Melasma Remedies

I read all the stories posted here 2 nites ago and already my melasma is fading. I do hope it goes away. Can someone tell me how long b4 I c complete results and do I have to use continuously?

Hi... wanted to provide an update on my progress with remedies for melasma.

My current regime is:

Scrub face twice daily (or more if can fit in) with Apple Cider Vinegar... Stinks... Rub in undiluted to the affected areas until cannot bear the stinging anymore... scrub hard.

Taking following vitamins daily:

1 zinc tablet, 1 selenium tablet, 1 vitamin b3 tablet, 4 vit c tablets, 2 pure msm capsules

Castor Oil ..... massage onto face after apple cider vinegar scrub.

Something is happening - some areas have lightened a lot, other areas are lightening but not so quickly.

I have had comments that I look 'fresh'

I'm not sure what is helping whether it is all of the above or one thing in particular.

I am not seeing the 'miraculous' overnight success that other have talked about. This is the most encouraged I have ever been though. I will continue this regime for at least 3 months to see if there is continued improvement.

Good luck to everyone fighting the same problem

Cheers, Maz

Dear Carla,
It is nice to know that you are getting good results. I want to know about grapefruit seed extract. Is it in liquid form or tablet. Is it available in singapore?
Thanks.

Hello! I feel your pain; I too suffer form Melasma. I had Read older Post here on EC of other women with this problem. I decided to try 1, 000 mg each of MSM and Vitiamin C Together along with Grape seed extract 100mg. For now I'm just taking it once a day. You may want to try to order all these suuplements items from the Swanson vitamins.com web site. Swanson has a vast line of products at very reasonable prices. Except the Meladerm which $49.99 If nothing else order the Reviva Brighten & Lighten cleanser (only comes in 4oz for $5.58) From Swanson I really like it- it's a cream cleanser all natural great for uneven skin tones. I am going to stick with these two products for my skin. In addition, to the MSM Program I'm on seems to be working slowly thou. Hope this helps You. Let me know if you decide to try it Best wishes

Castor Oil for Melasma

I have used castor oil topically on dark spots on my legs. It has been the only thing that worked for me. I use a very small amount (dime-size) and topically rub it in the darkened spots. It may take a couple weeks before you notice a difference.

Hi Everyone

It's been a while since I last wrote to EC. I have been battling melasma for years now and it has become my life mission to find a cure. I have tried everything cosmetic with disastorous results for my face and my wallet. The worst experience I had was IPL laser which made my melasma 100 times worse.

I've tried various concoctions from EC including MSM, Grapefruit, hydrogen peroxide to little avail, , , that being said I've probably not stuck to anything long enough to see a result... I'm a firm believer if there is no improvement in a few weeks there isnt going to be.

I am now on a regime of Apple Cider Vinegar, Vitamin C, zinc and horseraddish as these are about the only things I've not tried, It's been 1 week since I started using ACV and maybe there is a little improvement but nothing as dramatic as the results some have posted. I guess we all have to trial and error various methods to find the magical one that will work.

I promised myself if I find a solution I will tell everyone... so for those of you still battling this I feel your pain and will keep you posted on any improvements I see. Cheers, Maz

Hi, I have been battling with what I thought to be melasma for about 10 years now and with what I thought to be athlete's foot for about 5 years. I have one spot on my foot and one spot on my hand that flares up often, especially with stress or if I eat any sugars or breads at all. It is difficult to always eat a perfect diet. I take probiotics everyday, but it only seems to help it. It never goes away.

And with the melasma, I'm now reading that tinea causes hypopigmentation. Is it possible for me to have both melasma and tinea as I think I have both the hyper and hypo pigmentation on my face. I have been taking about 10,000 m? per day of MSM with about 3,000 vit C for about a month. I think I've seen some fading of my melasma, but my skin is still very blotchy. I don't think I've seen the success most see on that MSM protocol which makes me think the tinea and hypopigmentation is a big problem as well.

How can I truly treat both at the same time and be done with both issues for once and for all. The itchy feet wakes me up in the middle of the night when it's flaring and is so miserable. And the hyper/hypo pigmentation is such a nuisance. Thank you.

