Hyperpigmntation/melasma on face
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Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:38 am

Hi
I'm a 38 year old, living in England and for the last 5 years (since the birth of my youngest daughter) have had bad pigment problems on my face. It could have been caused by sun damage but have no recollection of having any problems with my skin until after my daughter was born. My skin is more dry than oily and i have been using Retin-a at night time for the last couple of months - which doesn't doesn't seem to have done my pigment any harm or any good. Have read lots on the forums about the Obagi Nu-derm treatment but was just wondering if anyone has had good results using anything else. I would be grateful for any advice as the problem has become much bigger in my life than it should be and really cheeses me off!! Many Thanks

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:21 am

hi madalyn,

i'm uk-based too and the same thing happened to me - melasma after the birth of my second daughter, at just around your age. it was just above my upper lip and i found it horribly depressing. my gp referred me to a dermatologist who only offered me camouflage makeup. thanks a lot, right?! i eventually asked a relative in the states for help and managed to get a prescription for 4% hydroquinone - which you can't get here in the uk. there are thought to be some risks (though i have yet to see anything conclusive). it worked for me. the melasma disappeared and i can now keep in under control by entirely avoiding the sun - this is so key - *never* go out of the house without the strongest sunblock and/or hat in the summer.

if you decide to go the hydroquinone route, i'd recommend tri-luma (i got mine at medmex without a prescription) - but i would also highly recommend the products from this link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Skin-Bleach-Whitening-Bleaching-Lightening-Fading-Set-3_W0QQitemZ200132122506QQihZ010QQcategoryZ40088QQcmdZViewItem

there is no hydroquinone, and i can vouch for the seller - her prices are good, and she delivers quickly to the uk.

my problem is now under control and i wish you the same luck - but i will warn you that it isn't likely to go away even if you can control it. "face out of the sun" has become my mantra! good luck to you.

Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:44 am

hi graceless_lady

Thanks for the advice - have read about Tri-luma but read somewhere that it can sometimes make the pigment darker - which is a very scary thought - you haven't had any problems with it?
I appreciate that it is highly unlikely that it will disappear but would like any improvement as i spend alot of time and effort trying to cover it up with makeup -( I have quite a large patch on my cheek) I do religiously use sunscreen on my face but used an all day factor 30 one and it is definitely worse than it ever has been - which is ironic as the weather in England is so crap!!
Thanks again

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:59 am

Hi- there is another forum I read, that is devoted to Melasma. You might want to take a look.
Robin
http://skincarerx.com/phorum/list.php?3

Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:17 pm

Madalyn, I am in exactly the same situation as you ... just turned 40 after the birth of my second child and although I had flawless skin until my 30s, the pigmentation around my cheeks have been darkening over the years. I have been trying A LOT of products with hydroquinone in them but they didn't seem to work. I have been on the Obagi Nu Dern treatment for just over 2 weeks now and it is looking promising. My (new) skin is softer and the dark patches are beginning to lighten.

Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:52 pm

Hi sp
Thanks for that - Have just decided after reading all the posts etc about Obagi Nu Derm that i'm going to give it a go although probably won' start til next month. Good luck - would be really interested to here how it goes for you.

free skin care · Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:08 pm

Same thing with me, pregnancy in your 30's seems to equal melasma. I got patches quite badly on my forehead and around me lip. For me regular exfoliation and of course sunscreen has helped but I have just ordered PSF Vit C and am going to see if that is the final step I need to erase it completely. I would really like to stay away from any lightening products as I find my skin sensitive and on the dry side (scared these will really dry me out). I will definitely post my results on Vit C and melasma.

Sat Aug 18, 2007 4:04 pm

I am entering my 3rd week on the Nu Derm treatment and the redness is beginning to subside. It appears that the first layer of ("out with the old") skin has shed although strangely, I am peeling more obviously around the laugh lines on both sides of my mouth to the jaw line! My husband says that the pigmentation has lightened. The skin all around my face is definitely a lot smoother and "tighter".

Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:27 am

I also got melasma about one year after the birth of my son. I was 34. It has faded pretty much after using Tri-luma and using a high PPD sunscreen (avene, LRP, Bioderma I have used them all). I always wear a hat if I am in sun for over 5 minutes. I also use Skimmedica Vitamin C and recovery complex. All of the combined have helped. I want another baby, but I am scared of melasma coming back with a vengence.

free skin care · Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:00 pm

I've had dermal melasma on my upper lip (looked like mustache) for years as a result of hypersensitivity to the hormones in my birth control pills. Epidermal is easier to treat topically by encouraging exfoliation. However, if you traumatize the skin too much causing inflammation from retin-A or sensitivities to hydroquinone or even lasers, it can cause the melasma to go dermal in which the hyperpigmentation is in the bottom layers.

I was able to get rid of the "mustache" by taking mega doses of MSM, but have since gotten a couple of lighter smudges on the sides of my mouth which again supplementation (herbs and MSM) are helping. Since mine is dermal, it has to be treated internally rather than topically.

