How I Beat Melasma

It started to be noticeable at around 30. I went to get a facial before my wedding and the technician noticed the slight change in color to patches of brown. I didn't think anything of it. I had my wedding, and moved away. Then came the gradual increase in pigmentation. I started getting worried. I went and saw one of the dermatologists at Washington University. They sent me home with a tube of 8% hydrquinone and .025% Trenitonin. I applied the creams and nothing happened. But I began to use sunscreen religiously. Even on cloudy days, snow days, and rainy days.
Eventually the dermatolagist at Wash U said that if I didn't improve they'd have to use a "laser." One thing I did right, was to get a second opinion. I saw Dr. Nayak for a consultation, and he basically said "It looks like your skin immediate reaction to injury is to produce melanin." He also mentioned that the cause of my problem had nothing to do with my skin, but that something in my body was causing a great deal of oxidative stress. He said he wouldn't use any kind of laser on my skin because he believed it would only make the problem worse.
So I made a pact with myself, that I would take daily vital supplements and Omega 3s. I invested a ton of money in supplements. I also purchased glutathione which I drank regularly in the morning and in the evening. I also adopted an entirely different way of caring for my skin: I started using the Korean Skincare routine. Yes, it was extreme, but at this point I was willing to try anything to get my skin clear. The ten steps aren't too as long if you have everything you need. And you don't need to use Korean products to do this routine. You just need to know what oils you're going to use for your first cleanse, the second cleanser for your second water-based cleanse(I used CeraVe mostly), I found an amazing serum by a company called z'kin. I ended up switching to pure aloe vera. Somewhere in there is a "exfoliation step." I performed mine at the same time with the second cleanse because I use a Clarisonic. After the serum came the spot treatments, and finally after that the moisturizer. I added sunscreen to this in the morning.
It took some time, like about 8 months of faithfully following the routine, but gradually my skin did clear. I also learned a few tricks along the way. Sometimes your face produces melanin in response to excess heat. I didn't like the idea of an ice water bath, but I found something just as good: a cold plain yogurt mask, leaving it on until it dries and just washing it off.
More internet research yielded something absolutely amazing. I found out that in labs where they want to bleach a sample of bacteria, they use a specific enzyme. That enzyme is none other than "Horseradish Peroxidase." So I bought some horseradish and ran it in the blender with some water. I then diluted by half with yogurt whenever I made a mask. At first my face was red, but sufficiently dilulted it wasn't unpleasant. This stuff made my hydroquione look like it was vasaline. The horse radish was that potent. Another thing that works, although I wasn't as impressed as I was with the horseradish was a wasabi and green tea mask.
Now I know you're looking at the cost of my treatment. What you need to know is this money was an investment for me to develop a healthier lifestyle--one that I should have had to begin with. It's really important to be involved in your treatment for this condition. Don't assume that just because a doctor has a degree, that they will come up with the best solution right off the bat. For many women this condition is hormonal. I figured that out when I started taking the proper supplements. If I were to be confronted with this problem again. I would do exactly what I did before: I would make sure my diet was proper, I would explore my options of different skin clearing ingredients, and I'd go for the least invasive treatment available. I would give myself 8 months to a year, and if things didn't end up working, I'd try something else.