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Tue Nov 01, 2011 3:15 pm  |
I know this is an issue for a lot of women, especially anyone who spent lots of time in the sun. Although there's a lot of info on actives to use, I'd like to offer this information as well.
Pigmentation issues are a symptom, not a disease in and of itself. Treating the skin can assist with clearing the excess melanin but if you haven't treated the cause then it will just re-occur. Dietary factors are likely to be a very large component of the cause, yes even if you set basically well.
Modern food production methods are designed for maximum, size, weight and appearance of produce over nutritional factors. Hybrid plants are chosen for their ability to produce without much thought given to the quality of the nutrition they provide. Our food just isn't as nutritious as it used to be. Further we are consuming a lot of factory processed foods compared to the past. I know that not everyone can eat an organic diet all the time. I can't afford it in either time or money. My diet is very good, but it's still not enough.
I have cured my own pigmentation issues using nothing more than a dietary supplement. Choose whichever one you like, just make sure it's giving you a good dose of all the essentials everyday. I prefer the super green varieties and fish oil capsules. My pigmentation was a symptom that my body was nutritionally deficient,once I corrected that the rest followed. It took 6 monthsof daily supplementation before I noticed a significant result but I did wake up one morning to discover it was no longer there.
Hope this helps. |
_________________
40, fine porcelain skin, tendency to pigmentation no other issues. Rosehip oil is the cornerstone of my skin care. |
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Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:09 am |
I've had success myself doing less refined carbs, whole food juicing, and not drinking alcohol.
not drinking alcohol was a huge indicator in my pigmentation problems going away... |
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Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:48 am |
what an interesting perspecitive..I never thought of hyperpigmentaiton being a deficiency in nutrition. I'd love to hear more from others who might have made this connection.
It makes sense there is an increase in the problem..because it seems all the major cosmetic companies all have new products out to combat the problem.
I purchased Estee Lauders Illiminator..but I also notice Clinque came out with one also. I think Aveeno and Neutrogena has them also...to name a few. |
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Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:05 pm |
hotdocgirl, you'll be surprised how much diet affects just about everything to do with our being. In recent years, there's been a new fascination with antioxidants making products that contain acai berry, pomegranates, blueberries, caffeine, broccoli...to name a few, all the rage. Indeed free radicals do make our bodies deteriorate fast, and that includes causing age-spots; and our diets are part of the problem for the free radicals. So a diet that helps reverse this deterioration would not only be good for your total health but also your external appearance. Sugar is one of those culprits that we would all do well to just say NO to. I have in the past and boy was I healthy! I hope to go back to the way I was in 1993, when I didn't add sugar to anything I ate/drank and I didn't really care for sweet things. I'm slowly weaning myself off using xylitol but want to get to where I don't need that either. *sigh*
Anyway, in another thread in the Skin Forum, we were talking about anti-aging foods, which is a topic along the same lines as this one and I posted a link to Tom's info page about anti-inflammatory foods.
Here also is an article that supports the theme of this thread:
| Quote: |
Oxidative Stress as it Relates to Chronic Diseases of Aging
Posted by Vicki | Under Effects of Diet and Environment
Oxidative stress is known to be a precursor to over 200 chronic, degenerative disease, including atherosclerosis, Parkinsons' disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many auto-immune disorders.
The following will help you understand more about what brings about oxidative stress, and how you can limit the effects of this process as you age and accumulate free radicals.
Wikipedia defines Oxidative stress as "an imbalance between the production and manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage. Disturbances in the normal redox state of tissues can cause toxic effects through the production of peroxides and free radicals that damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA. Some reactive oxidative species can even act as messengers through a phenomenon called redox signaling".
Oxidation and Glycation
 When you leave a banana unpeeled for very long, or bite into an apple and wait, what happens? That brown color begins to appear. This is oxidation.
That is not to be confused with oxygenation, a crucial process by which oxygen is delivered to our cells and is necessary for our very survival.
But as far as oxidation goes, this is like the rusting of our cells.
What happens after sugar is heated and melts in a pan, or when vegetables are pan fried? The brown that occurs in these cases is a result of caramelization, which is a chemical change involving internal rearrangement of sugar molecules. The physiological term for this is glycation. It is a similar chemical change that turns paper yellow over time.
Both of these browning and caramelization phenomena occur normally in living systems, and do not require the application of heat, however, the body temperature is conducive to them given the sugars and proteins present. As we metabolize carbohydrates, sugars are formed in the body.
