Cure for Melasma _{Page 9 of 12}

Thanks, Amanda. There's so much conflicting information out there (and little of it by actual medical professionals) and I'm so afraid of doing something that will make it worse!

I'm afraid of the hydroquinone, too. I was at Sephora yesterday and they were giving out free samples of Caudale's Vinoperfect, so I'm taking that as a sign and going to use that for now.

And good luck to you!

Hi Everyone...I haven't posted on the site in a while but wanted to give you an update on my conditon. I have been on a regimen of applying Vichy Reti-C Intensive Corrective Care SPF15 in the morning followed by Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Moisture. Then I put on Fallene Cotz SPF58 Sunscreen (which contains only titanium & zinc). In the evening i use Exuviance Intense Lightening Complex. I have been doing this religiously for about 3 months now and have noticed a significance difference in my melasma. Yesterday, My husband said to me that my face looks really good and he doesn't notice anything. I went to a graduation party and about 4 people came up to me and commented on my skin! I have been going out in the sun more (we actually put in a inground pool last year)but am very strict about sunblock before I go out and i wear my hat. My husband even commented on me hanging out at the pool so much more than last year. I do believe this is an ongoing battle and due-dilgence is very important!! Just wanted to pass along my good results.

hatethis07: First off, I'm happy you have found your regimen in keeping your melasma under control. Yay! Questions: do you have epidermal and dermal melasma? Did you have melasma before pregnancy? I have melasma on my upper lip and am planning to get pregnant soon. Just wondering if it will just darken on the upper lip or spread all over my face. It is very nice to have a supportive spouse! So happy to hear about your results! :)

Hello tbwjordan,
Regardless of what kind of melasma you have, you shouldn't let it deter you from getting pregnant...When you do conceive, you can go for frequent/localized microdermabraions to your upper lip and keep up your diligence with the sunscreen. It may be easier to be pregnant in the winter months when its a bit more gloomy outside(depending on where you live!). I don't think it will spread all over your face. If that is a concern, have microderm to your entire face every 2-3 weeks. Best of luck to you!

tbwjordan: I have had melasma for about 6 years now. First noticed it on my upper lip about 6 yrs ago when i went to a dermatologist for something else. I have had two children and never developed it. Got pregnant 5yrs ago with my 3rd child and developed it on my cheeks and forehead. I have tried everything to get rid of it...laser treatment, tri-luma, mircordermabrasion, fraxel....you name it i have done it. The routine i am on now is working really well (though I wonder if my hormones are changing and is making it slowly disappear...who knows). I stopped dwelling on it 24/7 and am just diligent about the sunscreen and hats in the sun. This problem should NOT defer you from having a baby. I have three incredible girls 20, 16 and 4 and would do it all over again even if they told me my melasma would get worse.

The super lightner is from Palmer's skin care line. Its been working for me. Did a test on my skin to see if it was actually the heat or sun that brings out my melasma. Its the sun. Went to a public pool with my kids and was in the sun for about 4 hours. Had my sunblock on and reapplied every hour. My face was horrible! So the heat isnt was caused it because FLA WAS HOT! And humid. Working to get it back to 'normal'.

Amanda30: Thank you for your support. You are right, melasma shouldn't let it deter me from getting pregnant. From the readings, I've heard melasma gets worse and/or spreads after pregnancy. Where I live is sunny 300 days out of the year. It is hard to stay out of the sun. Microdermabrasion every 2-3 weeks? I've vowed to stay away from any facial treatments. But, certainly will give it some thought. Thanks Amanda30.
Hatethis07: Sounds like melasma did spread on your face. I notice you are using a lightening complex. It has hyroqunione in it. I'm staying away from those kinds of products. Especially with hydroquinone and can't be used more than 3 months at a time. However, I'm glad that your melasma is slowly disappearing and you may be right your hormones are changing. I'm trying to stay positive and not dwell on it 24/7. It's not easy but, I am trying. :) Thanks for support, I appreciate it! :)

hey guys,

a little update. i stopped breast feeding about a month ago, didn't see any changes in my melasma though.
but! 2 years ago, i managed to fade my melasma away to almost nothing. i went off the pill which helped but didn't get rid of it. what helped was actually a perscription acne gel which i now know is what helped! i know this for sure because i went to my doctor and got it 1 week ago thinking maybe it will work! it has! I apply it over my entire face every night after washing my face and in one week I would say I have seen my melasma fade by 15/20%. It is called clindoxyl gel. I will report back in a few weeks my progress. xo

Lavida,
That is incredible news! So happy to hear that you've found a product that works for you! Seems that we all conduct our own little science experiments in the mirror since being exposed to melasma~I think I will mention it at my next derm appointment.

