Vitamin C for Melasma, but a Red Flag a Year Later?

Vitamin C for Melasma, but a Red Flag a Year Later?Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is known for its powerful reducing properties and plays a crucial role in anti-oxidation. It can act as an antioxidant and nutritional supplement, however, since the human body cannot synthesize vitamin C on its own, we must replenish it through food and medication

Vitamin C for Melasma, but a Red Flag a Year Later?

Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is known for its powerful reducing properties and plays a crucial role in anti-oxidation. It can act as an antioxidant and nutritional supplement, however, since the human body cannot synthesize vitamin C on its own, we must replenish it through food and medication. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to weakened immunity, dry skin, and even scurvy.

In June 2017, Zhou Huanhuan, a 43-year-old saleswoman at a clothing store in Hebei Province, was consumed by anxiety. She hadn't menstruated for two months and was worried she might have entered menopause. This not only caused her anxiety but also impacted her skin, making her appear haggard. Zhou Huanhuan consulted with other women her age and found that some had normal menstrual cycles while others, like her, had missed periods for several months. This slightly eased her worries.

However, at the end of June, while looking in the mirror, Zhou Huanhuan noticed a few wrinkles of varying lengths on her face, along with some blemishes. This further increased her anxieties, and she began searching for ways to regulate her menstrual cycle. She heard about an old Chinese doctor who was an expert in gynecology and decided to seek his consultation. After taking her pulse, the doctor diagnosed Zhou Huanhuan's irregular menstruation as being caused by a weak spleen and stomach, and a cold constitution. He prescribed some herbal medicine and told her to rest and avoid cold water.

Zhou Huanhuan eagerly went home to make the herbal medicine and take it. Following her friends' advice, she started exercising daily, running in the park downstairs to improve her weak constitution. After a month of perseverance, Zhou Huanhuan felt much lighter and her complexion became rosy. Her period returned on time and was even heavier than before. Even her colleagues at the store praised her improved appearance. Zhou Huanhuan was overjoyed and felt happy all day long.

However, her happiness was short-lived. That night, while carefully inspecting her face in the mirror, she noticed that although her complexion had improved, the blemishes on her face did not show any significant change. Several millet-sized brown spots were still scattered across her face. This plunged her back into anxieties, keeping her tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep.

The next day, at work, Zhou Huanhuan confided in her colleagues about her troubles. Unexpectedly, her colleague offered a solution, saying she had seen people online using Vitamin C for melasma, with positive results. Zhou Huanhuan decided to try it and took Vitamin C tablets for a week. She noticed a slight lightening in the color of the spots under her eyes, and encouraged by this result, she decided to continue taking the tablets. After another week, she even felt that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes had smoothed out slightly. These changes solidified her decision to continue using Vitamin C.

However, in early March 2018, Zhou Huanhuan began experiencing frequent nighttime urination, sometimes needing to get up 2-3 times a night. She thought it was due to eating too much salt recently and drinking too much water. During the day, while working at the store, she also felt pain in her lower back, which could be somewhat relieved by massaging the ache. She attributed this to the increased number of customers buying clothes as the seasons changed, making her tired. She didn't pay much attention to it.

On the 17th of March, after work, Zhou Huanhuan bent down to change her shoes when she felt a sharp, needle-like pain in her lower back. She struggled to stand upright, holding onto the wall for support. Limping back to her room, she guessed she might have twisted her back, assuming it would get better after some rest. However, when her husband arrived home, he opened the door to see Zhou Huanhuan curled up on the bed, pale and sweating profusely. He realized something was wrong and immediately took her to the hospital.

At the hospital, they initially examined Zhou Huanhuan's lumbar spine but found no issues. Then, the doctor ordered a CT scan of her abdomen. The results showed a stone in the upper part of the left ureter, approximately 7mm in diameter, and she was diagnosed with ureteral calculi. The doctor explained that stones larger than 6mm are difficult to pass naturally. If surgery is not performed promptly to break them down, it can lead to difficulty in urine excretion and even urinary tract infections, causing various ureteral diseases.

