It's been a while but a friend of mine had large white (loss of pigment) patches covering his chest area and I wanted to help him. His chest actually looked like he was a "pinto" (as in horse) it was that large of an area. I am not saying this will work for you but in his case, I had read about paba (one of the B vitamins, I. E. , para-aminobenzoic acid) helping with pigment, skin and gray hair. Well, we tried 50 mg. A couple times a day (not scientific by any means) and it all filled back in with normal skin color and he was happy. I also tried it for myself and numerous white spots (loss of pigment areas) all filled back in. *for us, this worked. Good luck!

Francisca,

I recently have some good results for people taking 500-1000 mcg of B12, 20 mg of folic acid, and 3000 mg vitamin C a day. In research studies they found people with this skin problem have very low levels of that. Sometimes low copper levels also have an effect, and chlorophlly supplements is also taken, or perhaps copper supplements at 2 mg a day for perhaps a month. It takes about 1-3 months to get repigmentation to just start, however. There is some success in research studies in repigmentation when those supplements are taken. During the supplementation it helps to get out in the sun so that the skin can repigment faster. There was one earthclinic reader last year that had another condition, but under another name, vitiligo and also had success, after the antifungal remedy didn't work and has restored after taking B12, folic acid, vitamin C, and some copper supplements also. As for Beta Carotene it colors the skin to cover up the depigmented area and is somewhat helpful if plenty of beta carotene is taken, but it is a temporary solution. I believe the underlying cause is hypomethylation. Of course hypomethylation requires a bit different kind of supplements, in addition to B12, folic acid, and B6, it also is a must to take trimethylgycine. People's ability to absorb B12 is reduced with age, but methylation in the body is also reduced and I think 1000 mg of trimethylglycine is helpful. Age spots is also somewhat of a liver problems, and perhaps glutathione or its precursors such as N Acetyl Cysteine or just L Cysteine, glycine (or trimethylglycine) and glutamine is helpful, where N acetyl cysteine at 500 mg, or L cysteine at 500 mg, glycine 1000 mg or trimethylglycine at 1000 mg is the common dosage and glutamine around 1000-3000 mg a day. When taking any copper supplements it is important to take some zinc, such as 5-10 mg so that copper and zinc levels in the body remains undisturbed.

Also pantothenic acid B5 was used to reduced a condition as Vitiligo, but for hypopigmentation in general the dose I used is closer to 100-500 mg a day.

Ted

Dear Ted,

Thank you very much for your quick answer. I will start by following your advice for the white spots and if they get better I will maybe work on the age spots as I have a lot less of those. I live in North East France so we are not blessed with too much sun but I try to be in the sun as much as I can. I am taking Vitamin C 3000mg at this moment because of my allergies (no specific allergies, year around), started a few days ago so I will also look into the Vit. B12 and the folic acid. I suppose one shouldn't be treating too much pigmentation as in the age spots and too little as in the white stains at the same time? As far as the copper goes I take molasses regularly, would I need more?

An Earth Clinic read recommended PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid). My husband, who is a scientist was horrified because he said that it could promote cancer. It is not that I don't trust my husbands opinion but sometimes I think that he knows the compounds maybe in another form and not in health supplements. He also disagrees with MSM because he thinks that it is also dangerous.

As far as age spots being a problem of the liver that I have heard all my life in my home country, Portugal. I also have eye floaters (those little dark flies one sees flying around which are very annoying - I am myopic) and I have heard that at least the Chinese think that those are also connected to the liver. I had hepatitis A as a child, maybe that is connected?

I think that you do an excellent job and I can't thank you enough.

Have a wonderful day,

Francisca

Molasses would be fine for copper issues. As for B5, I prefer pantothenic or panthenol forms. Some places may have UV bulbs and in another as tanning salons if there is lack of sun during winter season. Most allergies are fungal in nature, so alkalization as 1/2 teaspoon baking soda twice a day and vitamin c but without calcium are helpful.

Ted

Half a teaspoon of baking soda in water?

Thanks,

Francisca

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water 30 minutes twice a day preferably after dinner and another before sleep.

Ted

Hi Francisca
I'd like to know if you had any results after months of taking those supplements for the white spots. I'm getting worse by the time. My skin is looking like a leopard! Thank you,
Karin.

