Axillary skin: biology and care.

In skin care, the axilla is a biologically unique site requiring specialized attention and care. This area of skin is often subject to hair removal techniques, such as shaving and plucking. These procedures damage the skin leading to erythema and dryness in the short term, and in some cases, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIHP) in the long term. This study will (i) briefly review the biology and unique properties of axillary skin, and (ii) describe the characteristics of the irritation and damage induced by contemporary skin care habits and resolution of these responses by the use of efficacious skin moisturizing technology. With respect to the latter, we propose that there are five groups of compounds, defined according to their mechanism of action, which are particularly relevant to the care of damaged axillary skin.