IF YOU WANT IT TO GO AWAY... APPLE CIDAR VINEGAR WORKS! I read a earlier post a while back about using ACV with a cotton ball, then a few weeks later, I read an article about natural skin care products found in your kitchen. It said if you cannot afford to get glycolic peels try ACV. I apply it directly to the spots with a Q-Tip twice a day, first thing in the morning and when I get home or before I go to bed. You will see the fastest results if you put it on before bed. My skin is aging so I do not put it on before bed every night. But always twice a day. I do not dilute it. I keep the bottle in my bathroom. I also exfolitate every couple days with lemon(natural bleaching power) and sugar. These two things alone, I can tell you, YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE in 2 WEEKS!!!! It is nearly 3 months, and you can "hardly" see it!! :)

I hvae had melasma for few years, like many people, tried everything available, IPL, Hydroquinone etc... Made it better at first and then it came back way much darker. Finally found this website, tried the following treatment:
1000 mg MSM, 1000 mg Vita C and 1000 mg Grapefruit seed extract and so far I have had great results, I am really surprised and happy. A lot of people on this page seems to be confusing grapefruit extract and grapefruit seed extract, no wonder they don't get results, IT IS NOT THE SAME.

Ive had melasma which has covered nearly 40% of my face. It started about a 1 1/2 years ago. I got a little spot on my nose and around my upperlip. 6 months ago it started very quickly to spread. I went to several Dr even cleveland clinic and they gave me creams but nothing worked. They all told me the same thing. "Theres nothing you can do, it will probably get worse." I wasnt willing to believe that. I started reading natural cures and heard about apple cider vinegar and tried it. It got a little better. So I realized that there has to be a cure otherwise it wouldnt have helped at all. I had a spot on my fingernail which I believed was fungus. I also had granuloma Annular on my neck and when I put Apple cider vinegar on it it helped the nail and eliminated the granuloma completely. So then I realized they had to be connected to the melasma. I began my mission. I had been to several Dr. I knew that all 3 were related, they all told me I was crazy that there was no connection. I knew if I could find what cured my fingernail it would cure the melasma. Each dr perscribed something diffrent nothing worked. So I began doing more research on the internet and realized what I needed was Doxycylene and prednisone to cure it. Sure enough it worked 5 days later the bacteria in my nail is gone and so is the melasma. I think mine was caused from a bacteria in my body. Dont give up you just need to know where its coming from..... Good luck!!!!! Suzy

Thank you, Es, I appreciate your comments. Please I would like to confirm if you mean 10,000mg MSM or maybe 1,000 mg. Thanks again!

Hi Sandra, I've been reading your posts of frustration over melasma. I too, have had melasma all over my cheeks for quite a few years now- about 5. I have tried apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and creams that claimed they'd get rid of them. Not only were they expensive, they didn't work! Well, I saw changes when I went raw and drank green juices for about 9 months but still it was there- just reduced. I had hoped it would clear it all up because it was such a cleansing diet but no such luck.

A little over two months ago, I started making my own kefir from the living grains which I've written about here on EC. I started because of reading about all the benefits which sounded unreal because it lists a long array of them. Well, I have found so many of the benefits to be true. Among them, one of the most profound for myself was that almost all of my melasma is gone and my skin is amazing. If you google kefir and melasma a lot of info comes up about it! It might interest you to do that. At any rate, I just thought I'd share this info w/ you since I can feel your frustration. Just remember it won't work overnight although I have to say it was only about 2 weeks into it that I started to notice its disappearance! Best to you, Lisa

Can you please clarify if you are taking these supplement as described or X3. Also, did you mean to write 10,000mg of MSM? How long did you do follow this routine before you started to see the difference. I would really appreciate your reply.

Hi - I promised to write again and it took a while but I wanted to make some changes and wait until I had progress to report. I now have BIG patches of healed normal skin on the forehead melasma splotch. Here is what I have done:

A) Quit smoking cigarettes 3 months ago. For those of you with melasma who smoke, I believe it can only help to quit. I quit with hypnosis, it was a cakewalk - I feel great and life is VASTLY improved - never goin' back.

B)I quit drinking alcohol also about 3 months ago - candida/copper/hormone connection. No good for melasma. Also quit via hypnosis, also a BREEZE.

