Vitamins and minerals play a significant role in your skin barrier function. Supplementation is crucial because diet alone won’t provide the necessary nutrients for the skin to rebuild itself. Deficiencies can take years to show up, so expect it to take time to repair and replenish the system.
Resolving vitamin and mineral deficiencies is Step 2 in reversing melasma, or any other chronic skin condition. Cells need vitamins and minerals to function correctly. In addition to cellular repair, vitamins and minerals assist in every process in the body. Your body needs 13 vitamins and 102 minerals; without these micronutrients, vital processes start to break down.
Luckily, these imbalances are easily resolved. Melasma is a disruption of the skin barrier function. Our intention is to fully repair skin dysbiosis. Think of this as a journey, each step is important. Some people may see results quickly, and others may need many steps. Everyone is different. It will be a game of patience, your skin won’t heal overnight. The skin cell turnover rate is around 3 months, depending on age and relative damage. It took me about 4-6 months to see my melasma begin to break up. Do not be discouraged, this roadmap will help you, no matter what your root cause is. Consistency is key.
Vitamins.
Vitamin A, known as retinol in the skincare industry, is generally applied topically to prevent the signs of aging. Tretinoin is the synthetic form of vitamin A. Vitamin A is incredibly important for overall skin health. It reduces acne, promotes moisture, strengthens the skin’s immune system, and helps keep the dermis and epidermis healthy. It reduces wrinkles and fine lines by stimulating collagen production. It is high in beta carotene, which reduces dark spots, helps protect from UV radiation, and reduces inflammation and cytokine formation.
Vitamin A is genuinely a skin health wonder; you shouldn’t live without it. It will even give you a glow. Doctors often talk about vitamin A toxicity, and I think this is why so many people don’t take it. It is extremely rare for vitamin A toxicity to occur. You would have to take 100 times the recommended daily value of about 8,000 grams. Nobody is going to consume that much vitamin A in one dose. Synthetic vitamin A has been shown to cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy in doses of 45,000iu-60,000iu. Still, no defects have been seen when taking food source vitamin A. Food source vitamin A is far superior to synthetic vitamin A.
B vitamins consist of B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). While many think that only vitamins B3, B5, and B7 are ideal for skin health, they all play a significant role. B1 helps fight acne, improves fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin tone, and balances oil production. B2 aids in skin cell turnover which is important for the integrity of the skin barrier, reduces inflammation, and assists with mucus secretion preventing the overproduction of oil. B3 is often seen as niacinamide in skin care products for fine lines and wrinkles. It helps build keratin, reduces inflammation, and helps form a lipid barrier for retaining moisture. B6 helps with hydration by balancing electrolytes, balancing estrogen and progesterone ratio, and balancing cortisol production. I cover the importance of hormone balance and its relationship to pigmentation in Defining Melasma. B9 lowers ACTH, promoting vascular endothelial health, increasing methylation, and assisting with estrogen metabolism and liver detoxification. B12 plays a role in the methylation cycle; it prevents psoriasis, acne, and eczema, brings hydration to the skin, and reduces skinflammation. B12 in rare cases can induce hyperpigmentation similar to melasma. B12 deficiency is also called pernicious anemia because of its vital role in producing red blood cells. Keep reading to learn about iron and its relationship with melasma.
Vitamin C is often the skin care industry's BFF for its excellent topical benefits. Please read my article How To Treat Melasma Skin Part 2 for more information on how to use vitamin C topically. It’s not as intuitive as you think, and a few tips will give you better results for topical use. Vitamin C provides more than topical benefits; taking it is essential to skin homeostasis. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects against UV-induced photodamage; it also decreases melanin synthesis and prevents skin oxidation. Keeping your vitamin C levels up will help protect you from chronic skin conditions.
Vitamin D is a hormone produced in the kidneys; it controls blood calcium levels and influences the immune system. It also affects your heart, brain, muscles, and skin by shutting down inflammation. It plays a crucial role in regulating adrenal and sex hormones and a significant role in conditions like psoriasis, acne, skin cancer, and atopic dermatitis.
Vitamin D may also be an essential factor for vitiligo sufferers by regulating melanin production. It is common for people with melasma to have low vitamin D serum levels, but how vitamin D influences pigmentation is not yet fully understood, though studies suggest a correlation. Despite the lack of complete understanding, it is safe to say that vitamin D is essential for endocrine and skin optimization.