Age Spots are Signs of Accumulated Oxidative Stress
High levels of sugar in the blood cause damaging affects. Aging is a result of our tissues undergoing this browning and caramelization over time. Another residual effect is the brown age pigment, evident in the spots that begin to appear on the skin as we age (usually referred to as "liver spots").
This age pigment is called lipofuscin and is a mixture of free radical-damaged fats, proteins and metals, particularly iron. It is a waste by-product of worn out cells that are not eliminated from the body, but are deposited in places that are not even seen, such as the heart and brain.
Most knowledge on the accumulation of lipofuscin are from studies of the eye, where it is suspected to be related to the causes of macular degeneration. Some experts believe that lipofuscin is a result of the interaction between cellular waste and free radicals, which are highly reactive molecules created by oxidation reactions.
People with high sugar levels in their blood, including those who suffer with diabetics, are prone to more accelerated effects of aging. Doctors have long been observed an increased number of age-related diseases in people with diabetes, including cataracts and atherosclerosis. They know that this pathology is closely tied to the chemical reactions between glucose and proteins, a process called glycation, which is the caramelization effect mentioned earlier.
Oxidation and Free Radicals
Oxidation is the term used to describe the process and removing electrons from the molecule It strips electrons from other molecules, and can actually damage those molecules, rendering them defenseless or useless. It results in the production of peroxides and free radicals that damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA.
Oxygen is destructive, as is evident in rust. We need it to live, but too much is toxic and corrosive to the body. This is why living systems require defenses against oxidation.
These defense systems have evolved for different purposes over time, such as for protection against solar radiation, which when interacting with water, produces oxygen along with free radicals, the unstable elements that later cause damage to nearby cells. In the effort to stabilize, these free radicals react with nearby molecules, stripping electrons from them. This effectively damages the protection these cells have against the free radicals.
This causes a chain reaction of more unstable molecules causing a domino effect. They stop the chaos only when two radicals react with each other such as to form a stable molecule or when the reaction is too weak to interact with another molecules. In its extreme, this is the mechanism of radiation poisoning. This process damages DNA, proteins, cell membranes and other structures.
During respiration, metabolization of glucose with oxygen occurs, producing water and carbon dioxide. The dangerous molecules created are called reactive oxygen species, or ROS.
Two of these are free radicals (the hydroxyl radical and the superoxide radical, the most damaging); the third is hydrogen peroxide. Anti-oxidant defenses protect living things from oxydative stress, which is directly related to the development of age-related diseases.
Importance of Anti-Oxidants
In summary, oxydative stress is simply the total burden placed on the body by the constant production of free radicals over the course of metabolization, in addition to the other environmental stresses such as toxins in food, water and air. Smoke is one of the most concentrated sources of free radicals.
It is obvious that good health has to be a balance of burning the fuel required to create energy, and minimizing the oxidation that occurs as a result. That is to say, balance the oxidative stress with antioxidant defenses. The inability of antioxidant defenses to cope with oxidative stress will cause defects in the DNA, proteins and membranes over time.
It can be concluded then, that if antioxidant defenses are strong, life without disease should be possible. According to Dr. Hari Sharma, a pathologist at Ohio State University, about 80 to 90 percent of diseases we encounter are linked to excessive production of free radicals in the body.
While it is true that antioxidants can be obtained from eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, these "direct antioxidants" do not alone provide the protection against the billions of free radicals that we accumulate over time. The reason is that each of these direct antioxidant molecules is rendered inert after neutralizing one free radical.
What our bodies do have is the ability to create more powerful enzyme antioxidants through "indirect antioxidants", which are compounds that trigger our genes to produce them.
As we age, we naturally produce less of these important antioxidants, such as Superoxide Dismutase, Catalayse, and Glutithione, which neutralize tens of millions of oxidative stress producing free radicals every minute.
What Are You Eating?
Science shows that Resveratrol is one of the best free-radical scavengers available. These studies indicate that Resveratrol not only supports longevity by gene activation, but also imparts DNA protection in several body systems.
It also activate an anti-aging gene that looks promising as a key to life extension. However, many of the products touting this powerful agent have missed the mark in making it viable for the body's absorption.
