Cure for Melasma _{Page 4 of 12}

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!!!!

not a problem. you can send me your email and ill keep you posted . so far so good. its been 6 very good months. no doubt the longest time ive been virtually melasma free!

thanks! its hlf06208 at yahoo dot com. i had to spell it that way... the forum doesn't let me post it like an email address. thanks again!!

i went to buy msm and on the botle says: should not take if pregnant or going to be pregnant.
so i should not try it if i plan on being pregnant in the near future? anythoughts? ask my dr and she doesnt know much about msm.
any ideas? thanks :)

if you are planning on getting pregnant. stop use a month before. the biological half life of MSM is only 12 hours. basically that means within 24 hours you should have completely eliminated MSM from your system. but to be on the safe side. give your self a month. so that u know u are completely free of msm systemically. no need to be worried if this will affect u having a baby in the future. btw im a nurse and have been since 1997. i try to educate myself on alternative medicine as modern medicines have failed me in my efforts to rid myself of melasma.

thank u so very much for your reply ilymag. i dont know if u read my past posts, but i have been struggling w/infertility and lots of meds which i think is where my melasma started. anyways i have been on break since june and have not done anything for my skin yet. since we want a child i did not want to put anything of question into my body for obvious reasons.

thanks again for ur help
-may i email you?

sure thing! let me know where i may contact you.

RE: sunkissed. i've worked in ob/gyn for a lil while, in response to...fertility drugs... which are in fact hormones. I say they are 'with out a doubt' linked to melasma.. let me tell you this because i have first hand experience. fertility drugs and birth control are one and the same... yes i said it. ONE AND THE SAME!! for some women depending on your hormone levels it can be one or the other. for instance if you have a regular menses. adding extra hormones to the mix will STOP your period and poof! you have 'birth control'. vice versa is true. if you have an irregular menses (which is due to a 'lack of or inverted hormones') add hormones to the mix and poof! we have a 'fertility drug'. don't let the terminology fool you.

ilymag,
my email is poisongirl0920 'at' yahoo 'dot' com

thanks so much!!

ILYMAG and Hayday: It seems like we all are on similiar regimens for our melasma. Also, it seems that the regimens are helping us in one way or the other. For some of us, it is taking longer to see improvements. As for Penelope33 I was surprised and happy to hear her melasma disappeared. It is hopeful that it will happen to all of us someday! Hayday, I bought the MSM cream but yet have not tried it. I will start using it after I complete PhytoGel from Skinceuticals. ILYMAG, I do recall at times my melasma (upper lip) does itch or have the burning senstation when I am sweating, nervous, hot, or under stress. I never put the two together and maybe when I start the MSM cream it will help alleviate the itchiness and burning sensation. Thanks!

Penelope33: Hey there..I'm stoked for you!! Your melasma disappeared after not using your supplements for 2 weeks plus religiously using sunscreen. It hasn't come back? Wow. That is amazing and hopefully someday mine will disappear.

Penelope33: YCurious...do you use 3 different sunscreens all at the same time? Which sunscreen with an SPF of 100 do you use? And, the same for SPF 45 with zinc? THanks!

i wanted to share some insight... i recently went to a plastic surgeon's office to get some info on melasma. in my area i have heard the nurse is very insightful. anyways, she said she went to a seminar and she asked the dr about melasma and he said he has patients that are doing the msm (6000 mg) and having luck. they are also combing it with grape see extract (500 mg). i have been doing this for almost 2 mo now and having some slight fading. i have been only taking 100 mg but will up my dosage asap!! i wanted to share this info as we need as much as we can!!!

I think you are mixing up Grape Seed Extract with Grapefruit Seed Extract. It is the latter that deals with melasma.

Get the the natural citricidal kind, (liquid).

