Melasma is an abnormal skin health condition common in women, especially during menopause and after giving birth. This problem is gradually affecting younger people. Traditional medicine for melasma treatment has recently been of interest and has satisfied many patients thanks to its high efficiency and safety. So, is traditional medicine effective in treating melasma? Let's read the article below.
1. What is melasma?
Melasma makes women lose confidence and even opportunities in life and happiness, so the need for melasma treatment among women is increasing. Thanks to the development of medicine, many melasma treatment methods have been implemented to meet women's wishes. However, melasma treatment is not easy if the cause of melasma is not clear.
Melasma is a condition that appears on the face of both men and women, often appearing on the cheekbones with small, dark round spots, yellow, yellow-brown, light brown, but mostly dark brown. The condition of skin patches that change color to darker than our actual skin color will directly affect the aesthetics of the human body. Melasma often grows in clusters, appearing mainly on both sides of the cheekbones, nose, forehead, chin, ... In addition, melasma can also occur in some parts of the body that are exposed to sunlight, such as the skin of the neck and arms, ... The nature of melasma is the excessive development of melanin pigments in the basal and dermal layers of the skin, so melasma does not cause any damage to the human body. However, the longer this condition is left untreated, the more melasma tends to spread and become darker and more challenging to treat, making the sufferer feel self-conscious about their appearance and reducing their exposure to social relationships.
There are three types of melasma:
- Patchy melasma: This type has a shallow "melasma root" located in the epidermis, the top layer of the skin, and is the easiest to treat completely. Melasma appears in patches of a fairly light color. It can be caused by objective factors such as a hot, polluted environment, the use of poor-quality cosmetics, taking birth control pills, etc.
- Deep melasma (spotted melasma): This type of melasma is darker and appears in small spots. When examined by a dermatologist on a machine, the melasma root can be seen deep in the dermis layer of the skin. The cause of this type of melasma can be genetics, hormones, or sudden hormonal changes due to the process of motherhood. This type is the most "stubborn" and challenging to treat for a long duration; usually, it can only be cured 80% after the treatment process.
- Mixed melasma: Mixed melasma is a skin condition in which both types of melasma appear. The treatment process for this type of melasma is much more complex than the above types because the doctor needs to choose two separate treatments for these two types of melasma on the same face.
So, what causes melasma? Melasma occurs mainly due to excessive proliferation of melanin pigment on the skin, especially in people with dark skin. Melasma often appears from age 25 onwards because our skin has shown signs of aging, including melasma. There are many causes of melasma, and depending on each cause and each person's condition, there will be different treatment methods. Therefore, finding the cause of melasma is important in the treatment process. Below are some common causes of melasma:
- Hormonal disorders: Much scientific evidence has shown that hormonal disorders are one cause of melasma. On the other hand, metabolic disorders can lead to excessive proliferation of melanin pigment on the skin, often found in puberty, pregnant women, postpartum women, women in premenopause, and menopause.
- Genetic factors: Many scientific studies have shown that people who have relatives with skin problems such as skin pigmentation disorders, melasma, and freckles have a much higher risk of melasma than others.
- Due to the impact of sunlight: UV rays in sunlight, when shining directly on the skin, can destroy skin cells, break the skin structure, cause direct effects on the skin, and stimulate the abnormal proliferation of melanin pigment. Therefore, if people with melasma are regularly exposed to sunlight, the melasma will spread more widely and faster, causing dry skin, skin aging, and even skin cancer.
- Due to improper skincare: the overuse of cosmetics, and improper facial hair removal... are also why our skin becomes increasingly weak, forming skin lesions, leading to skin pigmentation disorders and causing melasma. Improper skin care increases the risk of facial melasma.
- Due to psychological stress: When our psychology is stressed, continuous pressure for a long time can easily imbalance the body's estrogen levels. Excessive estrogen production will stimulate the development of melanin pigment, leading to melasma.
- Due to an unscientific lifestyle: Some people have the habit of staying up late, not getting enough sleep, and regularly using products containing stimulants that are harmful to the body, such as alcohol, beer, coffee, carbonated water, and cigarettes... This is considered one of the common causes of facial melasma.
- Due to too much exposure to blue light: Blue light from computers, televisions, and phones can have harmful effects on the skin, causing damage and weakness. Therefore, people who use these electronic devices too often are at much higher risk of melasma than others.
- Due to exposure to polluted environments: Due to the nature of their work, many people often have to work in environments containing a lot of dust, chemicals, etc., which will also weaken the skin, make it susceptible to poisoning, and have a high risk of melasma and freckles.