SISEL uses nanotechnology to make each 1/2-3/4 ounce serving of Eternity up to 250 times more available than encapsulated Resveratrol. |
Source: http://nutrition-now.com/2009/05/oxidative-stress-as-it-relates-to-chronic-diseases-of-aging/
Thanks for this excellent reminder, NotMeNotYou, of just what a good investment healthy eating is. (BTW, red wine has Resveratrol in it...just drink it in moderation because as excited as we might have been a few years on finding out that it can reduce heart disease, new studies show 3-6 glasses of red wine may cause cancer! Damned if we do, damned if we don't! Moderation seems to be key to just about everything in life.) |
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Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:31 pm |
| CORRECTION: My third to last line above should've read: new studies show 3 or more glasses of alcohol (including wine) per day increase the risk of breast cancer. I meant to add a reference to that but I timed out before I could find it. Here's the news article on that: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=4508825&page=1 |
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Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:00 pm |
| Dr. Perricone recommends astaxanthin for hyper pigmentation. I started taking it for other reasons but also noticed it took out darker spots on my face. |
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Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:43 am |
| hotdocgirl wrote: |
what an interesting perspecitive..I never thought of hyperpigmentaiton being a deficiency in nutrition. I'd love to hear more from others who might have made this connection.
It makes sense there is an increase in the problem..because it seems all the major cosmetic companies all have new products out to combat the problem.
I purchased Estee Lauders Illiminator..but I also notice Clinque came out with one also. I think Aveeno and Neutrogena has them also...to name a few. |
It's alarming how many very young women are having major issues with pigmentation, especially in this day and age of religious sunscreen use. However my owm quest led me to two arms of research...
The first was hormonal imbalance, common in women who live in developed countries and a symptom of that is melasma. This is where excess estrogen in the body causes the skin cells to go crazy producing melanin. Sun exposure is just a catalyst to the melanin production. The
treatment is dietary supplementation and lifestyle changes to get the body to rebalance itself.
The second is that consumption of appropriate amount of antioxidants, vitamin and minerals is what gives our body it's natural sun protection. Those nutrients are used by the skin to neutralise UV rays and prevent damage to the cells. If your not getting enough you become photosensitive. Sunscreens cannot completely block UV, they only boost your protection from them. But if you are nutritionally deficient you may find even a sunscreen to be of little help.
When you start thinking about how the average person eats and how many antioxidants and other goodies they might be getting in their diet then the sudden outbreak of pigmentation issues makes more sense. |
_________________
40, fine porcelain skin, tendency to pigmentation no other issues. Rosehip oil is the cornerstone of my skin care. |
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Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:13 am |
| Mercola recommends astaxanthin also. I plan on ordering this from iherb shortly. |
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ford2m
New Member
 
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 3
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Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:12 pm |
If you suffer from Hyperpigmentation, you may simply need to take a daily Folic Acid supplement! Try 400 mcg to 1,000 mcg daily.
Women who are pregnant frequently suffer from this condition, and it's called The Mask of Pregnancy. |
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Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:47 am |
I don't know about the folic acid in regards to removing/improving age spots. I've taken a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid daily for decades and I still got age spots and melasma.
My melasma was the worst about 2 years ago. I mistakenly went to a dermatologist who recommended IPL treatments for it. I got 4 treatments, and yes, they temporarily helped fade them. But a couple months later I noticed they would reappear just as dark if not darker. I should have done some research online about it before having it done, because I had found out that while IPL is good for age spots and freakles, it can actually make melasma worse. Great!
Luckily, I met someone online who had the same problem with melasma as I did. She recommended peels...specifically TCA peels. Once I got on a regimen of peels and a daily SPF of at least 30, I saw a big change in the fading of my melasma, and my age spots are practically gone. I'd say my melasma is at least 80% lighter. I think one or two more TCA peels should fade the rest of it. |
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Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:54 am |
| NotMeNotYou wrote: |
I have cured my own pigmentation issues using nothing more than a dietary supplement. |
What supplement did you use?
I do think that articles mentioning that supplements are pointless for people who eat balanced diets are delusional. One, because most people DON'T eat a balanced diet, and the proliferation of fast food restaurants is a testament to that. Secondly, even if your diet does consist of vegetables/fruits, good grains/dairy, and lean meats, you still have to eat so many different types of foods to meet your daily vitamin requirements. For example, I live alone so I can't buy a ton of food at a time since it'll waste. So I tend to buy two-three kinds of vegetables at a time. Are they full of nutrients? Yes. Will they supply all my required vitamins? No.
I think supplementation is also good if you're regularly exercising, as exercise produces free radicals, and hopefully the extra vitamins will help neutralize them. |
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dermanut
New Member
Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 8
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Sat Nov 24, 2012 10:43 am |
Thank you All
That was very informative!
Being a Layman myself,I had to read it a couple of times,LOL.
This makes the world of sense to me and I plan to look into it further.
I was thinking more of a topical problem rather than an internal one--nutrition, or radical damage |
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Sat Nov 24, 2012 11:06 am |
What an interesting topic to read... It makes a lot of sense... Thanks  |
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