C) Currently taking the following supplements daily:
10000mg MSM
1000mg vitamin C
50mg zinc
10 to 15 drops GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract)

When I started the GSE a few days ago was when I started to see the big patches of healed skin appear literally overnight. Let me be accurate and clear here: I had a solid splotch on my forehead, a solid splotch down my nose, and shading on my upper lip. When I say "big patches of healed skin" I mean, the splotch of light brown pigment on my forehead is about 1. 5"x2" big. Now, splotches of regular healed skin appearing are varied sizes, a couple approx 4mmx3xmm, several 2mmx2mm, and several more measuring 1mmx1mm. This happened on my nose several months ago, making the whole solid mark down my nose disappear leaving only two small faint spots. Upper lip is somewhat faded. Also noticed today the white yeast on tongue vastly decreased. I'm sure I had inbalance of yeast. See the melasma magically appeared a few years ago, at a time when I was rather depressed and drinking alcohol almost every day, and smoking cigarettes. I cut down, but it was too late. Anyway, MSM and GSE are key. The healed skin becomes normal and no sunscreen is needed - the melasma doesn't come back on those areas when you get rid of them with MSM. I know, as my healed nose area melasma never returned even when I was in the sun without sunscreen this summer regularly. The skin that returns to normal remains normal. I will report back on progress but please be patient as I will wait until I have what to report. I do truly believe it is an internal issue and have not bothered with external treatments as I've heard horror stories about it worsening the melasma and I won't dare take any chances with that. I can say I've seen progress. Now lets see how much more progress comes. Hang in there people, sooner or later someone'll find a real cure for this. Staying positive also does help. I will try the cilantro again, but what happened was, I realized it was rather foolish to do the cilantro metal cleanse while continously re-introducing copper & heavy metals into my body with my nasty chainsmoking cigarette habit and several bottles of white wine per week. So I quit the junk completely, continued with the supplements, added GSE and NOW will try the cilantro cleanse again. Whatever works will likely be a combination. Healthy lifestyle, spirit, and mind are a huge plus. ES

This is to Christa from Joshua Tree. I too sufferred from yeast infections, hair falling out, muscle problems and melasma which kept getting progressively worse. I did all kinds of research and finally went to a Dr. who practices Chinese medicine. He was amazing! He did diagnose me with having a chronic fungus in my stomach, Candida. It caused havoc to my system and subsequently deposited all kinds of toxins in the bloodstream where my liver became overwhelmed and cause the liver spots which he called them. He put me on a protein and green vegetable diet. He gave me a bunch of Chinese meds and had me drink water only and no no no carbs of any kind. Everthing has cleared up and so has my malasma/liver spots. That was my experience and I've tried everything. Hope this was useful.

Sunscreen is probably the last thing you should be using unless you have a natural one. The chemicals contained in most other sunscreens seem to cause skin cancer. It pays to be careful.... Nowadays I only use VCO. And if you use sunscreen you don't make Vitamin D.

pigmentation disorder

Apricot Kernel Oil cured my blotchy skin! Use a few drops as your regular face moisturizer.1-2t imes/week for about 6 months worked for me :) I'm 22 and tan very well, but every summer when I would start showing colour the skin on my face would get terribly blotchy. Lots of people told me that it was just the pigment of my skin and there was nothing I could do. My sister who also would get blotchy tanned skin noticed that after using Apricot Kernel Oil as a moisterizer on her face no longer had the same trouble that year. I stared in January and I can gladly say its the end of August and this is the first summer my face has a wonderfully even tan! (I still use sunsrcreen everday of course)

This is in follow up to my post dated 7/21/10. Well I am happy to report that my melasma is gone. I also got rid of a little mole on my cheek. It only took 4 weeks to get rid of the melasma and only 1 week to get rid of the mole by using Apple Cider Vinegar on my face every evening before I went to bed. I still use the __ __ 24 cream during the day on my face as I am a big fan of this product. I also still take selenium, zinc and other vitamins that support thyroid function and hormonal imbalance since I believe this is why I ended up with melasma in the first place. My skin looks so nice now. Friends and relatives have noticed a huge difference and say I look younger and my skin looks radiant. I wish I would've know about the ACV 2 years ago when I went on my mission to get rid of this dreaded skin condition. I could've saved myself hundreds of dollars! The combination of the ACV daily wash and taking vitamins (healing from the inside out) that support healthy skin such as C and E are key. Best of luck to everyone!