Take,
Omega Fish OIl
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Grapefruit seed extract (it's very bitter in liquid form so pop it in those empty capsules -15 drops)

Good luck

liquid form is always superior to pill form as it is better absorbed by the body. but liquids tend to be a bit more expensive. so if you have the funds.. then by all means get liquids

tbwjordan: Ya, it was so weird - I am so confused. Very happy but so confused. I stopped all supplements before I left for 12 days on the beach in Florida. I use the Oil of Olay (with 15SPF) as a moisturizer, then applied the 45 SPF (Walgreens brand with Zinc), then a 100 SPF from Neutrogena, and lastly, a 36 SPF from Bullfrog (it had the extended UV protection just in case I was out longer than expected). I usually stayed out in the sun for 4 hours before going in and re-applying the sunscreen. Can't explain it but the melasma has disappeared after over 4 years? I'm wondering if maybe mine was stress related and going on vacation helped it? However, I've been back for over a month now and it's still gone? hhmmm...like I said, happy but oh so confused! :) Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!!!

PENELOPE33: did you have dermal, epidermal or both? curious...

Penelope33: WOW! That is amazing! You've have it for 4 years? That is a long time! February will be 2 years for me. 4 sunscreens on all at once seems a lot. But, I will try to use all of the sunscreens at the same time. In March, I will be going to Antigua and will have to stay out of the sun as much as possible. I have both dermal and epidermal. I'm so happy for you and hopefully one day mine will disappear.

Hayday: the 'new' remedy you will be using is: 6000 mg MSM and 500 mg Grape Seed Extract? Also, adding 3,000 Vitamin C?

tbwjordan: yes, correct. but i am also using grapefruit seed extract in juice every evening. i can see slight fading on my chin so i don't know what's working but also i have started to notice around aug. i can see darkening on my upper lip. i have been on supplements for 2 months now so i am going to keep trying it.

Mine was both dermal and epidermal-struggled for quite some time with it. It faded last year and then came back really bad this past summer. Had a darkening above my upper lip that drove me crazy! It's a lot of sunscreen but I apply the moisturizer first, let it dry then dab the zinc and neutrogena on it, wait again for it to dry and then finish with a dab of the Bullfrog. Little crazy but I was SO scared of it getting worse in Florida, wanted to make sure my skin was protected :) I laid out in the sun and spent a lot of time in the ocean so I didn't stay too much in the shade- was sure to reapply every 4 hours. Thanks and hope it will work and you will be free of this soon! I'm still wearing the sunscreen no matter what- taking all precautions even though it's gone.

ive been battling with mine for 9 years. finally have mine under control. (my regimen in a previous post)

hayday: I used to take the grapefruit seed extract for several months and never noticed any improvements. I stopped using it. I'm glad to hear something is working for you! :)

penelope33: the darkening color lightens up then gets darker depending on the stress level, menstural cycle, and other factors. It is amazing you laid out in the sun...I couldn't do it because I know it could make my melasma worse. I'm glad you are free of your melasma. How long did you have your melasma? I'm going on two years in Jan/Feb.

To Penelope33: What skin type are you? Are fair skinned? Did you get tan while you were in FL and did you just apply the sunscreens to the 'problem areas'? And it hasn't come back at all since..not even during your cycle?? Amazing!

I have been reading all the posts and can relate to everyone. I have tried everything to get rid of my melasma with no success. In 2004 I went to the dermatologist b/c of some sun spots on my face and they suggest laser treament and pointed out to me that I had a darkened upper lip (honestly i never really payed attention but when they told me and took a photo; oh boy!) I started a laser treatment which also removed all the hair from my upper lip, and tri-luma cream. I can honestly say that this has worked. In 2005 I got pregnant w/my 3rd child and the melasma developed on my cheeks and forehead. From this point on I have tried everything to get rid of it. Fraxel treatment, hydroquine creams, chemical peels, facials, creams on the internet and have had no success. I just got back from Cancun and wish I could say i had a great time but I was so anxious about being out in the sun that i made myself sick daily. It seems to have gotten worse even though I used a 60spf with only titanium dioxide and zinc (Cotz). I am so depressed over this and feel like when I go out people just stare at me...i can't enjoy the things i use to enjoy anymore b/c of the sun. I've noticed alot of you have used a combo of MSM (which I don't know what this is), Vitamin C, Ester C cream and Grapefruit Seed Extract or Grape seed Extract. I am going to try this and see what happens. Has anyone really had much success with this? Also, what do you find is the best makeup/concealers to use. Thank you.