TBWJordan,
Keep your chin up and keep it in perspective. Whenever I begin to really dwell on my melasma I think to myself...I don't have cancer or any illness that could potentially be life threatening. It doesn't cause me any physical pain. I could have it so much worse than I do right now...IT works for me, I know it isn't easy but, you have support here!

well, it seems my cream has kinda stopped working. it faded the melasma a little bit but hasn't done much more.
i am getting close to just giving up and living with it. i am tired of obsessing over it!
i am going to try one more thing - read about this cream that seems to have amazing reviews. it's called Fashion Fair Vantex Skin lightening cream. ordered it online -gonna give it a go and then that's it.
i can't take the msm - the headaches are just too much.
good luck everyone.

Hello-
I have had melasma off and on since I was pregnant with my daughter who is now 11. It seemed like it went away for years and reappeared over the last two years. It is a mess. Nothing works. I hate wearing hats and who wants to wear a wide brimmed hat 24/7. We are having a gorgeous summer and I am stuck in the house on my days off unless I want to suffer the consequences. I found this website about pills you can take called Melacore. I believe in what they are saying, it is internal. So maybe I will try it. Anyone heard of it?

I suffered with Melasma for more than 8 years. I had brown spots on my forehead and cheeks, and I looked like I had a dark mustach. I tried many products but nothing worked. About two months ago, I was prescribed a product called bleachease II, 8% CR. After 2 weeks, I noticed improvement and a lightening of the spots. After 2 monthes, the melasma is almost entirely gone. It is simply wonderful and I wanted to share this with people suffering becasue of melasma. It is a proprietary blend and I have my prescription filled at Pooles' Pharmcy in Marietta, GA (770-514-1414). I am sure they can provide more information to anyone that wants to contact them. God bless and good luck.

I am a practitioner and I know a lot about melasma. I had it once myself and got rid of it. You can contact me by email if you would like more information.

asuplee at hotmail dot com

Has anyone tried the Cosmelan peel system? I've read several reviews and it seems like it is very effective as it targets the production of melanin.

Hello everybody,
I have been reading this forum for a long time but I finally post as my melasma is getting worse.

I have been suffering from melasma for 2 years and a half. It started as I started taking the pill. I quit the pill 8 months ago and my melasma has been getting much much worse since I quit. This is certainly related to the fact that my hormones started going crazy and my period extremely irregular and with very long cycles.

I take MSM, GSE, zinc, milk thistle, etc. and it is still getting worse (I have taken it for 2 months now).

I have quit drinking coffee and alcohol, but still have no result.

I know that this might be related to my hormone problems but I don't know how to balance my hormones without taking the pill.

I would appreciate any help as I get desperate.

Thanks in advance.

is the discussion of this issue homeopathy?

HEY HAYDAY,

Can you tell me what side effects you had, if any, when you use the La Roche Biomedic Pigment Control? Do you have peeling in area where you applied it, does it sting/burn?

Thanks

oceaniablue-no peeling, redness etc. its really the only product that has worked for me thus far.

im a 30 year old latina woman whom has been afflicted with melasma on my chin. it gets so bad that looks like I’ve eaten chocolate ice cream and didnt wash my face. becoming increasing frustrated and disheartened by how bad my melasma was getting over the years i started going to dermatologists and allergists to no avail. trying their very irritating medicines and creams and starting to lose hope as a result. so i started doing my homework and reading up online about different things woman have done to control or rid this horrid discoloration. then i read something about MSM. supplements. so i fugured hey what the heck. im also taking vitamin c and b complex. (if this helps) and there has been a noticeable lightening of my skin. sometimes it even faded to a very pale light tan coloration... ive been almost melasma free for 6 months now and i feel so much better about my self. its not a cure but its working slowly but surely. my flare ups arent as bad as they were in the past. i also apply vitamin a+d to the affected area which helps a lil too!. as we all know any lil bit counts. i hope this will help at least one of you out there afflicted with melasma.. its helping me. as far as dosage goes i use Pure MSM 1000mg 2 to 3 times a day and vit c 1000mg 1 - 2 times a day.

