# \[super TMI!\]What causes perianal brownness **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516 "2005-03-21T04:41:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/1 "2005-03-21T04:41:19Z")
I don’t know how to say it without being TMI in the topic. I always assumed that the perianal area was usually darker because of how the skin is kind of thick there. Whenever the fascinating and mysterious topic of anal bleaching comes up, I always see someone use the word “stain.” I always thought that was just stupid. But I was thinking about it again today when all of a sudden I realized that there is thick skin on my elbows, and there is thick skin on my feet, and it’s not brown! So, um, I really don’t get it. My cat has gone poo many times in her life, but her bum is pink. We all have the benefit of toilet paper, showers, bidets, tucks, and yet… How is that possible? I will just come out and ask: What causes the mysterious perianal tan? And if it’s what I think it is, how is that possible? ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/2 "2005-03-21T05:13:40Z")
I can’t answer the OP’s question, but I would add that my whang has a brown “racing stripe”. Is it the circumcision scar? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/3 "2005-03-21T07:49:29Z")
I misread the header as “ **What causes _perennial_ brownness** ” and was about to suggest watering the poor thing more often during the warmer months. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/4 "2005-03-21T08:59:12Z")
anal bleaching. wait…what? is there a goat and calamari involved somehow? ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/5 "2005-03-21T12:16:06Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > I can’t answer the OP’s question, but I would add that my whang has a brown “racing stripe”. Is it the circumcision scar? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/6 "2005-03-21T14:10:29Z")
> [@scott evil](#): > > Yes. I thought maybe Hyperelastic already knew pokey. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/7 "2005-03-21T15:53:38Z")
Bump. I am also curious about this. Anyone willing to take a poke at it? ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/8 "2005-03-21T15:59:26Z")
I’ve researched this before. The skin is darker there because there is a much higher concentration of apocrine glands in the bunghole region. There are also more apocrine sweat glands in the crotch area, which explains why some women’s crotches appear discolored. Apocrine glands are also responsible for B.O. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/9 "2005-03-21T16:02:45Z")
Men also have another racing strip - a raphe that sort of runs down the center of the scroctum (women get a tan line along their midline when their pregnant, too). For what’s its worth, I sunbathe sans clothing alot, and my genitals always get a deep tan - I don’t know why the melanin would be more concentrated in that area. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/10 "2005-03-21T17:09:04Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > Bump. I am also curious about this. Anyone willing to take a poke at it? heh. hehehe. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/11 "2005-03-21T20:10:36Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > Men also have another racing strip - a raphe that sort of runs down the center of the scroctum That line marks the embyronic fusion of the labioscrotal fold from the early stages of sex differentiation. (ie; if we had two X chromasomes, the cells that became the two halves of our ballsacks would have expressed as _labia majoris_, instead.) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/12 "2005-03-21T20:13:27Z")
_Chromosomes_, damn it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/13 "2005-03-21T20:31:36Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > I can’t answer the OP’s question, but I would add that my whang has a brown “racing stripe”. Is it the circumcision scar? Does this “racing stripe” wash off? If yes, then it’s not a scar and you may wish to alter some of your personal habits. You know, there’s nothing like racing stripes to make a “whang” into a “WHANG!” ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/14 "2005-03-22T02:17:50Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Does this “racing stripe” wash off? It hasn’t washed off yet, but I’ve had a lot of fun scrubbing away at it over the years. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/15 "2005-03-22T02:42:27Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > I’ve researched this before. > > The skin is darker there because there is a much higher concentration of apocrine glands in the bunghole region. There are also more apocrine sweat glands in the crotch area, which explains why some women’s crotches appear discolored. > > Apocrine glands are also responsible for B.O. Hmm. I’m skeptical because armpits aren’t brown. And if people really do get their asses bleached, and I don’t even know if they do, how could apocrine glands be bleached? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/16 "2005-03-22T03:57:05Z")
I’ve actually noticed quite a few people with darker armpits, but have read that that’s from the deoderant and that gentle exfoliation every so often will help that. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/17 "2005-03-22T04:22:43Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > For what’s its worth, I sunbathe sans clothing alot, and my genitals always get a deep tan - I don’t know why the melanin would be more concentrated in that area. Just a somewhat-educated WAG, but a mutation in the germline is more of a problem for the species than a mutation in a random skin cell somewhere. Because scrotal skin is very thin to begin with, maybe the extra melanin is there to protect the developing sperm from UV rays? I suppose this doesn’t really explain anything if women’s parts tan darker too… but I tried. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/18 "2005-03-22T04:45:20Z")
I’ve wondered about this before, and I really don’t think it’s poop-stain. Best I could find on a quick search for “anal bleaching” was an advice column on an adult website called PuckerUp. (Does it really need more warning than that?) The [direct link](http://www.puckerup.com/?tpid=5§ion_copy_id=§ion_id=388§ion_copy_id=671§ion_id=342§ion_type=template), which I wouldn’t call work-safe, is pretty tame. No popups. > [@](#): > > First, let me assure you that the way your ass looks now is perfectly normal; in most people, the puckered flesh of the anus is naturally a few shades darker—or a slightly different color—than the rest of their skin. For some people, the contrast is more extreme than others. Remember that everyone’s ass is as unique as a fingerprint. Is it possible to lighten the skin of the anal opening? Skin bleaching products are used to suppress pigmentation in order to lighten the skin; the most common products contain either hydroquinone, kojic acid or mandelic acid and are available by prescription only; those sold without a prescription tend to be weaker or less effective. Recent studies have shown that azelaic acid, bearberry extract, and licorice extract may also have lightening agents. However, most of these products are not used on genital skin, since it is much more sensitive than other skin. Consult a dermatologist or a cosmetic surgeon about your options, and never attempt to use over-the-counter products on yourself. As for making it more pink, well that’s a little trickier.\ Gets a bit more graphic after that and doesn’t really answer the question, so I won’t quote the rest here. [WAG] It’s the “puckered flesh” part that I think is the explanation for the darker color. I guess some people have that kind of skin where it has such fine wrinkles that it appears darker.[/WAG] ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/19 "2005-03-22T13:32:44Z")
Just another WAG, but could it have anything to do with hormonal changes? When a woman becomes pregnant, her nipples typically darken. I’ve drawn nude models for years & never noticed particularly dark genitalia - but almost all of the models are young people. My babies’ bums are almost colorless, barely pink. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516/20 "2005-03-22T13:43:56Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Because scrotal skin is very thin to begin with, maybe the extra melanin is there to protect the developing sperm from UV rays? The only way the testicles could be exposed to UV rays is if you walked on your hands in a nudist colony. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-tmi-what-causes-perianal-brownness/295516.md?page=2)