The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun but as we know the sun aggravates melasma tremendously. Once you are able to turn off the inflammation function, you will be able to be in the sun without fear of your melasma spreading or darkening. Until you have reached that point a supplement is preferred. You can test your vitamin D levels through a blood serum test it will cost around $49. Vitamin D is also a fat soluble vitamin, so look for a supplement that has some fat in it for best absorption. 5,000IU is recommended for maintenance, if you are deficient you will need higher doses until levels are sufficient.
Minerals.
There are six essential minerals to focus on for skin health. Minerals provide protection and regeneration for your hormones and skin.
Magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, and iodine are the most significant minerals in chronic skin conditions.
Magnesium is vital for your hormones and your skin. It will improve your skin’s overall appearance, reduce acne by breaking down oils, and regulate cellular regeneration and repair. In addition, magnesium strengthens your skin barrier, fights dryness, and improves fine lines and wrinkles. If there is any single mineral out there that can benefit your skin, it’s this one. Not only does it help your skin, but your body needs magnesium in almost every single process—everything from DNA synthesis to digestive support.
The type of magnesium is also important, one which crosses over the blood-brain barrier for maximum absorption is ideal. My preferred type of magnesium is magnesium acetyl-taurate, it is a newer form of magnesium and has a rapid absorption rate. It eliminates PMS and any cramps during menstruation. As mentioned above, cramping is a sign of estrogen dominance and should be addressed through the estrogen pathway. Magnesium acetyl-taurate has been a life-changing addition to my daily mag intake and has allowed me to live a normal life during menstruation.
Copper is an essential nutrient that helps with iron absorption, keeps blood vessels healthy, assists in producing red blood cells, and is important for thyroid health. It’s one of the most important minerals in healing melasma, this is because tyrosinase, an enzyme that assists with the production of melanin, contains copper.
Excess copper can induce a stress response, causing cortisol levels to rise and blocking estrogen detox pathways in the liver where it is stored. This can impair liver function and also result in fibrosis.
Vitamin A plays an important role in copper's proper absorption and balance. For example, low levels of vitamin A can also raise copper levels.
There is lots of research that shows the connection between copper and estrogen. Put simply, copper raises estrogen levels, and estrogen raises copper levels. The mechanics of this interaction are not fully understood, but it is important to be aware of them.
Zinc and copper together form an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase that helps to fight free radicals. This brings us to another important mineral zinc.
Zinc is an incredibly important mineral related to melasma, some studies suggest that zinc deficiency alone can contribute to its pathogenesis. All chronic skin conditions can benefit from zinc supplementation, as its deficiency can impair collagen production, affect fatty acid metabolism, and impede wound healing. Zinc is even found to inhibit melanin production.
Getting your copper levels down is important for melanin balance and skin resilience.
Several studies show low levels of iron in most sufferers of melasma. Therefore, it is critical to be aware of proper iron levels and supplementation for treating this condition.
Some symptoms of iron deficiency include heavy periods, painful menstruation, fatigue, weakness, pale skin, dizziness, and brittle nails.
Testing your iron levels is incredibly important, and the best way to do this is with a ferritin test. A traditional iron test will only reveal mineral levels circulating in the bloodstream. On the other hand, ferritin is a protein that stores and releases iron when the body needs to circulate it. Ferritin is found mostly in your cells therefore ambient blood testing gives an inaccurate reading of available iron. Testing for ferritin gives a clearer indication of actual iron levels that include reserves.
The best way to get sufficient iron is by supplementing with an organ complex or a liver supplement but if you're not taking either blood vitality is amazing. Personally, this has dramatically changed my menstruation experience. I no longer get menstrual symptoms and can live a fully functioning life without much downtime. Interestingly, I get “phantom” cramps, where my mind thinks I have physical cramps, but when I check in with my body, I don’t physically feel them. This reminds me of stories of amputees that feel pain in limbs that they no longer possess. Maybe my mind is still recovering from the trauma of past imbalances.
Supporting your body with vitamins and minerals is a vital second step in reversing melasma. Science has established that deficiencies in these micronutrients play a crucial role in skin health. These vitamins and minerals are vital for healing and reversing melasma.
Next up, how your gut plays a key role in your chronic skin condition.
Check out my article Change Your Diet For Skin Health
Leave a comment, and ask a question, I love your feedback!
Resources
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2965901/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/156482650102200304
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/
https://aspenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0884533616670380
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