Melasma Almost Cured in One Week- No Laser, No Hydroquinone!

I cannot believe I am posting the before photo because it is the most unflattering and horrifying photo I've ever seen of myself but since I understand the desperation and tears that come with fighting melasma and how important it is to see before and afters for those who have tried everything imaginable like I have, I will put it all out there for all of you. In my before photo I have zero makeup, had been crying, and just woke up. In my after photo (one week later) I have no cover up or foundation on, only light bronzer and highlighter.
Last fall I had the Halo Laser with great results. I did everything in my power to prevent the melasma from returning. I wore hats at the beach and pool and wore/reapplied sunscreen every single day. After 4 nights in Mexico about 2 weeks ago, I was horrified to see that my melasma returned full force despite my best efforts. I wore hats and applied sunscreen every 1-2 hours. That's the bad news. Here is the good news. I spent hours of my life researching medical studies and journals to see what I could do to get rid of my melasma and finally found something that worked for me WITHIN ONE WEEK. And compared to the cost of the laser, it is incredibly cheap. I will say that the laser is amazing to initially remove melasma, but sunscreen is not enough to prevent it from coming back after sun exposure. Combined with the steps I took below, you can choose to combine the laser with these products, or just use the products by themselves and be incredibly diligent about it. To remove my melasma after this recent trip to mexico, I did not use any laser or hydroquinone.The first thing to do is to read up on the effects of Silymarin (Milk Thistle extract) and how beautifully it has cured melasma in double blind studies. Here are two examples.After reading this, I also read about preventing UV damage from the inside, and discovered the benefits of Polypodium Leucotomos.Polypodium leucotomos is a fern from Central America. The underground “runners” (rhizomes) are used for medicine. Polypodium leucotomos is used to prevent certain skin problems including sunburn, eczema (atopic dermatitis), psoriasis, vitiligo, and skin cancer. It is also used for other cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.1. I went to whole foods and purchased Milk Thistle (Silymarin) extract in dropper bottles. I got one with low alcohol (they make them with no alcohol) for topical use and one that contained alcohol (higher dose) for internal use.2. I take the full dose (two droppers) of the higher concentrate milk thistle three times a day.Every morning and night after my shower or washing my face, I apply a mix of the low-alcohol Milk thistle and the Be Shiny oil all over my face and let it sit for a few minutes before applying any other oils,lotions or makeup. I do apply my makeup right on top of this.3. Every morning a take one daily capsule of Polypodium Leucotomos 350mg.4. Every morning I apply Rejuvelle Sunscreen For Face SPF 45 before I put any makeup on.I have done this for a straight week and my melasma is almost gone. And I have dermal and epidermal melasma. I have suffered zero side effects. Best of luck to all of you!

I’ve been getting a lot of requests for the specific brands and type of milk thistle I use, so I deleted the old ones (examples that would work just fine) and have posted photos of the actual products I use. I take the 1000mg Milk Thistle on the left internally 3 times a day- 2 droppers 3x. I rub a few drops of the the low alcohol milk thistle and the Be Shiny oil into my face once in the morning before putting on sunscreen and makeup, and then once at night after my shower before bed. Hope this clears up the confusion!