Treating Melasma From the Inside Out

Melasma can be caused by a number of different factors, which means it’s usually triggered by a combination of lifestyle conditions rather than a single variable. This can make it tricky to pinpoint the exact reasons for variation in pigmentation and how melasma appears on our skin. While dark spots themselves are harmless, paying attention to their development and triggers can help us uncover messages that our bodies are trying to signal to us.

Years of living with my own melasma, along with tons of research, taught me that the three most common and interrelated stressors that intensify the appearance of melasma are hormone imbalance, poor eating habits, and heat/sun exposure. These three conditions (individually or combined) can cause inflammation inside the body that manifests as dark patches on the surface of the skin. Addressing each factor in turn can help us develop more holistic, balanced lifestyles, which can then lead to more even and clear skin.

Today I’m talking about one of the best (and often overlooked) ways to manage internal inflammation: clean eating. Any number of foods can cause irritation, so your best approach is to learn which foods to focus on and which to avoid—then build habits accordingly. While certain cooking oils like canola and soybean cause inflammation and are best to avoid, spices like turmeric and cinnamon aid in reducing inflammation and would be great options to incorporate into a regular diet. 

If we’re already avoiding “unhealthy” snacks and eating “healthy” foods but aren’t seeing any changes in the appearance of our melasma, we might be eating too many foods that contain inflammatory ingredients (even if they’re more widely considered in the “healthy” category). Foods like bread that contain enriched wheat flour, chips with added dextrose, and even plant-based milk that contain carrageenan can all contribute to flares. These added refined flours, sugars, pesticides, and preservatives can all cause inflammation and disrupt hormone production. While it may feel overwhelming at first, our bodies know what’s best. An easy way for me to identify whether a food causes inflammation is to notice whether or not I feel bloated after eating it. Once we learn the basics, we can keep an eye out for trigger foods and build habits accordingly.

Knowing which foods to avoid is just as important as knowing which to prioritize. In general, real whole foods (and preferably organic ones) are a good way to go. We can think of whole foods as those with a single ingredient, like broccoli, eggs, salmon, almonds—food items with no additional additives or preservatives. I found the easiest way to get started was by cooking at home because when we make our own meals, we get to control how food is cooked and what oils and spices are used. Eating simple whole foods like fish, avocados, olive oil, and dark chocolate will also provide anti-inflammatory benefits—and it sure doesn’t hurt that they’re delicious too.

Another way to change eating habits to lower inflammation is by eating lots of foods that are high in antioxidants. This includes fruits, vegetables, some legumes, and nuts. As a general rule, the darker the color, the richer the antioxidant content. Some great options are blueberries, blackberries, oranges, dark green vegetables like broccoli and kale, black beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans, and dark nuts like pecans, walnuts, and chestnuts to name a few. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals to help protect cells from oxidative damage, which can provoke inflammation and produce premature signs of aging. While many supplements and skincare products also have antioxidant benefits, it’s ideal to get antioxidants from real food sources and eat them in tandem with your supplements of choice. That’s because natural antioxidants from food are more easily absorbed and utilized by the body.

It’s worth noting that clean eating habits should be a crucial consideration in the treatment of melasma, but even if we have good reason to suspect that certain foods are triggering inflammation, we should continue with other precautions as well. Our skin still needs to be protected from the sun with a hat and sunscreen, and excessive exposure is not good for dark spots. Another thing to point out is if you’re taking hormones in the form of HRT or a birth control method like the pill or an IUD, these could also be the cause or triggers of melasma. If that’s the case, even the cleanest diet won’t counteract the effects of synthetic hormones and you’ll probably have to decide where your priorities lie and whether you can consider alternative methods.

As we begin to evaluate and change your eating habits to address inflammation from the inside out, it’s important to remember that we won’t see drastic differences overnight. The top layer of skin takes about 30 days to turn over, and dark melasma patches won’t fade after a single cycle. Be patient, stay consistent, and trust your body and the process. If you’re taking steps on multiple fronts to create a more balanced, holistic lifestyle, you’ll start to see progress soon enough!