Fighting Melasma From The Inside Out
Fighting Melasma Article Series, Three of Three
Topical cleansers, gels, and moisturizers do not entirely compose a melasma skin care treatment. Like many skin conditions, catering to your internal needs, like your diet, treats melasma most effectively. There is no way to eliminate melasma quickly, whether you choose to treat it internally, externally, or both. Instead, you’ll improve your current skin fitness slowly, and prevent future problems.
Keeping a healthy skin fitness diet
Some studies show that a folate deficiency could be related to melasma. Pregnant women and women on birth control pills often have low levels of folic acid. To counteract this deficiency, take a folic acid supplement and eat foods high in folic acid like citrus fruits, nuts, green leafy vegetables, whole-grain foods.
The recommended daily allowance for copper is two milligrams, which most of us don’t reach even though it is available in many different foods. If by the off chance you have too much copper in your diet, it could lead to melasma because it can aid skin cells in producing melanin. Taking an iron and vitamin C supplement will counteract this result.
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.
Melasma free skin: Detox
Many eastern medicine philosophies state that impurities in the liver result in skin discoloration. In the west this notion has caught on and now many dermatologists and estheticians 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 detoxifying soaks, supplements, and diets that are recommended many of which include the likes of salts, sulfer, acidophilus, and milk thistle. Whatever you choose to try, be sure to research the product closely and ask your doctor if it has any harmful implications.
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.