Cle de peau concealer has been the most effective for me. I use chemical free sunblock everyday and try to stay away from sugar or any foods that could cause inflammation in the skin. Drinking lots of water also helps.

free skin care · Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:07 pm

skin adict2 wrote:

I've had dermal melasma on my upper lip (looked like mustache) for years as a result of hypersensitivity to the hormones in my birth control pills. Epidermal is easier to treat topically by encouraging exfoliation. However, if you traumatize the skin too much causing inflammation from retin-A or sensitivities to hydroquinone or even lasers, it can cause the melasma to go dermal in which the hyperpigmentation is in the bottom layers.

I was able to get rid of the "mustache" by taking mega doses of MSM, but have since gotten a couple of lighter smudges on the sides of my mouth which again supplementation (herbs and MSM) are helping. Since mine is dermal, it has to be treated internally rather than topically.

skin adict2,

I have dermal hyperpigmentation as well. I was told the only thing that "may" work is laser. And as you pointed out, some people may develop adverse reaction to laser. Hence, I am too scared to try it.

I tried msm for a while. How high of a dose did you take and for how long did you notice an improvement? Also do you take a specific brand of msm?

Thanks!

free skin care · Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:15 am

mtview,
I have done mild lasers. One helped fade the upper lip a little but after a full round of $$ treatments, the hyperpigmentation just came back. The aesthetician also accidentally took off part of my eyebrow (luckily it grew back fine).

Another mild laser that helped fade was the lumifacial. These results were more long lasting but not noticeable enough to be cost effective.

It's not so much the brand of MSM but the type. There's a little booklet that I read, "Melasma - Is This the Clear Solution?" by Vanessa Wild discussing mega-dosing of MSM and recommends using OptiMSM. It's supposed to be the purest. It's not a particular brand but a level of quality. There's a little logo of it on different brands. I get mine from my local Whole Foods.

I started out taking 6,000 mgs./day and increased the amount each week until I started seeing results. I got up to 12,000 mgs./day (12 capsules) which sounds a bit extreme but at that point the upper lip hyperpigmentation started breaking up. It's kind of remarkable because it didn't fade, I would just start noticing that lighter patches of skin would break through the darker ones until it was finally just gone. By that point I had spent 3 years of self-consciousness and $$ on treatments and every topical out there so it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds to me.

The upper lip hyperpigmentation was just traumatizing to me because it really did just look like a mustache (I'm Asian w/ black hair and pale skin). For a while I wouldn't go out unless I had to.

I have some smudges on the sides of my mouth right now that are pretty light and again the MSM is helping break them up as well as some other herbs I've been trying. It's just a relief to have some kind of option in this ongoing situation.

free skin care · Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:33 pm

skin adict2,

Thanks for your feedback. I am asian too and I have the kind of hypigmentation that is quite common in asians (dark spots along the cheekbone area). I was told it would take strong laser (4 to 6 treatments) to fade them. Also during the course of tx, the spots will become much darker. I don't know if I can take that...

The type of msm I have tried is the optimsm but I really tried it at a high dosage. Maybe 3000 to 5000 at the most. Will have to give it another shot.

free skin care · Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:04 am

Ladies,
I'm half-Asian, and the skin on my cheeks is like armor. Confused

I have patches that cover almost my entire cheek areas. I've had one laser treatment that helped, planning to go back for another one as budget permits.

4000 mg of MSM has helped. Like skin adict2, I can see the "normal" skin sort of breaking up the large patches. I'm reluctant to go higher, though, cuz it makes me constipated, and extremely sensitive to caffeine - I like my coffe and tea, but MSM combined with caffeine makes me too light-headed Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:36 pm

nadjazz,

Woo, another msm success story. I will definitely have to try it. I am ok with caffeine but the constipation side-effect scares me Shock

Will increase my dosage slowly...

free skin care · Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:08 am

skin adict2 wrote:

mtview,
I started out taking 6,000 mgs./day and increased the amount each week until I started seeing results. I got up to 12,000 mgs./day (12 capsules) which sounds a bit extreme but at that point the upper lip hyperpigmentation started breaking up. It's kind of remarkable because it didn't fade, I would just start noticing that lighter patches of skin would break through the darker ones until it was finally just gone. By that point I had spent 3 years of self-consciousness and $$ on treatments and every topical out there so it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds to me.

skin adict2 - so it took about 6 weeks before you started noticing the spots breaking up at the 12,000 mg dosage? Do you take the capsules at one time or do you eat them 2-3x/day?

I've tried the msm but I stopped at 3,000. Looks like I should try again but keep raising the amount per week.

free skin care · Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:56 am

mtview wrote:

nadjazz,

Woo, another msm success story. I will definitely have to try it. I am ok with caffeine but the constipation side-effect scares me Shock

Will increase my dosage slowly...

Yes, increasing dosage slowly is important! As for the constipation, I have to confess that I don't drink enough water every day. When I'm good about staying hydrated, the constipation is not an issue. Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:52 am

I actually didn't get constipated but was warned that there's some detox effect w/ the MSM. I cut back a bit on the coffee because I also read about having high levels of copper in your system can exacerbate the hyperpigmentation. That would include chocolate, coffee, avocados, shellfish, certain nuts, etc.

