What causes darkening in intimate areas?

 Your hormones can play a vital part in this. It happens as a result of the hormonal changes that take place.   During puberty, there can be a sudden rise in estrogen levels that might lead to the darkening of the intimate area. In your late 30s and 40s, there might be the same effect owing to the low estrogen levels as you move towards menopause. 

 During menopause, some women experience more pigmentation on their face, called melasma, which is modeled pigmentation on the cheeks, upper lip, and forehead,  It's particularly common among women and is thought to occur when the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate the overproduction of melanin when skin is exposed to the sun. 

 It can be caused due to wearing tight underwear or clothing that doesn’t fit properly, and there is a lack of proper ventilation in the area. It can also happen as a result of everyday activities like walking, exercise, sex etc. Besides, rubbing the area too much can also lead to darkening. 

 As you age, it isn’t only in terms of elasticity and texture that your vagina undergoes changes, but there might be color changes as well. Not only the vagina, but other body parts can also darken with age.  This is all normal. 

 Medications sometimes can lead to hyperpigmentation. They include some antibiotics, antiarrhythmics (for irregular heart rhythm), and antimalarial drugs.