The first step to understanding how to treat dark knees and elbows is to understand what causes them in the first place. Uneven skin tone on any part of the body is the result of excessive production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. When this happens, it’s called hyperpigmentation – which is what you also call the dark spots left behind by acne or sun damage.

But the reasons why your skin produces more melanin in these areas vary. Sometimes, it’s just another case of sun damage, or the product of dead skin cell build-up, or conditions like eczema.

Most of the time, however, it comes down to thickening of the skin. This is brought on by everyday acts such as bending, stretching, or even just friction against your clothes. You might not feel the irritation in these areas, but your skin does, and it gradually thickens over time to protect itself.

The first step to understanding how to treat dark knees and elbows is to understand what causes them in the first place. Uneven skin tone on any part of the body is the result of excessive production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. When this happens, it’s called hyperpigmentation – which is what you also call the dark spots left behind by acne or sun damage.

But the reasons why your skin produces more melanin in these areas vary. Sometimes, it’s just another case of sun damage, or the product of dead skin cell build-up, or conditions like eczema.

Most of the time, however, it comes down to thickening of the skin. This is brought on by everyday acts such as bending, stretching, or even just friction against your clothes. You might not feel the irritation in these areas, but your skin does, and it gradually thickens over time to protect itself.

Dry skin can look darker or duller than usual, so try to keep these areas moisturised. Regular exfoliation – whether that’s by physical or chemical means – will also help prevent the build-up of dead skin cells. Anything containing glycolic, kojic, or azelaic acid will accelerate cell turnover, while SPF will prevent sun damage. Combined, these steps can lead to some improvement, but they aren’t a permanent fix.

To put it simply: treatments can’t totally reverse everyone’s dark knees or elbows. If the main cause is the way our joints move, the only real solution is to just never bend our arms or legs again. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t make any difference.

Chemical peels

By dissolving the top layer of skin with acid, a chemical peel can get rid of any dead skin build-up and encourage cell turnover. This helps improve discolouration – especially with repeat sessions – but won’t be as effective on the thick skin of your knees or elbows as it is on the face.

Laser

Like chemical peels, laser treatment works by eliminating dead skin and tricking it into speeding up the healing process. This can help dark knees and elbows to an extent, although those with darker skin tones (who also happen to be more prone to discolouration in these areas) will need to choose the right laser to avoid the risk of scarring.

Microdermabrasion

It’s most commonly used for the face, but microdermabrasion can help any part of the body. With abrasive diamonds or crystals, it sloughs away the dead skin cells to reveal the newer, fresher skin underneath. Again, this can improve skin’s texture and tone, but won’t completely solve the issue as changes are only surface level.

Ultimately, nothing can eliminate dark knees or elbows for good. Thicker (and consequently darker) skin is just one of the ways the body protects itself from daily life.