Skin care treatments are not entirely composed of topical cleansers, gels, and moisturizers. Melasma, like many skin conditions, can be treated most effectively by catering to your internal needs like your diet, for instance. Whether you choose to treat your melasma internally, externally, or both, there is no quick way to eliminate it entirely. Instead, you'll prevent future problems and slowly improve your current skin fitness.



Keeping a healthy skin fitness diet

Melasma could be related to a folate deficiency, some studies show. Often, women on birth control pills and pregnant women have low levels of folic acid. Take a folic acid supplement and eat foods high in folic acid like nuts, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and whole-grain foods to counteract the deficiency.

Too much copper in your diet could lead to melasma. Most of us don't reach the recommended daily allowance of two milligrams of copper even though it is available in many different foods. If by the off chance you have too much, it could lead to melasma because copper can aid skin cells in producing melanin. To counteract this result, take a vitamin C and iron supplement.

Antioxidants help your body fight off free radicals, or harmful elements in the environment like the sun and pollutants, and they help your skin cells heal. Antioxidants are essential in fighting melasma because obviously the sun and environment can be damaging to the skin. The most common antioxidants, vitamins C and E, can be consumed through vitamin supplements or in foods like citrus fruits, nuts, and fish. They are also found in many topical skin care products.

Detoxify for melasma free skin

Many eastern medicine philosophies state the skin discoloration is a result of impurities in the liver. This notion has caught on in the west and now many estheticians and dermatologists recommend an occasional detox, or cleanse as it is commonly called, for clearing the skin of melasma.

A cleanse-if done properly- will flush toxins from you body that build up over time. These toxins come from food and drink, the environment, and inefficiencies in the body. When toxins build up in the liver, it is often noticeable because of the skin's texture and tone.

There are several recommended detoxifying supplements, soaks, and diets, which include the likes of salts, sulfer, acidophilus, and milk thistle. Be sure to research the product closely and ask your doctor if it has any harmful implications, whatever you choose to try.

Diet and detox are just two of the factors in fighting melasma. More melasma removal information is discussed in the first and third articles of the Fighting Melasma series.