Secret Recipe for Fading Spots Postpartum and 3 Tips to Promote Pigment Metabolism

Age, sun, and childbirth can create changes in the skin’s appearance. Dr. Wu Duojia provides tips on how to restore the complexion.

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Health Viewpoints

“Beauty is only skin deep,” but the face we present to the world still matters to us. As we pass through life’s stages, our years are reflected on our skin. Events such as childbirth and menopause, and years spent in the sun, can bring changes to our appearance. Even smiling or frowning may leave an imprint. Dr. Wu Duojia from Fengze Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic in Taiwan shared her secrets for restoring skin lightness postpartum and fending off melanin as we age.

3 Mechanisms of Skin Lightening

When we become suntanned, the pigment that darkens our skin is formed after the skin is damaged by ultraviolet rays. This pigment, melanin, then protects the skin by absorbing sunlight. 

Melanin is created in the outermost layer of our skin by cells called melanocytes that have special organelles called melanosomes. Melanosomes produce and store melanin. When ultraviolet rays hit our skin, this triggers the body to activate an enzyme called tyrosinase in our melanocytes, and this leads to the release of a significant number of melanosomes and increased melanin production. 

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If melanin is unevenly distributed, plaques occur and dark spots develop.

There are three main ways to prevent these dark spots.

1. Protection Against the Sun

We can use parasols, hats, and clothing to protect ourselves from the sun. Sunscreen can also protect your skin but comes with some risks. You can also use anti-inflammatory and antioxidant skin care products, such as vitamin C derivatives, superoxide dismutase, and Q10 (coenzyme) to enhance the skin’s protection against ultraviolet rays.

2. Block the Formation and Movement of Melanin

Vitamin A1, also known as retinol, can block the production of melanin. Other ingredients providing similar effects and used in brightening skin care products include arbutin, tranexamic acid, vitamin B3, and vitamin C derivatives. They all possess the ability to block melanin formation or stop the transfer of melanin to the epidermis.

3. Accelerate the Metabolism of Melanin

Exfoliating products that help eliminate melanin, such as alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), salicylic acid, and natural enzymes, can be used to accelerate the metabolism of melanin that has been generated in the epidermis through exfoliation.

In addition, the picosecond laser has become one of the most popular skin-brightening treatments in recent years. It uses a light shock wave effect to break melanin into dust-like particles, which are then absorbed by the human immune system, or excreted from the body through its metabolic function. At the same time, by applying the concept of “first destruction and then repair,” the wounds caused by the laser will stimulate the fibroblasts under the dermis and activate collagen proliferation.

Dr. Wu said that the concept of skin brightening in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is not much different from that of modern medicine. For example, in accelerating melanin metabolism, ancient medical literature mentions using white willow bark mixed with rice soup to metabolize keratin. The only difference today is that white willow bark is used in skin care products applied directly to the skin. White willow bark contains salicylic acid, the main constituent for this purpose.

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Pearl powder may be the most famous medicinal herb that blocks melanin production. Dr. Wu said that pearl powder contains trace amounts of cysteine. Cysteine ​​has the effect of inhibiting melanin formation and thus achieving lightness. In addition, Bletilla and Angelica dahurica found in the well-known TCM remedy qi bai powder also have the function of inhibiting tyrosinase.

Finally, the water retention and smoothness of the stratum corneum surface are also the main conditions for bright and fair skin. However, whether it’s lightening with Chinese medicine or picosecond laser treatment, the treatment needs to restore one’s metabolic capacity to make it effective in the end. So, using Chinese medicine to improve qi and blood circulation plus a regular life routine has become an indispensable part of lightening.

TCM teaches that the human body has a meridian system, which is responsible for transporting qi around the body. Qi is a basic energy obtained through food and breathing that maintains all physiological activities. TCM also emphasizes the importance of blood as the fluid that nourishes the body. Qi and blood circulate continually to maintain the balance and stability of various tissues and organs. When the body experiences an imbalance or deficiency of qi or blood, disease or other conditions may follow.

3 Tips to Enhance Pigment Metabolism

Dr. Wu said there are three approaches to enhancing body metabolism:

1. Take Chinese Medicine for Circulation

To enhance qi and blood circulation, Dr. Wu first recommends Chinese ginseng (Panax notoginseng) powder, which promotes blood circulation and stops bleeding. Panax notoginseng powder, like ginseng, is in the Araliaceae plant family and has medicinal and qi-tonifying effects.

Panax notoginseng has also been used traditionally to treat anemia, and animal studies suggest that it does have efficacy in this regard. Anemia can also cause a dark complexion, because blood with insufficient oxygen is more blue, which will appear darker in the skin. This is particularly the case for postpartum women with anemia, a condition usually associated with childbirth, and for menopausal women.

2. Exercise

Aerobic exercise that improves cardiopulmonary (heart and lung) function can help stimulate blood circulation. If you do not have half an hour to exercise for three days a week, it is recommended to use a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen that can improve heart, lungs, qi, and blood circulation in less time.

3. Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is the biggest enemy of the body’s self-repair functionality. Poor repair ability brings poor skin condition. Dr. Wu found that night shift workers in particular, with their reversed routine, need to take melatonin in order to get restorative sleep. Poor sleep can cause chronic inflammation of the body and slow down the body’s metabolism.

Recipe for Postpartum Skin Repair

Dr. Wu had fair skin before pregnancy, but like many mothers, she suffered from skin discoloring known as chloasma after childbirth. She said she believes all women need to replenish blood and qi after childbirth.

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Dr. Wu recommends a skin-purifying and lightening tea, which can be consumed like normal drinking water daily.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of stir-fried Atractylodes
• 2 ounces of white poria
• 2 ounces of white peony root
• .13 ounces of Coix seed (Job’s tears)

Preparation:

After washing ingredients, place them directly into 27–34 ounces of water to boil or brew. Cool before drinking.

Note: Some of the herbs mentioned above may sound unfamiliar, but many can be found in health food stores and Asian grocery stores. In addition, because everyone’s body constitution is different, the corresponding treatment methods are also different. Please consult a professional physician for specific treatment plans.