I want to THANK everyone who have posted their experiences relating to Melasma on this website. I have had melasma mainly on my upper lip for about 5 years and I truly believe that it is associated with taking birthcontrol pills (bcp) in my case. When I decided to look for a natural treatment for my melasma I found this website. I began taking 15 drops of GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT in water, 3 times a day (and sometimes only twice a day) exactly 1 month ago. AFTER TWO WEEKS I could tell that my MELASMA was starting to LIGHTEN. Now today, 4 weeks later, it has not completely disappeared but it has lightened quite substantially and I am going to keep taking the GSE until it has vanished completed - I can't wait! :)

I really hope that everyone who has melasma is able to find a treatment that works for them. Good Luck!

Lisa B from Bermuda

PS: I truly believe that melasma should be treated from the INSIDE OUT because external treatments tend to be a temporary fix and fade creams can cause melasma to return darker.

Any updates on the cilantro cleanse and the effect it has had on your melasma?

I tried the onion juice (I did not have the H2O2) with lemon juice just yesterday night and for some of my melasma has worked. It has become lighter in one shot unbelievable. . . Anyways I have come to a conclusion that all the melasma are not the same, that is why it is so difficult to treat. . . . Or at leat they don't have the same origin. Some come from yeast infections and other from liver intoxication. . . Or a mix of both together. It is necessary a deep knowledge on how it developed the very first time. I am working from the inside because it is the very best way to get rid of melasma I believe. . .

Hello Everyone,

An update to my previous posts on my melasma condition. I was and still am using a product ____24. In addition I am still taking vitamins on a daily basis. Just recently my melasma came back with a vengeance. . . All my fault. I went on vacation to the beach and layed in the sun with sunscreen every day. I wanted a nice tan so badly. Well needless to say my melasma kicked in full gear. I came back to Earth Clinic for help. I tried the acv on my face in the evening before bedtime. This is only my second day and the spots are all fading! After I wash my face, I dip a cotton ball in water acv and put it all over my face. I cannot believe the improvement in just two days! Thanks Earth Clinic contributors! I will keep everyone posted on my progress.

Is this still working for you? Are you still using the vinegar wash everyday? Have you ever used it as a toner??

Hi Shirley,

If u still check this site, can u tell me how is ur Melasma now?

Hi,

Please can somebody please help me with my treatment of this 'stuff' on my face!?! I believe it to be caused by a reaction to anti biotics (strong ones) about 2 years ago. I did buy Grapefruit seed extract juice but couldnt take the taste so I have tablet form now. I am unsure as to the dose of Vit C I should take as more than 1000mg per day is harmful and how many tablets or the mg of GSE I should be taking. I do wonder if what I have read about copper overload is true to me so I am taking 20mg of Zinc too.

Thank you in advance.
Rosie

Good Day Cara..Hyaluronic Acid should clear up your skin..I had bad skin on my face that I covered with a beard. After taking HA for 3 months my face skin is soft, supple and those dark spots are nearly gone..The brand I am taking is absorbed into the body easily. Take 3 pills daily that contains 100mg.

I care
Alfred

I began using apple cider vinegar to help diminish the dark spots caused by melasma. I was not pleased with the results that I received. The current spots that I did have seemed to become darker then they have ever been, and a rapid increase of spots, some of which appeared on areas of my face that have never had them such as my chin. I continued using it for approx. 3 weeks then decided it was only making the problem worse. Since I discontinued using apple cider vinegar the spots have not increased and have begun to lighten. Currently I started taking msm 1000mg once a day, it is day 4 so I am patiently awaiting.

I am a mother of a 8 yr old and a 3 yr old and on my last pregnancy started noticing more pigmentation on my cheek bone freckles. I consulted with my OB and she said it's normal with the hormonal changes and should return to normal after my hormones regulate themselves. To add to the insult, two years ago I bought pillow covers as well as towels made with COPPER, because they were really recommended by a person at work as anti-bacterial and beneficial to sleep on. Thanks to this blog, I can now trace the link of copper to my melasma! I am a very active 40 yr old mom and professional woman. I use SPF daily but my melasma has worsen and I can not go anywhere without three layers of make-up, I am self-conscious and embarrased by it. I will give the cilantro a try, luckily I like it. I will research the chlorella and will post my results asap. Thank you!

Hi Liza,

I happened to stumble across this website by accident and saw your post.

I am almost 41 and have had Melasma for about 4 1/2 years. I have never been on the pill and could not understand how I ended up with this. I guess I thought that living in Australia, this was the result of sun damage, even though I have dark skin and have never had a need to tan.