i have combo melasma. for thos who'd like to know ive never been on birth control nor have i ever been pregnant. so this came out of NO WHERE for me. i've also noticed that soy/chocolate and stress worsens this for me.. i have to say it took about a month and a half to two months of me taking it faithfully every single day for me to notice a break in the coloration so i started taking it (MSM) two times a day and sometimes 3.. i wanted to see how the dosages affected me. so this is why i started with one a day and progressed. on a scale from 1 to 10 the coloration was a 10.... seriously! it looked like i had a messed up goatee or had eaten chocolate ice cream and didnt clean my face. im very fair skinned. now the coloration ranges from 1 to 3 on a bad day, yes a 3. the bumpiness ranged from 7 to 9. now the bumpiness is a 0 to 1, virtually non existent i bought a huge bottle of the pure MSM1000mg vitamin shoppe brand. i love their brand because not only is it affordable but they dont add fillers.. all my stuff is VS brand. i noticed the real lightening during this summer when i was drinking plenty of water. a case of 24 ever week to every other week.. might i add i was out side almost every day.. in the SUN... going to the beach and such and the sun didnt worsen anything for me! but before the water and my regimen it did affect me.. i really hope this helps

my regimen is as follows

grape seed extract 60mg 1-2 a day
vitamin C complex 1000mg 1-2 a day (with bioflavinoids and rosehips)
vit b complex (100) 1 a day
pure MSM 1000mg 2 - 3 a day
grape seed extract 60mg
calcium mag zinc
garlic
mag citrate
iron 28mg
and remember lots of water!!!
64 ounces... which is a lot for me because i wasn't a water drinker



i know for a fact the only thing that worked was the MSM because i was taking the other supplements for years with NO effect. another thing i did was drink a whole bunch more water. about.. 1 case a week. or every other week.. faithfully. and OHHHH what a difference it made in my skin.. its not completely gone but its so light.. it doesnt bother me anymore. i used to wake up dreading to look in the mirror.. and now.. i really dont mind..

Hello Ilymag,
You are such an inspiration...when you hear about the success of another person who suffers with melasma it really provides hope for us all! Thank you for your post!

That was actually an old post that i re posted because of the good info it provided. I have now been melasma free for little over 1 year with my regimen. My face is 100% free of melasma even on a 'bad' day. all i seem to get is a slight reddening under the center of my bottom lip which is quickly remedied by 1000mg of Pure MSM and with in a few hours its gone. its truly a god send. Before i found this combination of vitamins with water I must admit I was depressed and suicidal. I gained alot of weight because all i've wanted to do was eat and stay at home. I'm much more confident now, joined a gym, bike ride in my free time and even lost some weight. I feel like a totally different person. not scared or self conscious to look people in the eye or start up conversation anymore. This site has been very inspirational and supportive for me as i see that i'm not alone in my battle against melasma. Stay strong ladies the answers are out there. Hey you never know, this may help YOU.

P.S. I read that melasma has a strong link to copper toxicity. Google foods high in copper and stay away from them as much as possible.

I have melasma on my forehead and a little on my upper lip. i went to the doctors and they suggested a private clinic where I would have to use skin lightening creams that were very expensive and would probably have bleaached my whole face. Then I found this website.

I have been taking the rosehip, vitamin e, vitamin C and msm combo for 2/3 weeks and I think that it is getting a bit lighter. Don't expect miracles but I think there is some improvement and it's early days. Plus taking the vitamins has made my skin better in general. i have also been using the clinique dark spot corrector which to be honest has probably done nothing but I want to try and be accurate.

I am still naughty and don't drink enough water and drink tea and coffee but I don't want it to rule my whole life. Sometimes I forget my vitamins or to moisturise. I have also had a few headaches too but I'm hoping that will fade.

I can understand why people are so affected by this and I am fed up with people wincing at the sight of my forehead or lecturing me about suncare and feeling accused of grosse biological neglect. Melasma is just bad luck and I'm sure everyone who doesn't have it has sat in the sun or had a baby or been on the pill.

