Cure for Melasma _{Page 3 of 12}

To those taking grapefruit seed extract, should i be taking drops or pill form? or doesnt it matter? also is there a brand better then another? anything i should be looking for on the lable?

And for the MSM, how do you know what dose you should start with? and is there anything special to be looking for besides being 'pure'?

Alittle advice would be greatly welcomed, good luck to u all :)

Hey tbwjordan: Ya, it's been a long battle these past few years and can't believe the difference it makes with the supplements! I hope it can work for you too!! There's a great brand that Whole Foods makes for the Grape Seed Extract - it's their own. I'll email you as well so if you have any questions I'm here to help! :)

penolope33 and tbwjordan how is your melasma? i have dermal/some epidermal and have done everything!!!!! i mean everything!!!! i have been thinking about trying supplements but am tyring to find a good mix. thank you for info and i am curious as to how your melasma is currently. what a horrible thing to have!!

Hayday: I have tried everything except invasive surgery such as Active FX, IPL, etc. I am still taking the supplements and have not seen any changes. But, will continue to use the supplements and hopefully see some improvements soon. Good luck with the supplements and hope they work for you.

Codex, has your has your Melasma re-occurred?
I'm so frusterated! I hate melasma!!! I don't know what to do :(

Help! I got melasma about 4 years ago on my upper lip. The derm told me to use cream she gave me but it did no good. I happen to stubble upon this forum when I was searching for answers. I've been taking 3000 mgs of vitamin C and 3000 of MSM. It's been about a month and I've seen no changes. Can anyone offer any advice?

Hayday and tbwjordan: Sorry it's taken me so long to get back with you!! I've been horrible about responding to emails lately :( My melasma still seems to be improving every day little by little - there was a big difference at first and the progression slowed a bit after the first few weeks but is still getting better. I'm still taking the Vitamin C, MSM, daily vitamins (no copper) and Grape Seed Extract. I also ran across a great MSM cream I put on it every night (got it at Whole Foods)- it's got some great nutrients to help as well! Hang in there with the supplements-it can take some time.... hope they start working for you soon!:)

Thanks for the reply! Penelope33 is your melasam, dermal, epidermal or both? I plan on trying your supplement regimen.

Penelope33- no worries about the late replies. I sent you an email earlier and whenever you can reply, that'd be great. That is great your melasma is getting better. It is better than no progress. Question- even with the improvements, does your melasma get darker around your menstural cycle? I hope the supplements start kicking in soon for me as it has been a couple of months now. Thanks for sharing about the MSM cream.

Hey hayday and tbwjordan! My melasma is both dermal and epidermal. Prescriptions have not worked for me in the past so trying anything I can to get rid of it and trying to do it from the inside out. I have noticed it does tend to get darker around the menstrual cycle- it was better this past month however :) I apply different sunscreens each morning - Olay moisturizer with 15 spf, a 45 sunscreen with zinc, 100 spf from Neutrogena and another which is the UV extender formula from Bullfrog (this stuff rocks at blocking the sun and you are supposed to be able to stay out a little longer with it on) Highly recommend those too! :) Good luck to the both of you!! May we all be rid of this soon!!

Penelope33 and Hayday: When I found out I had melasma a year and half ago, I started using Murad. Then, switched over to Retin-A and Epiquin. That didn't work and decided to get a consultation from a skin doctor. He recommended IPL or Active FX. I did enough research to convince myself that I was not going to jeopardize making the melasma worse. After hours of surfing the web, I came across natural remedies for melasma. I started using GSE (Grapefruit Extract Seed) and was on it for a month. I didn't see any improvements. Again, I may have not been patient enough. :) Then, I came across the ABC Homeopathy website and decided to start MSM, Vitamin C, Arnica 30c, and Cod Fish Oil. After reading your post (Penelope33), I added Grape Seed Extract as of 7/31/09 and got off the Cod Fish Oil and Arnica 30c. Here is my current regimen:
MSM (Whole Foods) 1,000 mg 3x a day
Vitamin C (Esten-C) 1,000 mg 2x a day
Grape Seed Extract (Whole Foods) 1x a day
Skinceuticals Phyto Gel 2x a day (gel you rub onto the melasma)
Skinceuticals Moisturizer 1x day
Skinceuticals Sunscreen 30 SPF (tinatium and zinc)

What brand names do you use for your MSM and Vitamin C?What is your regimen again?

