Home Remedies for Dark Elbows and Knees

Most of you are living hectic lives where your work schedules and family lives hardly give you any time to relax.

Sometimes, you just want to unwind by yourself – a book in hand, your elbows propped up against the soft mattress and the din of the outside world fading away.The next morning while dressing for work, you decide to ditch the sleeveless shirt because your hideous, discolored elbows are better hidden away.

How many times have you stopped to wonder why that happens? The skin on your elbows, knees and sometimes even your ankles become darker than the rest of your skin when dead skin accumulates in this area and is further exposed to friction. Therefore, each time you prop our elbows and knees on the floor or rest your elbows on the armrest of a chair, you aggravate the dead skin making it darker.

You are negligent when it comes to exfoliating these areas and applying sun block. Old winter sweaters also tend to graze against the skin in these parts and make them rougher and harder.

So, the question is, how long will you deprive yourself of short sleeves and short dresses just because your knees and elbows appear dull and flaky?

Here are a few home remedies that can help you fix the problem:

Lemon

A natural bleach, lemon is high in citric acid that exfoliates the skin by opening up its pores and removing dead cells that cause discoloration of the skin. When citric acid is applied regularly, it consistently triggers the growth of new cells that improves the appearance of the skin and evens out the complexion. Alpha Hydroxy acids posses the ability to separate dead cells that cling onto the new skin cells, and citric acid is one of them.

Furthermore, lemon contains a high amount of Vitamin C that is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants. Not only does it further exfoliate the skin, the ascorbic acid in Vitamin C decreases the production of melanin (dark brown or black pigment that occurs in the skin, hair and the iris of the eye in animals and human beings) and protects it from photo aging and the harmful effects of UV rays.

Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and Salt Pack

Salt contains anti-inflammatory properties that soothe the aggravated skin and the olive oil helps hydrate and moisturize it further.

1. Take 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 a cup of table or sea salt in a small bowl and whisk them together.
2. Rub this mixture onto your elbows and knees for 10-15 minutes.
3. Wash off your knees and elbows, pat them dry, and moisturize.
4. Follow the treatment once every day until you achieve the desired results.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains lactic acid that has numerous bleaching properties. The antimicrobial alpha hydroxy acid in yogurt promotes the growth of new skin cells. It also increases collagen and elastin in our skin, thereby tightening skin and improving its appearance.

Further, vitamin E in yogurt nourishes the skin by soothing and softening the dry skin on your elbows and knees.

Dark elbows and knees are also a result of deficiency of calcium in the body leading to discoloration and uneven patches on the skin. Yogurt is an incredible source of calcium that fights discoloration and contains antioxidants. The antioxidants fight cell-damaging free radicals and promote repair and regeneration of dry, dull skin.

Yogurt and Gram Flower Pack

Gram flour is an excellent exfoliating agent and works well with yogurt to fight the accumulation of dead skin cells and reduce discoloration. This remedy can be used every day until results start become apparent.

• Take 3 tablespoons of yogurt in a bowl.
• Add 2 tablespoons of gram flour to yogurt and whisk together.
• Rub the mixture onto the elbows and knees in a circular motion for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Rinse the mixture off your elbows and knees, pat them dry, and apply moisturizer.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain Lycopene, an antioxidant and a carotene responsible for their colors, that helps in protecting the skin from cell-damaging free radicals and propels the growth of new cells.

Tomatoes also block harmful UV rays that are responsible for extreme skin discoloration and dryness. Further, the topical application of lycopene inhibits the function of ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme that protects cellular DNA of the skin cells when harmful rays affect the skin.

Moreover, tomatoes are also a rich source of Vitamin C which is anti-melanogenic and thus reduces the levels of melanin in the skin.

Tomato and Avocado Pack

A blend of tomatoes and avocados works amazingly well to reduce skin discoloration and pigmentation. Avocados are rich in vitamins A, E and C that help in reducing melanin and brightening skin.

1. Take one small avocado and extract its pulp.
2. Take a small tomato in a bowl, add extracted avocado pulp to it.
3. Mash both the ingredients together.
4. Apply this on your elbows and knees.
5. Leave it to rest for 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Wash it off with lukewarm water, pat the areas dry and apply moisturizer.
7. Follow the remedy once every day until you achieve your desired results.

