Melasma is not exclusive to older people. In addition to excessive sun exposure, staying up late, being irritable, and indulging in alcohol and spicy food are also major factors that contribute to the rapid formation of pigmentation! Dull skin tone, pigmentation, and other issues can make you look ten years older visually. Can laser treatment on the market completely remove pigmentation? This time, we invited registered Chinese medicine practitioner Kwong Wing Yan to analyze the causes of melasma from a Chinese medicine perspective, recommend internal dietary therapy, and teach everyone how to make DIY whitening masks, both internally and externally, to help you naturally remove pigmentation and restore radiant and beautiful skin!
What is melasma?
Love beauty is the nature of every woman. If there are spots on the face, it will affect the appearance and be distressing. Chloasma, also known as “liver spots” or “butterfly spots,” is mostly located on the cheeks, eyelids, and sides of the nose. The color is light brown, mostly symmetrical, lighter in winter, and darker in summer. It generally appears or worsens during pregnancy, taking birth control pills, and other situations.
100% Success Rate in Laser Treatment?
The most commonly used method in the market is laser treatment, but since the pigment of melasma is located in the dermis, laser treatment cannot guarantee 100% effectiveness. There is a chance of “re-darkening” occurring, making the color of the spots darker.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysis of the Causes of Melasma
In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying, “If there is an internal form, there must be an external form.” When the functions of the body’s organs are out of balance and yin and yang are not in harmony, it will directly reflect on the skin. To treat skin spots, one must start by regulating the body internally, using a combination of internal and external treatments.
3 main reasons for the formation of melasma
Liver depression and qi stagnation: Urban people face great life stress, leading to emotional depression, irritability, and anger, which can cause disharmony in the body’s qi and blood, liver depression, and blood stasis, resulting in liver depression-type chloasma.
Kidney Yin Damage: Long-term staying up late, eating spicy food, excessive drinking, can damage kidney yin, insufficient yin blood leads to excessive virtual fire, burning body fluids, and heat accumulation forming spots.
Spleen deficiency and poor circulation: Unhealthy eating habits, frequent dining out, consuming high-sugar, high-fat foods, causing dampness in the spleen and stomach, phlegm dampness rising to the face, leading to increased formation of yellow-brown spots.
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- Can you get it in your daily diet? Nutritionist reveals 4 major myths about the popular anti-aging NMN
Traditional Chinese medicine can treat melasma internally and externally.
| 治療黃褐班方法 | 材料 | 做法 | 功效 |
| 內服食療： 黑木耳紅棗袪斑湯 | 黑木耳 30 克、紅棗 10 枚 | 將黑木耳洗淨，紅棗去核，加水適量，煮１小時左右，即可服用。食用時可加蜂蜜少量作調味。每周飲用 2-3 次。 | 黑木耳能益氣活血，配合紅棗食用可以健脾補氣，活血行瘀，治療面部色斑。 |
| DIY 美白袪班面膜： 古方美顏祛斑散 | 白芷、白茯苓、白蒺藜、當歸、丹参、紫草各 30 克 | 將藥材打粉研末，備用。晚上清潔面部後，取適量粉末，加蜂蜜調成糊狀，外敷患處 15 分鐘，然後用清水洗淨。每周使用 1-2 次。 | 美白保濕祛斑，改善黄褐斑 |
Patients with melasma should avoid 3 major types of food.
Photosensitive fruits and vegetables
香芹、菠菜、香菜、韭菜、蕃茄、檸檬、蘿蔔等屬於感光性食物、多食此類食物令皮膚更容易受到紫外光侵害，食用後不宜在陽光下長期活動。
Foods containing tyrosine
貝殼類海鮮、動物內臟、青豆、紅豆等食物含酪氨酸的成份。酪氨酸參與黑色素的合成，食用後令黑色素生成增加，加深色斑。
Spicy food
Melasma is caused by hormonal imbalance, spicy foods, strong tea, coffee, alcohol and other stimulating drinks and foods should be avoided to prevent darkening of the spots.
Learn more: Kwong Wing Yan Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Master of Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture Specialty) from the University of Hong Kong, Certificate in Advanced Chinese Medicine (Oncology). Mainly engaged in clinical treatment of Chinese medicine oncology, gynecology, and dermatology, promoting a personalized approach to preventive treatment for Hong Kong people.