I have however, recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease (hypothyroidism)! I read the link that you posted and it all started to fall into place! Can you tell me how you found out about Selenium for Melasma?

Your post has given me hope.

I look forward to you reply.
Cheers,
Michelle

OK. You need to do a lot of detective work very thoroughly to figure it out, but melasma and copper overload are connected. Search around to find the scientific jargon for it, but copper plays a major role in pigmentation and melanin. Moreover, the copper levels in pregnant women, women on the pill, and when you are premenstrual are higher. Also, it rises with the estrogen. Hello, I've heard many women note what I myself noted. The melasma darkens before your period and lightens after. Copper levels are elevated so makes sense. Now, many people noted MSM, zinc and vit C help when nothing else did. Well, MSM helps purge the body of heavy metals by making cell walls more permeable and releasing toxins. Zinc and vit C are "antagonists" to copper. But that stuff works slowly. I have had mild melasma, darker in summer very light in winter, on upper lip, nose and forehead for past 4 years. Taking MSM recently (10 grams per day) I did notice two things, it didn't darken much in the sun anymore and a 3mm wide x 5 mm long splotch of it vanished from my nose, replaced by normal colored skin.

But this really isn't good enough for me.

So I read up on the copper link and you know, while for the most part I'm extremely strong and healthy, I have had some acne (under control now mostly) some hormonal imbalance, yeast infections, and a few other of the milder symptoms of copper toxicity. OK, well, now let's talk about getting rid of said copper excess.

I read a few people did this and their melasma's gone.

Cilantro - google it - rids the body of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, and copper.

I for one, took the pill at two points in my life for 3 years each time (threw my whole body out of whack for a few years after). I used a copper pan for a few years - RIGHT at the time this problem appeared. I drank tap water at the time too, who knows what's in the pipes, and I also smoked cigarettes and drank too much white wine. (Copper is used in process of making white wine). Anyway, I don't intend to never have a glass of wine, nor watch every morsal of food that has copper content, hello I like mushrooms and avocados. Besides, some copper is needed in the body. So thankfully there is a natural way to leech those heavy metals from your brain, blood and tissue.

Buy fresh cilantro, take one quarter cup of it - I put in blender and add cold water and drink it as a juice. Apparently you must take "chlorella" an algae supplement (I take 10 capsules with my cilantro juice) because otherwise you will remove the heavy metals from where they are being "safely" stored and on the way through small intestine etc the metals will be re-absorbed into the body, and will be all over the place. So cilantro brings out the heavy metals but chlorella helps to flush it right on out.

You do this for 3 weeks, no more. It works very quickly. A doctor discovered this cilantro link, apparently something in the cilantro binds to the metal molecules and removes it, causing it to be excreted and flushed out in the urine.

So, I started this a few days ago and my marks are fading fast but I will post back later to let you know my progress because I know how it feels to have this condition, it SUCKS. I'm a beautiful woman, and thank god this year I refused to feel down on myself for this melasma, I now know I still am beautiful. But there's no doubt it sucks to have to wear makeup to cover it, and in flourescent light it still shows up.

I know many people have it much worse than me too.

By the way most copper testing is ineffective because it is often stored deep in tissues so may not show up in the test.

But please, be your OWN judge, go do your research on the following: Copper and pigmentation. Copper melasma. Copper cilantro and chlorella. Copper and estrogen. Copper and pregnancy. Copper and MSM, or heavy metals and MSM.

I hope that this will help people, no-one should feel bad about themselves. Prior to 4 years ago, my complexion was even-toned. I trust it soon will be again. Will let you know how it goes. And hey, whatever happens, I'm sure over the course of my 35 years of life I've stored up some excess of metals, so at least I'll purge 'em out.

PS - make sure whatever chlorella you order is pure and read up on it to find the best brand for you, you can order it online, and as with any supplement it should be processed properly in some way that doesn't mess up the properties (as with everything, I mean, even for example olive oil should be cold-pressed!) but do your research on that OK, I'm not a chlorella expert, I just googled and read up on it and picked what looked like a good product to me. The stuff isn't too expensive. Whatever works. Cilantro is, thank god, cheap! A buck or two for a nice bunch of it at the grocery store. Also, I thought eating that much cilantro would taste bad but surprisingly it doesn't taste like much. Not bitter, not strong, it smells strong but tastes mild. I like it in salsa but never dreamed of drinking a glass of it!!!

God bless (:
ES