Do you take the supplements on an empty stomach for best absorption? And, how long have you been on your supplements before you noticed any improvements?

Sorry for all the questions. Penelope33, I agree with you that may we all be rid of this soon!! We need to have a positive attitude and envision ourselves with the disappearnce of our melasma !! :)

Thanks for the info! I am making a quick trip to south florida and when i get back i plan on getting on a good supplement regimen.

i read a book by vanessa wild about melasma and the use of msm. has anyone read it?? i don't know if you can post book titles on here.

also, i did do a cleanse that i noticed helped my melasma. i did a 21 day cleanse i can give you info on if you email me. i did it for other health reasons but did know a difference in my melasma. i've thought maybe i need to do a cleanse more than twice a year if i got those kind of results.

after all my research i think this melasma thing needs something topical and something for your insides. this book talks about eating well, organic and getting rid of all the toxic stuff that contributes to this. this book also mentions putting a msm cream as a topical solution directly on the melasma along with the supplements.

thanks for all the replies, there has to be a way to treat this.

Sort of accidentally found help for my melasma that was getting worse on my cheeks and wanted to share with everyone because I read this forum and many others trying to find help before I came across this.

I was actually treating other things that were going on with myself but noticed that the brown spots were getting much lighter as a result, and in only a couple of weeks!!

First, some history...since having my son almost 2 years ago, I'd been sliding into a depression, but slowly enough that I attributed my exhaustion, bad moods, insomnia, and other symptoms to some other problem. Sick of being sick and tired, I decided to do a little research and thought at first it was my adrenal gland function (I've had problems with low adrenals in the past) so I got myself back on stuff for that and while it helped with energy, it wasn't doing much for my moods.

Then I decided I should try balancing my hormones so started using progesterone cream (all natural that you can buy at the health food store) to balance all the estrogen that appeared to be raging in my body. Nearly instantly upon first applying I felt a calmness that I hadn't felt in months. My mood improved immensely from then on...my husband calls it miracle cream. :) I had not even realized how bad my overall mood had become until it was balanced and normal. I felt like ME again.

Consequently, I noticed the skin on my face started improving within days of first using the cream. Tiny wrinkles started smoothing and my blotchiness started lightening as well. I've been using the cream for 2 or 3 weeks now and the melasma is continuing to improve.

Wanted to share all this with you because I wonder how many of you can do the same that I have and not only improve your melasma, but your life as well. Seems like a lot of women suffer from depression, lethargy, mood swings, horrible periods, etc. Ask yourself if you suffer from these problems as well as melasma...odds are you do.

Not saying progesterone is the answer for everyone, but if we know that melasma seems to be caused by a hormone imbalance, then perhaps we should address that problem and the dark spots will go away, along with a lot of other nasty issues that we women seem to suffer from.

after getting back from a stay in south florida and indulging in bad food and drink i am going to do a one wk cleanse staring tomorrow to restart my body. i did a 21 day cleanse before i left and found that it really helped my melasma and everything else, cramps, mood swings. w/ the cleanse i am also going to start a supplement regimen that after researching this forum, reading books and the internet will consist of:
3-5000 mg vit c
prenatal vit w/ no copper
cod liver oil
pure msm 4-6000 mg
grapeseed 100 mg
CoQ10
zinc
calcium

i plan on taking this daily.

i got a peel yesterday and that really helps with my melasma as well but is only temporary.

i am VERY convinced you have to treat this from the INSIDE and the OUTSIDE!!!

i also use a cream on my melasma from lumixyl and physiodermie.

HI! I am so glad to have found this forum. I will be starting on the supplements ASAP, but I have a few ?s.

Sunkissed asked on 7-09 about pill form or powder, what exactly 'pure' means and a starting amt. for the MSM.

Sorry if these were answered, I couldn't find them after 2 read throughs.

mustachegirl- MSM in pill form. You will see on the bottle 'pure'. You can find them in a natural food store such as Whole Foods.

So here's something weird...I go to Florida for 2 weeks. I apply an SPF of 100, a 45 (with Zinc) and a 36 with extended UV by Bullfrog. I am down there during a heat wave with extreme temperatures in the 90s with a real feel of temps in the 100s. I'm out pretty much in the sun all day. I go off my supplements and apply sunscreen while out on the beach every 4 hours. The result? Melasma has pretty much disappeared? Can't figure it out...not that I complaining but was sure the sun would worsen it...???