2. Is traditional medicine effective in treating melasma?
Traditional Chinese medicine, also known as Oriental medicine, is a precious herb used in Oriental medicine originating from China. Vietnamese people have used it for a long time to treat diseases. The herbs around us have been used to treat people since ancient times before Western medicine was invented. The herbs are wholly taken from nature and cleaned without any chemicals. The use of traditional Chinese medicine to beautify the skin was also used by palace ladies and concubines thousands of years ago. Each traditional Chinese medicine has certain properties suitable for each problem in each person's body. The treatment of melasma with traditional Chinese medicine is based on eliminating the causes of the disease from deep within each person's body, thereby helping to balance hormones, improve the function of removing toxins from the skin, detoxify and inhibit the formation of melanin. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine also stimulates the production of pigments to help brighten the skin, making the skin rosy, providing beneficial factors, and enhancing the body's resistance to bring healthy skin. Therefore, using traditional Chinese medicine or traditional Chinese medicine is a gentle method we can choose and consider in treating melasma. Because melasma is a change in skin color, people use traditional Chinese medicine that has the effect of fading pigmentation, such as Poria, angelica, white ginseng, and safflower, ... When used, the nutrients and essence from these medicines will slowly seep into the blood and change the skin. Below are some effective recipes for treating melasma with traditional Chinese medicine as follows:
- Recipe 1
In this recipe, people use the following ingredients: Fresh ginger (8g), groundnut (20g), jujube (12g), Chinese yam (16g), white poria (8g), peony bark (12g), dried Alisma orientalis (8g), gypsum (12g), wolfberry (12g), chrysanthemum (8g), dried summer grass (8g).
How to make: After washing the herbs with water, boil them with 600ml of water over medium heat. Wait until there is 150ml left, then take it out to drink. Drink consistently two times a day, two hours after each meal. Drink continuously for 10 to 15 days, then rest for 7 days before continuing to drink the next dose.
Some of the above ingredients, such as jujube or wolfberry, will have a sweet taste to make it easier for you to drink. In addition, the medicinal herbs mentioned above activate blood circulation and fade dark pigments under the skin. Persistent use over a long period will help remove dark spots and make the skin rosy and full of vitality.
- Recipe 2: Treating melasma with Poria cocos
In Oriental medicine, Poria cocos is considered a precious herb that is extremely good for health and affects beauty care. It is also known as a miracle drug for rejuvenating the skin, completely removing melanin pigment, and making dark skin bright and rosy white. Poria cocos is also cold, cool, diuretic, and blood-activating. It can be used in decoction, as a drink, or when applied to the skin. Use Poria cocos as follows: Wash Poria cocos and steam for about 1 hour. Crush it with a spoon or use a blender. Heat a pot, add Poria cocos and a little honey, and cook until the mixture becomes thick and can be used. Every day, eat one bowl of Poria cocos with a little honey before meals and use it consistently for 2 months. With this recipe, melasma and freckles will gradually fade thanks to the detoxifying effect of Poria cocos. It helps the skin become white, rosy, and full of vitality.
- Recipe 3: Treat melasma with Chinese medicine and lotus seeds
Lotus seeds are also considered medicine in oriental medicine, which is highly effective in treating melasma from the inside. Regularly eating lotus seeds is not only good for health but also has the effect of beautifying the skin. Increase the body's antioxidant capacity and fade dark spots from deep inside. You need 30g lotus seeds, 8g longan, and 50g coix seeds to make this remedy.
How to make: Wash the ingredients and cook them together. We can add rock sugar or snow fungus as a beauty dessert. It is easy to use, refreshing, and good for the skin. Eating it daily helps refresh the spirit, sleep better, and improve the skin.
- Recipe 4: Use chrysanthemum tea and honey to treat melasma
Chrysanthemums contain a lot of essential oils, which have the effect of limiting dark pigments under the skin. Therefore, this is also considered a traditional medicine that deeply cleanses the inside and removes dirt and dark pigments from the skin, helping the face to be whiter and pinker. We need at least 10 chrysanthemums in this medicine, then wash and drain them. Put the fresh chrysanthemums in a mortar, crush them, and mix well with honey. Apply the mixture evenly on the face, relax for 20 minutes, and then rinse with warm water. If you do not have fresh chrysanthemums, we can use dried chrysanthemums as follows: Take 10 flowers, put them in a sieve, and rinse them with water. Add a few grains of salt, put the chrysanthemums in a pot, boil over low heat for about 5 minutes, and turn off the stove. Use a sieve to filter the flower residue and let it cool. Then, mix two tablespoons of honey, use cotton to absorb the solution, and apply evenly on the pigmented face area. Relax for 15-20 minutes, then rinse.
3. Precautions when using traditional medicine to treat melasma
Treating melasma is a process of persistently using herbal remedies. It may take 3 to 6 months, 1 year, or even longer to treat if our melasma is long-standing or too dark. However, safe skin care with herbs from deep within is not a one-day or two-day job, so we should not give up halfway when we see no results.
In addition, whether using traditional Chinese medicine to treat melasma is appropriate depends on each person's condition. Some people are suitable, and some are not. To know whether the body can adapt to treating melasma with traditional Chinese medicine. Before deciding to use traditional Chinese medicine to treat melasma, you should consult with traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for reference and guidance. In addition, when using Chinese medicine, we should also pay attention to some foods that may be incompatible with the medicine, so we should have the participation of traditional medicine practitioners before using them.
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