How I Cured my Melasma....Naturally

There are many members in this forum who have gotten rid of their melasma by external means (i.e. creams, acids, lasers) and I’m very happy for them. Sadly, I wasn’t so lucky. Over the past 20 years, I’ve tried almost everything: 4% Hidroquinone, Cosmelan 2, Nivea cream, citric acid peels, intense pulse lasers, spent lots of $$$ and still my blotches wouldn’t budge. My melasma was classified as idiopathic (unknown origin) because I didn’t get it from the usual suspects: sun overexposure, birth control pills, pregnancy, hormonal imbalance, genetics, estrogen replacement therapy, etc. Most women get it during their reproductive years; mine started in my post-menopausal years. Go figure! It goes to show you that melasma is a complex condition and even dermatologists are puzzled about the root causes and the best way to treat it.
Five years ago, I turned my attention somewhere else for answers. I searched online for cures and found many conflicting melasma therapies. The majority of sites touted the external cures which I discarded right way since I got zero results from them. Others believed that melasma must be treated from the inside out. I even found disagreement among these folks as to what causes melasma. Some believe it’s caused by estrogen dominance, others think it’s due to copper toxicity, or a sluggish liver, or a weak immune system, or oxidative damage, even a leaky gut and Candidiasis have been blamed for this condition. As you can imagine, it makes anyone's head spin causing confusion to say the least. Then a light bulb went on in my head and I asked myself, why not try a supplement cocktail that addresses many of these root causes and see if anything sticks? So, after experimenting with various combinations, I settled on this regimen that proved to be successful for me:
Milk thistle – detoxifies and fortifies the liver
l-glutamine powder – for leaky gut
Caprylic acid – kills candida albicanis
2% Lugol’s Iodine – antagonist to copper
Glutathione (in Bovine Colostrum) – strengthens the immune system
EGCg – a powerful antioxidant extract found in green tea
Truthfully, I cannot say with certainty that any one of them by itself did the trick. All I know is that together they worked like magic on my face. I’d say it’s about 95% clean. My melasma was very dark and ugly. It covered both of my cheeks, upper lip, jawline and chin. I’m happy to say I no longer wear heavy makeup, ditched the sunscreen and my melasma has not rebounded in over five years.
I’m sharing my experience hoping that someone out there might consider the natural route in lieu of topical treatments. I'm not advocating that you do exactly as I did because the root of your problem may have different triggers. What I'm saying is that once you determine your own triggers and find the right combination, you'll be on your way to recovery. Warning: it took patience and lots of determination to stick to this plan b/c it may take weeks to months before you see an improvement. My humble advice is, if you’re at the end of your rope and nothing else has worked, try this method for a change. You may find your own cure like I did. Thank you and God bless.