I hate my melasma but I hope that it's not all people see when they look at me and I hope it's not what you all see when you look in the mirror at your face, because if it's all you see how can you expect anyone else to see past it? Attractiveness is 99.9% confidence in yourself. Good luck!

HI All,

I just wanted to post to give some of you some other options for treating melasma as this forum has given me some comfort when my melasma was at its darkest and I was so embarrased and frustrated. I got melasma after having my last baby just over a year ago and had 2 very dark patches at the top of cheekbones, jsut under both eyes. At its darkest, I got asked whether I had been beaten because it was dark/purple under the eyes and with lack of sleep with newborn, it didn't help.

I tried hydrocortisone/retinoicacid/fluticasone combination (Triluma) but did not respond and the creams acrtually made it darker and greyer looking. Then I tried Kojic Acid which stung and also made it darker. I went to a dermatologist who completely freaked me out by telling me that my melasma was spreading...

You should all be aware that laser can actualy make it darker because if it is epidermal, it will respond but most people will have a combination of epidermal and dermal components. The only way you can tell what you have is through a biopsy and of course no-one wants to get a scar in the middle of their melasma patch. The dermal component of melasma will worsen with Laser.

So I looked up all the medical journals and found that grapeseed extract in combination with vitamins a,c and e has been shown to reduce the severity and darkness of melasma. I took this for 3 months in combination with 2nd daily Vitamin C mask (from Guinot, lightening mask) and the melasma slowly faded. Also used Invisible Zinc sunscreen religiously.

In the past 2-3 weeks, I also started using Prevage given to me as a free sample and it seems to have made the lightening even more significant. Now only one patch really requires a small amount of concealer and the other patch I can get away with tinted moisturiser. I'm so happy and I've still got a little way to go yet but I just wanted to share my experiences so that you won't go wasting so much money on random products like I did.

Hey there Asiangirl,

Thanks so much for your post! My melasma developed a year after I lost a pregnancy at 7 weeks. Never noticed a thing until this spring when we went on vacation and after 1 day in the Florida sun I developed 2 dark patches over my upper lip...what a nightmare it has been!

I began changing my diet immediately. I lived on coffee and diet coke because I am a night-shift maternity nurse. No more caffeine, chocolate, alcohol or soy products. All of which I ingested religiously.

At the dermatologist I began receiving microderm abrasions every 3-4 weeks and used an array of products. I use neostrata cream and UVA/UVB sunscreen in the morning and then I use Avage cream before bed. The Avage is a prescription strength cream that i have noticed improvement with and I'm wondering if it is similar to your Prevage.

I am going to start the Vitamin Supplements and Grapeseed extract. May I ask if you drink the extract and if so what you mix it with? Also, how often do you use the Vitamin C mask? Sorry to ask so many questions but, what type of make-up do you use? I have not found anything yet that covers it enough to make me feel less self-conscious.

Thanks so much!

Hi Amanda30,

The Prevage has a Vitamin A complex which is similar to Retinoic acid although when I was prescribed retinoic acid by the dermatologist, that also didn't do anything for me. In America you can buy Prevage MD which is available from doctor or normal Prevage just over the counter at Elizabeth Arden (the difference is in concentration of idebenone 0.5% or 1%).

I buy the grapeseed extract in pills which come either in 100 or 150mg. Either should be OK. I took Vit C 1000mg a day and Vit E and A in which ever concentration was available from the pharmacy.

As for make up, this was the worst thing because I never even wore make up regularly before this. At its worst, I used Dermablend as well as the dermablend setting powder otherwise it looks awful. I don't think it ever fooled anyone and sort of looked dully grey under the make up but at least made me feel like I could face the world. As it got better, I used colorstay make up by revlon with some mineral powder on top (elizabeth arden, which is how i came to get the free sample of prevage).

Best of luck, it does fade with time and the less you do and the more patient you are, you will see results. Don't get obsessed but also don't give up.

Best of luck

Hi Asiangirl,
I'm wondering where you found grapeseed extract in 100-150mg. I have read elsewhere that people have gotten them in that strength, but the only kind I've found (at health food store and pharmacies) come in 50mg. I know I could just take more, but they are really expensive...