Hi Karin, nice of you to contact me because these past few days I had a good look at my skin and despite not having been in the sun since September because it is winter here they are still very visible. I also hate them but I haven't had the opportunity to try Ted's remedies yet as I have been trying to get rid of my allergies first and I can't take everything at the same time. What I did was to use coconut oil (I don't do it every day though.... ), used an iodine lotion a doctor gave me but it didn't really seem to work so I stopped, used vit E for a while and other vitamins. Nothing seems to help although I am going to stop taking supplements with magnesium stearate because I noticed that no matter what I was taking (and I was taking quite a few things), nothing ever really did seem to work. Was it the magnesium stearate? I don't know! I won't take it again though! You can find what Ted advised me on the section about this problem, I believe if not contact me and I will send his e-mails to you. Please keep me informed if anything works for you because I am quite afraid I will look like a freak some time soon: rigaud(dot)williams[at]gmail.com. By the way, I am 53 and it seems to be connected to the age. I have had them for a lot of years but they are progressing faster now! We are going to Britain for Christmas so I might buy MSM for my allergies, who knows whether it might help with this too....

Te, I have a daughter who will turn 6 AUG 20. I have been noticing. Tiny whites spots on her and I don't want to get ahead of myself but they have not gotten biger yet but seems to be getting more of them maybe. What should I do? I have read ur recomendations on other people but I don't know for my child! We have been in cancun for two years and I thought maybe the sun was doing her harm but I am not sure. Now she is has a little more than tan skin tone if this is helpful. I have read so much of your helpful advice on colds and other info and I am glad you are on this site! God Bless u and all your kindness! Thank you carol!

I noticed you live in Cancun. If your child is playing in the ocean, the white spots are likely just mineral spots. Salt and other mineral in ocean adheres to the skin and can interfer with pigmenting of the skin but not permanently. Applying sunscreen can help, but she probably doesn't need anything else as the spots are salt spots are not harmful.

I was browsing the web and googled white spots and it came up with this wierd sounding name. I have never heard of it, but I also have it on my forearms. Getting worse as I age. I have suggestion, however I have not been taking this remedy long enough to find out if it will work. I recently started making water kefir from organic water kefir grains. You can get them from several reputable companies on the web. I bought mine from Cultures for Health. They have great videos on their website instructing how to make this remarkable drink. It is a living organism and you care for it, and it cares for you. There are numerous health benefits to this amazing little group of organisms, but one is that it does wonders for your skin. If it does not help the white spots, you will still benefit greatly from drinking it daily. Oh, and once you buy it, if properly cared for it will multiply and you can give excess grains away to friends. Free is always good.....

I also seem to be suffering from Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis and in desperate need of a cure/treatment. I'm only 32 but have very fair skin (am Asian) and unfortunately I just moved to Florida! Those of you who have been taking supplements, how has that worked for you? I read something about acupuncture also helping - is that a myth?

Any suggestions are welcome!

Hi K, you are lucky, like my husband you have fair skin so the spots are not so noticeable. I am a darker Southern European so I look like a Dalmatian! So far I have found nothing that makes these spots disappear. I had accupuncture once for a few issues, I don't remember whether I mentioned this but is someone seems to have had good results I will surely try again! I have just tried a gel against fungus but it didn't do a thing because this doesn't seem to be fungal. I have tried a iodine liquid which didn't do anything either.... Creams for viltiligo, ACV to see if it would even out the color of the skin.... Not work either.... Lemon juice...... There must be an answer but I don't know what it is! Ted once recommended some supplements but I take so many supplements and no changes!

Francisca

If you have year round allergy, please try Echinacea. Me and my son had success of it. It happened by accident as side cure as we took Echinacea in winter months (dec-mar) for purpose of helping to prevent the flu. After a couple of months 1 capsule daily, our sneezing every morning is mysteriously gone. We then think it must be Echinacea which keeps immune system to its top defense.

Thanks for the advice. I have started taking it a little while ago and indeed I don't sneeze so much anymore or hardly ever! I used to take it many years ago when I felt a big cold coming up and it always worked to minimize it!

I'm African American and just turned 30. Wishing I would have used sun screen while out on the beach. Anyone find something to help stop the white spots from multiplying? My dermotologist said there's really nothing we can do but maybe try to burn them and see if they heal and turn back to my natural color. I will not try that, sounds to extreme plus he does not advise we do.