Typical symptoms of ureteral calculi include intermittent back pain, as well as frequent and urgent urination. Stones can be categorized as calcium-containing stones and non-calcium containing stones. Calcium-containing stones include calcium oxalate stones and calcium carbonate stones.

Upon hearing that she not only had stones but also required surgery, Zhou Huanhuan broke down in tears, feeling utterly perplexed. She did not smoke or drink, had no unhealthy habits, and ate a healthy diet. How could she have developed stones? The doctor asked her in detail about her habits and found that many of the factors that usually cause stones were not related to her case, leaving him baffled.

The doctor engaged in a deeper conversation with Zhou Huanhuan, asking if she had been taking any medication. At that moment, Zhou Huanhuan suddenly remembered that she had been taking Vitamin C tablets for the past six months to lighten the spots on her face. She slapped her thigh and informed the doctor of this. The doctor said sternly, "Vitamin C tablets do have the effect of lightening spots and anti-aging, but they should not be taken for long periods. Vitamin C tablets can cause oxalate and uric acid stones, and even stopping them suddenly can lead to scurvy."

Zhou Huanhuan was terrified. She couldn't believe that such small pills could cause stones. She then confided in the doctor about her melasma troubles. The doctor smiled mysteriously and said, "Medication is not a cure-all. It also has side effects. Only by using it properly can you achieve the maximum benefit, achieving the desired effect while staying away from the trouble of melasma. In clinical practice, up to 98% of patients don't know that when taking Vitamin C tablets, they need to pay attention to these 3 things..."

First, we need to understand the main reasons for melasma. As we age, our body's metabolic capacity gradually declines, leading to an accumulation of excess pigments that cannot be cleared in a timely manner, eventually manifesting as dark brown spots on our skin.

1. Eat More Fruits: Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as kiwi fruit, known as the king of fruits, containing Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Vitamin C can accelerate skin metabolism, promote pigment clearance, reduce accumulation and adhesion on the skin, and also enhance the body's immunity, resisting aging factors. Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, has an antioxidant effect, accelerates melanin decomposition and excretion, and helps improve melasma.

At the same time, fruits contain a relatively large amount of water, which can promptly dilute urine, preventing the concentration of calcium oxalate from becoming too high and causing supersaturation, leading to crystal precipitation. Fruits can also increase the content of oxalic acid inhibitors, inhibiting the formation of calcium oxalate. For instance, oranges can be converted into alkaline substances by the body, raising the pH of urine, which can achieve the purpose of stone expulsion and inhibit the precipitation of calcium oxalate crystals.

2. Exercise: Engaging in aerobic exercise, such as jogging, yoga, swimming, etc., can accelerate the body's metabolic rate, promote the excretion of salts and toxins, and prevent the accumulation of pigments in the face and the formation of blemishes. It can also enhance immunity and improve the body's overall fitness. It can even promote urine excretion, reducing the content of various salt ions in urine, lowering the possibility of oxalate combining with calcium, thereby reducing the formation of calcium oxalate and avoiding the occurrence of stones.

Moreover, exercise can stimulate gastrointestinal motility, promoting more complete food digestion. It can also stimulate the body's up and down movements, promoting stone expulsion.

3. Replenish Fluids: Water is the source of life, and various cellular activities are carried out in a liquid environment. As we age, the skin becomes dehydrated and dehydrated, losing elasticity, leading to wrinkles and other signs of aging. Additionally, cell metabolism relies on water. Timely hydration can promote the body's elimination of toxins, reduce pigment deposition, and have an anti-aging effect.

Replenishing fluids also helps the body excrete urine, avoiding urine retention. It can also dilute urine, reducing the concentration of calcium oxalate and preventing the precipitation of calcium oxalate stones.

Zhou Huanhuan's experience reminds us that while Vitamin C has the effect of lightening spots and anti-aging, it should not be taken for long periods. It can cause oxalate and uric acid stones, and even stopping it suddenly can lead to scurvy. We need to understand the side effects of medication and pay attention to its usage to achieve the best results.

Rather than blindly pursuing the short-term effects of medication, it's better to start from everyday details, improving skin condition through a healthy lifestyle, delaying aging, and preventing stone formation.