I am so glad I found this forum!

I've had dark patches above my upper lip that makes me look like I have a mustache. For years since adolescence, I was embarrassed and confused as to why I had this when I didn't have a facial hair problem. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone.

I'm currently trying out Diana Stalder's facial exfoliating kit ($23.99 on Ebay - vendor South Gain Enterprises). I am still on day 2. Also, after reading every single post in this forum, I've ordered vitamins MSM, C and Grape Seed Extract. I'm awaiting their arrival any day now. I got them on iHerb dot com---found their site to be helpful and full of customer reviews. I also have a tube of Clobetasol Proportionate (a topical corticosteriod that lightens skin) to treat my eczema, but I have found that putting the Clobetasol cream above my upper lip has helped it a bit.

All in all, sistas, I'm super happy there is a forum for this. Now I don't feel like an ugly duck. I'll keep a positive attitude and keep with my regimen (the vitamins, the diana stalder soap and exfoliating kit and the clobetasol cream), and will let you guys know of the process.

Also, I have a deadline too. I'm tying the knot sometime next summer, and would like my face melasma-free for the special day!

im a 29 year old latina woman whom has been afflicted with melasma on my chin. it gets so bad that looks like ive 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 am desperate for melasma help. It all started 4 years ago when I had some tiny brown spots on my cheek, near the hairline. I tried TriLuma, Obagi, Finacea multiple times. Then I tried the IPL laser which MADE IT WORSE! I often contemplate suicide because I think I caused more melasma by allowing my face to be IPL'd everywhere except for my chin. I constantly cry and find other people staring at me, trying to find out what is on my face. I now have huge patched on both cheeks, under the eyes and it covers my forehead completely. Nothing works! I am 41, blue eyes, very white skin of German and English heritage. I have never been pregnant or on birth control pills. I do have a thyroid problem and take Synthroid everyday for that. I am at my wits end and am seriously thinking to end it all because I have destroyed my looks. My question is: if you created melasma for yourself by stimulating the pigmentation from Intense Pulsed Light, can you ever undo that? Because I'm not sure what I really had is melasma to begin with. I need to try homeopathy now and don't know where to begin. I believe in homeopathy to a point, but can it really be true that natural remedies can affect your pigmentation? I read the messages here and don't know which remedies to take. How do I get started? I swear, I'm not a kook - just desperate. Thank you.

i forgot to mention i also take grape seed extract 60mg in conjunction with the pure MSM 1000mg and vit c 1000mg.. but 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..

ILYMAG- so glad to hear about your melasma lightening. i am taking an msm supplement regimen as well. how long until you saw REALLY GOOD results? I have been taking for abour 6 wks now and have seen a slight difference but not a huge one. I plan to continue for the next 6-8 months and maybe forever if it works. I do try to eat really well, excerise and lots of water. I think your lifestyle does impact your face and health.

CHICAGO-i know how you feel. read the forum, do some research on the internet and try the supplement regimen. IPL and some of those treatments I have had them but haven't really worked. hopefully, one day there will be some type of really good treatment for this. look for a good derm doctor and see what he says. i can tell you i did try hydriquinone and it did work but have been told you can not use it long term and it could make it worst. i have heard from other docs that you can use it like 3 different times a yr. good luck to you, try the supplment regimen, get excerise, eat well. thryoid disorder is realted to melasa i have read. i was on sythroid for 2 months but decide to control it with excerise and eating well and i conquered the thyroid issue. good luck, keep the faith.

ILYMAG-do you have dermal, epidermal, or combo melasma?

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
and remember lots of water!!!
64 ounces... which is a lot for me because i wasn't a water drinker

i also take other supplements
calcium mag zinc
garlic
mag citrate
iron
but these i take very sporadically as ive taken for years and have had no bearing on my melasma.

i started my regimen in february and by april i noticed the lightening in color.. by the summer months it was almost completely gone. i also apply a thin layer of A+D ointment. because my melasma hurts.. burns actually (when it flares up)that helps cut the burning and helps when it gets all dry and flaky.

thanks ilymag, i am going to keep up my routine, its all i really have right now. i am not doing lasers again!! i've read where so is really bad and i used to eat a lot of soy based products. i am thinking about doing a liver cleanse and yeast cleanse. i've read where those can help. i would love for you to ever so often post progress or i can send you my email. my melasma was a result of birth control. i am 30 yrs old and have never been pregnant. thanks!!!!