Potatoes

Potato is another effective treatment for diminishing the discoloration of your dark elbows and knees. Potatoes work as a bleaching agent to treat discoloration and pigmentation on your skin.

Potatoes contain catecholase, an enzyme that works to reduce unhealthy, dark appearance of your knees and elbows. Moreover, potatoes are rich in starch that works as an incredible exfoliating agent and sloughs off dead skin cells that obstruct the growth of new skin cells.

Potatoes also contain vitamin C that further restricts the production of melanin in the skin preventing discoloration or pigmentation.

Potato and Yogurt

1. Take 2 medium sized potatoes (peeled) and toss them in the blender.
2. Add the blended potatoes to a tablespoon of fresh yoghurt.
3. Apply this paste to your elbows and knees.
4. Leave it to dry for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Wash it off with water, pat the areas dry and moisturize them.
6. Follow the treatment once every day until results start to show.

Aloe Vera

Power-packed with antibacterial, antiseptic and antioxidant properties, aloe vera gel is a renowned remedy for treating dark skin.

Aloe vera contains vitamin E and C, antioxidants and beta-carotene, all of the compounds that work together to promote the growth of new skin cells and thus diminish dull, hard and irritated skin on your elbows and knees.

Aloe vera also contains polysaccharides, substance that helps get skin rid of stubborn dead cells which hinder the regeneration of new cells and lead to unhealthy discoloration of those areas.

Furthermore, elbows and knees that get sunburnt take longer to heal and can even pain sometimes. Aloe vera contains glycoprotein that has anti-inflammatory properties, which not only improves the appearance of the skin after sunburn, but also soothes and heals the affected area.

Aloe Vera Leaf

1. Take one aloe vera leaf and cut it sideways with a knife to extract its gel.
2. Transfer the gel in a small bowl/jar.
3. Apply on your knees and elbows in a circular motion, spending 10 minutes on each elbow and knee.
4. Leave the gel on for another 20 minutes.
5. Wash the gel off with water, pat yourself dry, and apply moisturizer.
6. Follow once every day for 2 to 3 weeks to get rid of dryness and discoloration.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is one the richest sources of Vitamin C. It fights the free radicals in our skin, protecting the skin cells, and propelling their regeneration. Thus, coconut milk helps delay the aging process and prevents skin discoloration caused by dead cells.

Moreover, coconut milk is rich in proteins that provide nutrition to the skin, keeping it healthy, glowing and supple. It hydrates the skin and improves its appearance drastically.

Coconut Milk and Rosewater

1. Take one cup of coconut milk and add half a cup of rosewater to it.
2. Rub this mixture on your elbows and knees in a circular motion for 10 minutes each.
3. Leave on for another 5 minutes.
4. Wash the mixture off and pat yourself dry.

Note: Milk and rosewater both contains amazing hydrating properties, so this remedy does not require any further moisturization.

Oranges

Oranges are rich in citrus, a bountiful source of antioxidants that helps in battling cell-damaging free radicals in the skin that obstruct the repair and re-growth process necessary to keep the skin healthy, young and tight.

It removes the dead cells that accumulate over time, causing the skin to harden, darken, and become itchy and irritable. Moreover, it promotes the production of collagen and elastin (proteins found in the connecting tissues of the skin) which further maintain the skin’s vigor.

Orange Peel and Milk

1. Take three oranges, peel them, and put the peels out to dry.
2. Next, grind these peels into powder.
3. Add to a bowl of whole milk to form a paste.
4. Apply this paste onto your elbows and knees, rubbing in a slow, circular motion for 10 minutes each.
5. Wash the paste off with water, pat yourself dry and apply moisturizer.

Note: Always dry the peel of an orange in the shade, and never under the sun, as that robs it of its antioxidant properties.

Tips:

• Apply ample amounts of sun block before you leave the house. Opt for a sunscreen with high SPF for your elbows and knees.
• Keep your elbows and knees hydrated. Apply lotion to these parts generously. Take special care of doing so after a shower as that when skin is most in need of hydration.
• While taking a shower, use pumice stone on your elbows and knees to further slough off the dead cells that cause hardening and discoloration of the skin.