HEALTH

Before 1915, this problem didn’t exist. That was the year sleeveless dresses became popular, and Harper’s Bazaar magazine suggested fashionable women should shave their pits. Shaving, of course, is what causes ingrown hairs, which is what you are mistaking as zits. When you lop off coarse hair with a razor, it sometimes tends to curl and penetrate into the skin as it grows. This causes inflammation and (yuck!) pus formation. To avoid it, keep your razor sharp by changing your blade after every few shaves. Also, try Neutrogena’s Razor Defense Shave Gel (it’s for men, but it works well for us!), explains Dr. Asra Ali, dermatologist and assistant professor, University of Texas Medical School, Houston. If you already have an armpit zit, don’t pick! Gently scrub in the shower with a washcloth, then dab on a little peroxide to dry it up.

We want to hear from you! Send us your weirdest body questions here (seriously, we'll answer anything!) and it just might get featured.

by GL | 2/1/2016