose, a YouTuber, used baking soda with lemon to exfoliate her dark elbows for five days. She rubbed it on her skin for 15 minutes and rinsed off with water. She states in her video, “I think I can see a little bit of a difference. I’m so shocked that this is working (i).” She further says, “My elbows are looking a lot clearer. I’m really happy!”

2. Lemon Juice With Sugar And Honey

You Will Need

• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of honey

What You Have To Do

1. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a bowl.
2. Add a tablespoon each of sugar and honey to it.
3. Mix well and scrub your elbows and knees gently using this mixture.
4. Leave it on your skin for about 20 minutes before washing it off with lukewarm water.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this once every alternate day.

Why This Works

Lemon, honey, and sugar make for an excellent skin-lightening scrub. Both lemon juice and honey have shown skin-lightening properties, and sugar is known for its exfoliating properties (2), (3). Hence, this remedy is perfect for treating dark elbows and knees.

3. Turmeric

You Will Need

• 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
• Water (as required)

What You Have To Do

1. Add a little lemon juice to the turmeric powder and mix well to form a thick paste.
2. Apply the turmeric paste to the affected areas.
3. Allow it to dry for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once every alternate day for faster results.

Why This Works

Turmeric has been used for skin lightening for ages. The curcumin it contains inhibits the activity of melanin (skin pigment) in your body, reducing the darkness of your elbows and knees (4).

4. Aloe Vera

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of freshly extracted aloe vera gel

What You Have To Do

1. Extract a tablespoon or two of aloe gel.
2. Apply it to your knees and elbows.
3. Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes before washing it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily or every alternate day.

Why This Works

Aloe vera contains aloin, a compound that has depigmenting properties (5). It helps you get rid of dark knees and elbows.

5. Olive Oil And Sugar

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of white or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil

What You Have To Do

1. Mix a tablespoon of sugar with a tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil.
2. Apply the mixture to the affected knees and elbows.
3. Scrub gently for some time and leave the mixture on for about 30 minutes.
4. Wash it off with water and cleanse with a mild cleanser.
5. Pat dry your skin.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this 2 to 3 times a week.

Why This Works

While sugar helps in exfoliating the skin of your elbows and knees naturally, olive oil moisturizes your skin, thanks to its emollient properties (6). Together, these ingredients help treat dark elbows and knees.

6. Coconut Oil

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil

What You Have To Do

1. Take one to two tablespoons of virgin coconut oil and gently massage it into your knees and elbows.
2. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes before washing it off.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily.

Why This Works

Coconut oil is a powerful emollient that can keep your elbows and knees moisturized (7). Lack of adequate moisture is one of the many causes for dark elbows and knees. Coconut oil treats dry skin and prevents it from getting any darker. You can also use other moisturizing ingredients like vitamin E, almond oil, shea butter, glycerin, and rose water to reduce skin dryness.

7. Potatoes

You Will Need

½ potato

What You Have To Do

1. Take half a potato and cut it into medium-thick slices.
2. Rub the slices over your elbows and knees.
3. Allow the potato extract to work on your skin for 20 to 30 minutes before washing it off.

How Often You Should Do This

Follow this remedy once daily for best results.

Why This Works

Potatoes contain catecholase, a skin-lightening enzyme. It has natural bleaching properties that help lighten your dark knees and elbows (8).

8. Gram Flour

You Will Need

• 1 heaped tablespoon of gram flour
• Water (as required)

What You Have To Do

1. Take a heaped tablespoon of gram flour and add a little water to it to form a thick paste.
2. Apply the mixture to the affected elbows and knees.
3. Leave the mixture on for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Wash it off with plain water.
5. You can also use lemon juice or milk to make a paste out of the flour.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily.

Why This Works

Gram has amazing exfoliating properties (9). This makes it a popular remedy for treating dark knees and elbows.

9. Hydrogen Peroxide

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
• 1 tablespoon of water
• Cotton pads

What You Have To Do

1. Mix a tablespoon each of hydrogen peroxide solution and water.
2. Dip a cotton pad in this solution and apply it to your knees and elbows.
3. Allow it to dry for about 20 to 30 minutes and wash it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily for a couple of weeks to start seeing results.

Why This Works

At high concentrations, hydrogen peroxide has bleaching properties – which can help treat dark knees and elbows (10).

10. Apple Cider Vinegar

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of honey

What You Have To Do

1. Mix a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar with two tablespoons of honey.
2. Apply the mixture to your elbows and knees.
3. Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes and wash it off with plain water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily for a few weeks.

Why This Works

Apple cider vinegar contains glycol and alpha hydroxy acids (12). These help in clearing the skin, improving its texture, and dead skin cell exfoliation – leading to lighter elbows and knees.

11. Essential Oils

a. Sandalwood Oil

You Will Need

• 12 drops of sandalwood essential oil
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

What You Have To Do

1. Add 12 drops of sandalwood oil to a tablespoon of coconut oil.
2. Apply the mixture to your knees and elbows.
3. Leave it on overnight.
4. Wash it off the next morning.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this daily for a few weeks.

Why This Works

The composition of sandalwood oil makes it a tyrosinaseⁱ  A copper-containing enzyme present in animal and plant tissues that helps catalyze melanin production. inhibitor, which helps lighten the skin (13).

b. Lemon Oil

You Will Need

• 12 drops of lemon oil
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

What You Have To Do

1. To a tablespoon of coconut oil, add 12 drops of lemon oil.
2. Mix well and apply this mixture to your elbows and knees.
3. Allow it to work on your skin overnight.
4. Wash it off the next morning.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily for a few weeks.

