herbal tonics for:
Excess pigmentation – Melasma;
Loss of pigmentation – Vitiligo
tonics for
Excess pigmentation – Melasma;
Loss of pigmentation – Vitiligo
Herbs and Pigmentation
Excess pigmentation – Melasma
Loss of pigmentation – Vitiligo
What is Skin Pigment?
Various shades and colors of human skin are created by the brown pigment, melanin. Without melanin, the skin would be pale white with varying shades of pink caused by the blood flowing through it. Fair-skinned people produce very little melanin; darker-skinned people produce moderate amounts; and very dark skinned people produce a great deal. People with albinism have no melanin.
Melanin is produced by special cells (melanocytes) that are interspersed among the other cells in the top layer of the skin, the epidermis. After melanin is produced, it spreads into other nearby skin cells.
HYPERPIGMENTATION (MelasmaLess Tonic)
Freckles
When exposed to sunlight, melanocytes produce increased amounts of melanin, causing the skin to darken, or tan. In some fair-skinned people, certain melanocytes produce more melanin than others in response to sunlight. This uneven melanin production results in spots of pigmentation known as freckles. A tendency to freckles runs in families. MelasmaLess Tonic is recommended
Increased amounts of melanin can also occur in response to hormonal changes, such as those that may take place in Addison’s disease, in pregnancy, or with oral contraceptive use. MelasmaLess Tonic should be taken.
Some cases of skin darkening, however, are not related to increased melanin at all, but rather to abnormal pigments that make their way into the skin. Diseases such as hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis or some drugs that are applied to the skin, swallowed, or injected can cause skin darkening. A buildup of bilirubin (the main pigment in bile) causes the skin to turn yellow (jaundice).[see LiverDetox]
Melasma (dark patches on the skin)
Melasma produces dark brown patches of pigmentation on sun-exposed areas, usually the face.
Melasma tends to appear during pregnancy (mask of pregnancy) and in women who take oral contraceptives, although it can occur in anyone. The disorder is most common in sunny climates and in people of Latin or Asian origin.
Melasma produces irregular, patchy areas of dark color that are the same on both sides of the face. The pigmentation most often occurs in the center of the face and on the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, and nose. Sometimes people have the patches only on the sides of the face. Rarely, melasma appears on the forearms.
The patches do not itch or hurt and are only of cosmetic significance.
Melasma usually fades after pregnancy or when an oral contraceptive is discontinued. People with melasma can use sunscreens on the dark patches and avoid sun exposure to prevent the condition from getting worse. Skin-bleaching creams containing hydroquinone and retinoic acid can help lighten the dark patches. If the condition doesn’t fade when pregnancy is over or when oral contraceptives are discontinued, of if these dark patches on the face (or body) then you can take ther herbal medicine MelasmaLess Tonic to help to clear the dark patches.
Tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor) is a fungal infection of the topmost layer of the skin causing scaly, discolored patches. [For treament of this fungal condition click here]
Sun damage produces many of the skin changes that people commonly associate with aging. Long-term exposure to the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is responsible for wrinkles, both fine and coarse; irregular pigmentation; brown and red spots; and the rough texture of sun-exposed skin. MelasmaLess Tonic can help the skin tone and the excess pigmentation spots and patches on the skin.
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HYPOPIGMENTATION (Vitiligo)
An abnormally low amount of melanin (hypopigmentation) may affect large areas of the body or small patches. Decreased melanin usually results from a previous injury to the skin such as a blister, ulcer, burn, or skin infection. Sometimes pigment loss results from an inflammatory condition of the skin or, in rare instances, is hereditary. A common skin infection, tinea versicolor, can also cause pigment loss in patches of skin.
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a disorder in which a localized loss of melanocytes results in smooth white patches of skin.
The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may involve an attack by the person’s immune system on melanocytes. Vitiligo tends to run in families and may occur with certain other diseases. Thyroid disease is present in almost one third of people with vitiligo, but the relationship between the disorders is unclear. People with diabetes, Addison’s disease, and pernicious anemia also are somewhat more likely to develop vitiligo. The disorder may occur after physical trauma or a sunburn.
Although vitiligo does not pose a medical problem, it may cause considerable psychologic distress. Our herbal medicine for Vitaligo will help with the condition and the distress.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
In some people, one or two sharply demarcated patches of vitiligo appear; in others, patches appear over a large part of the body. The changes are most striking in dark-skinned people. Commonly affected areas are the face, elbows and knees, hands and feet, and genitals. The unpigmented skin is extremely prone to sunburn. The areas of skin affected by vitiligo also produce white hair, because the melanocytes are lost from the hair follicles. Premature graying of scalp hair may occur even when the underlying skin is unaffected by vitiligo.
Vitiligo is recognized by its typical appearance. A Wood’s light examination is often performed to help distinguish vitiligo from other causes of lightened skin. Other tests and biopsies are rarely necessary.
Treatment
No cure is known for vitiligo, although some people regain their color spontaneously. Treatment may be helpful. Herbal treatment usilizes herbs with a steroidal action. Small patches sometimes darken when treated with a phytocorticosteroid lotion (totally plant based and without the side-effects of steroid drugs and creams). Some people use bronzers, skin stains, or makeup to darken the area. Because many people still have a few melanocytes in the patches of vitiligo, phototherapy restimulates pigment production in more than half of them combined with ultraviolet A light (PUVA) and narrow-band ultraviolet B light treatments are most beneficial. However, phototherapy takes months to be effective and must be continued indefinitely. This can be combined with our herbal tonic.
Skin Bleaching
Some people who have very large areas of vitiligo sometimes prefer to bleach the pigment out of the unaffected skin to achieve an even color. Bleaching is done with repeated applications of hydroquinone cream to the skin for weeks to years. The effects of bleaching are irreversible. We recommend that before you take the decision to bleach your skin you try the herbal method, and then later combine this with phototherapy (ultraviolet light see above for details).
Acknowledgements to the Merck Manual
These two tonics address the causes that result in these conditions:
Excess pigmentation – MelasmaLess Tonic
Loss of pigmentation – VitiligoLess Tonic
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