I can never just stop eating some of my favorites so I just cut back a bit as well as on sugar and dairy. I'm also bad about drinking water and have to consciously do it. Having to swallow 12 capsules a day helps though ...

It took about 6 weeks while increasing the dosage and I noticed the most change when I got up to about 9,000 mgs and got so excited that I increased it until I hit 12,000 mgs. I usually did 6 capsules in the am and 6 in the pm.

Be careful if someone's recommending strong lasers especially if you're asian. When they tell you it will get darker at first, it is often because it traumatizes the skin and Asian skin just tends to stay darker after it heals.

Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:02 pm

Thanks for the info girls. I am going to try the MSM again. I too tried it, but only about 4000 mg a day. I can still see the patches on my forehead a little. I think they get worse in the summer despite all the sunscreen I use. It may be the heat that does it, my Derm said some cooks get it from the oven heat.

free skin care · Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:12 pm

skin adict2 wrote:

mtview,.

It's not so much the brand of MSM but the type. There's a little booklet that I read, "Melasma - Is This the Clear Solution?" by Vanessa Wild discussing mega-dosing of MSM and recommends using OptiMSM. It's supposed to be the purest. It's not a particular brand but a level of quality. There's a little logo of it on different brands. I get mine from my local Whole Foods.

I started out taking 6,000 mgs./day and increased the amount each week until I started seeing results. I got up to 12,000 mgs./day (12 capsules) which sounds a bit extreme but at that point the upper lip hyperpigmentation started breaking up. It's kind of remarkable because it didn't fade, I would just start noticing that lighter patches of skin would break through the darker ones until it was finally just gone. By that point I had spent 3 years of self-consciousness and $$ on treatments and every topical out there so it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds to me.

I have some smudges on the sides of my mouth right now that are pretty light and again the MSM is helping break them up as well as some other herbs I've been trying. It's just a relief to have some kind of option in this ongoing situation.

This is useful info, thankyou. I wondered what are the other herbs you are experimenting with?

And in your later post you mention some nuts as not being an ideal food for those of us with melasma... can you tell us a bit more about that?

Many thanks!

free skin care · Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:31 pm

skin adict2 wrote:

Be careful if someone's recommending strong lasers especially if you're asian. When they tell you it will get darker at first, it is often because it traumatizes the skin and Asian skin just tends to stay darker after it heals.

Yes, this scares me! My dr used ndYag laser, I don't know what strength, but I know it was not too strong. No downtime whatsoever. He definitely errs on the side of caution, which is fine with me! Still, I have read so many horror stories, I'm scared to have it done again.

free skin care · Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:55 am

Have you tried MaMa lotion for melasma? On their web site they show a before and after of a women with severe melasma.

mamalotion.com

free skin care · Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:16 am

keli13 wrote:

Have you tried MaMa lotion for melasma? On their web site they show a before and after of a women with severe melasma.

mamalotion.com

I was just looking at all the before and after pictures and they are quite impressive. I have some freckles and a small area of hyperpigmentation I would like to get rid of. The price is really good and it also helps fine lines and wrinkles. Has anyone tried this yet? Here's the link to the Canadian supplier. http://www.buymamalotion.ca/product_info.php?products_id=357

free skin care · Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:31 am

I did try Mama, and like most topicals it didn't do much for me because my melasma is dermal. The books that helped me the most were Vanessa Wild's, "Melasma, Is This The Clear Solution?" which explains the whole MSM thing and "Why Am I So Tired?" by Ann Louise Gittleman which is about copper imbalance.

I think most nuts are high in copper except pumpkin seeds. Basically most of the things I crave (coffee, tea, almonds, chocolate, shellfish, avocado) are high in copper which would explain that my body's not absorbing it correctly which then leads to an imbalance.

In conjunction with the MSM, I'm also trying these melasma tabs which are herbs but I can't be sure if they're working as I've just started and the MSM is also helping. My remaining smudges are light and nowhere near as noticeable as the upper lip hyperpigmentation I had 5 years ago.

free skin care · Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:08 pm

skin adict2 wrote:

I did try Mama, and like most topicals it didn't do much for me because my melasma is dermal. The books that helped me the most were Vanessa Wild's, "Melasma, Is This The Clear Solution?" which explains the whole MSM thing and "Why Am I So Tired?" by Ann Louise Gittleman which is about copper imbalance.
I think most nuts are high in copper except pumpkin seeds. Basically most of the things I crave (coffee, tea, almonds, chocolate, shellfish, avocado) are high in copper which would explain that my body's not absorbing it correctly which then leads to an imbalance.
In conjunction with the MSM, I'm also trying these melasma tabs which are herbs but I can't be sure if they're working as I've just started and the MSM is also helping. My remaining smudges are light and nowhere near as noticeable as the upper lip hyperpigmentation I had 5 years ago.

Thanks for that info skin adict2.
I too have dermal pigmentation and have seen pretty good results so far on 4g of MSM as well as other factors but I am going to up my dosage of MSM. Dips

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