Hi Ted, I tried your suggestions for the white spots that I found on my arms and legs after sunbathing this summer. I only took the supplements for 1 week and then stopped for a week when I went on vacation, and then took them for another 2 weeks . I have suddenly developed a very itchy red rash on my face. It covers 3 large patches (one on each cheek, and one on my forehead, ) and 2 other little patches. Previously, my face was completely clear, and I normally do NOT have eczema anywhere on my body. It started off as one small bump that was very itchy. A few days later it grew to be very large, red, hot, throbbing, itchy, thick skin oozing clear yellow fluid and there was a lot of swelling under the skin (the patches were raised at least 1/2 inch off my face). The liquid swelling then moved with gravity into different areas of my face and neck over the next few days. I believe the outbreak is fungal in nature. It is so itchy I can't sleep at night.

Here's what I was taking daily prior to the outbreak:

1000+mcg B12,2000-3000mg Vitamin C, 20mg folic acid, 2 TBSP Black Strap Molasses, 1000mg trimethylglycine, 1000-1500mg PABA, high dose Vitamin B Complex, 500mg NAC, 3000mg L-Glutamine (helps any leaky gut), cod liver oil (for Vitamin D), 400-600mg Tyrosine (NALT form), 40-60mg 5-HTP (to balance with NALT), and chromium. I was showering with borax daily -used as a scrub all over body except face.

I stopped taking the above supplements 8 days ago when I got the rash thinking that if it was caused by a rapid detox/ die off, I should slow down the detox until I got the rash under control so it wouldn't spread anywhere else on my body. I switched to borax baths twice a day (2 cups per bath) hoping to help with the rash, and kill fungus in my body.

In the part, I've had an itchy red rash on my face when I was in my teens due to an allergic reaction to a wood necklace, and again in my 20s when I scratched my arm open on wood, and another time it reappeared when I started oil pulling. However, the spots were always smaller, and I don't remember them weeping with fluid. I took steroids to get rid of them.

Now in my 30s this is the first time I've had a rash and I don't want to take steroids. Since the rash I've been taking 1/2 tsp baking soda daily mixed with either lemon juice or ACV. Ted, do you think that this rash is a die off / detox reaction to the supplements I was taking to get rid of the white spots? Or perhaps a reaction to the borax showers? Maybe my skin is just purging itself from the toxins of my previous rashes and steroid treatments. Do you recommend that I continue with the supplements for the white spots? Or should I not take anything and just treat the rash topically until it is gone?

All I can think is that I must have fungus or candida in my blood or digestive tract... because it definitely emerged from the inside out. Hope you get this message, and thanks so much for your help.

Hi Meeya, I'm not sure of your total use and history of steroids, but what you are describing sounds exactly like what is being called "topical steroid withdrawal". I don't agree that that is accurate terminology, but please do a search on the phrase and please read up at the international topical steroid awareness network. Corticosteroids have a cumulative effect in the body over your lifetime. If you are sensitive to them, using them just a little again can take you back to square one in your reaction and recovery from them. Please look into this.

Hi Sp, That's interesting. I have heard of this phenomenon, and have been reading lots of comments here on EC from others who have experienced this type of withdrawal... which is exactly why I refuse to ever use them again (despite my family members urging me to do otherwise). Luckily, I didn't use them too much... maybe 2-3 times for a few weeks at a time, and also had steroid injections only once that I can remember. So perhaps my body is purging the chemicals now, and this was all brought on by the supplements I was taking to clear the IGH (white spots)?

I think I will wait to take any more supplements until the rash has cleared, unless Ted or someone who has used this protocol believes that continuing to take the supplements would actually be helpful and clear my skin up faster.

I have 3 little boys. I have to run errands and take them places. It is horrible having this all over my face, as there's really no hiding it. I want it gone asap, but also respect that my body may be (hopefully) going through a cleansing/ healing process and that can take some time.

Hi, I have thyroid cancer and recently underwent a total thyroidectomy and am on levothyroxine. I recently noticed a lot more white spots (idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis) on my legs arms and some on my chest. Any advice on a treatment option for me? I am worried about just taking anything you have offered here for treatment as it may interact with my medicine or my hormones/tumor regrowth in general. All replies are greatly appreciated. xo

did u reslove it please??

please did u find a cure?