Why This Works

Like lemons, lemon oil also exhibits bleaching properties when applied topically (14). This makes it another excellent option for treating dark knees and elbows.

12. Cocoa Butter

You Will Need

Cocoa butter (as required)

What You Have To Do

1. Apply some cocoa butter to both your elbows and knees.
2. Allow the butter to be absorbed completely by your skin.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this 1 to 2 times daily to keep your elbows and knees moisturized.

Why This Works

Cocoa butter is a powerful moisturizer (15). It softens dry skin and eases the removal of dead skin cells. This moisturizing nature of cocoa butter works great in lightening dark elbows and knees.

You can use any of the above remedies individually or in combination with other remedies to get the desired results. Once you have managed to treat your dark elbows and knees, you must strive to maintain the results. Here are a few tips that will help you.

Preventive Tips

• Cleanse and moisturize your elbows and knees daily.
• Use mild, hydrating soaps instead of harsh soaps that may strip the skin of its natural oils and cause darkening.
• Exfoliate your knees and elbows 2 to 3 times a week. You can use a store-bought scrub or natural exfoliants like sugar mixed with olive oil.
• Always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 when you go out in the sun.

For most of you, the remedies and tips mentioned in this article should do the trick. However, if you do not observe any changes in your existing condition despite treatment, you might need to try something stronger for the underlying hyperpigmentation.

Other Treatments

You may try over-the-counter medications that contain skin-lightening agents like:

• Hydroquinone
• Lipo-hydroxy acid
• Kojic acid
• Licorice

If the dark patches on your elbow do not subside even with these strong hyperpigmentation ingredients, you may need to consult a dermatologist.

When To See A Dermatologist For Dark Elbows

Dark elbows are fairly common and usually do not pose a medical threat. However, sometimes they may hint at underlying issues. Visit a dermatologist in the following cases:

• The appearance of dark patches on the elbows is sudden and its cause is unknown.
• The dark patches are accompanied by additional concerns, such as itchy rashes, scaly patches, redness, or swelling.
• Any remedies and treatments are ineffective, and the stubborn dark elbows are causing you distress.

For more severe cases of hyperpigmentation, your doctor may even ask you to undergo laser treatments.

Even though these treatments may give faster results, they should be your last resort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Vaseline reduce dark elbows?

No, Vaseline cannot reduce dark elbows. However, you may apply it as a moisturizer after exfoliating the elbows to prevent re-occurrence. Dr.Anju Methil, a dermatologist, says, “Regular application can provide a barrier that locks in moisture, potentially leading to gradually lighter skin. However, Vaseline alone does not have skin-lightening agents and may not treat underlying hyperpigmentation issues.” Dr.Archit Agarwal, a dermatologist, has the same opinion. He says, “While it can soften dry, rough elbows, it does not address hyperpigmentation.”

Does Colgate remove dark elbows?

Not. Colgate does not remove dark elbows rather it may irritate the skin. Dr. Agarwal says, “Colgate toothpaste contains fluoride and abrasives, not skin-lightening ingredients. Applying it to elbows can cause irritation or skin damage.”

Does oatmeal remove dark elbows?

It may help reduce the darkness to an extent. Dr. Methil says, “Oatmeal’s texture makes it a gentle natural exfoliant, which can help remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover on the elbows. For individuals with dark elbows due to the accumulation of dead skin, regular exfoliation with an oatmeal scrub may help lighten the area. Nonetheless, oatmeal does not contain inherent skin-lightening properties and may need to be used with other treatments for significant results.”

Are dark elbows normal?

No, the color of the elbows should ideally be the same as the color of the surrounding skin. However, dark elbows are common and may be caused due to hyperpigmentation, scarring, or underlying health conditions.

How can I clean my elbows?

Use a mild soap, lukewarm water, and circular motions to clean your elbows in the bath or shower. Pat dry with a soft and clean towel and moisturize the area.

What vitamin deficiency causes dark elbows?

Though the research is limited, a study says the deficiency of vitamin B-12 can cause hyperpigmentation in elbows, resulting in dark elbows (16).

What serum is good for dark elbows?

Serums containing ingredients like kojic acid, niacinamide, and hydroquinone may help dark elbows. These ingredients are generally used to brighten the skin and reduce hyperpigmentation, as discussed above.

Can Vaseline reduce dark elbows?

No, Vaseline cannot reduce dark elbows. However, you may apply it as a moisturizer after exfoliating the elbows to prevent re-occurrence.

Can wearing tight clothing cause dark elbows?

Yes, wearing tight clothing can cause dark elbows. The constant friction between the cloth and the skin may harden the skin and cause darkening of the elbows.

What ingredients should I avoid for dark elbows?

Avoid using bleaching creams for dark elbows, as these may irritate your skin and worsen the darkening.

How long will it take to see results from home remedies for dark elbows and knees?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that most people see results from home remedies for dark elbows and knees after using them consistently for 2-4 weeks. However, the exact time may vary from person to person.

Illustration: Home Remedies For Dark Elbows And Knees + Preventive Tips

Learn 10 natural tricks to remove dark knees and elbows! Get rid of discoloration and achieve glowing skin with these easy tips shown in the video. Check it out!

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