If you have melasma, you have heard that the hormones from the pill can trigger it. While this is true and makes sense, because melasma is linked to hormones, it is just part of the story.

Some birth control pills contain progestin, a synthetic form of progesterone. It is known that progestin leads to high copper levels. What has that to do with melasma?

High copper levels trigger the enzyme tyrosinase, a co-factor in the melanin production. The more copper in your system, the more tyrosinase you have. The more tyrosinase you have, the more active your melanin production. Overactive tyrosinase is commonly found in skin samples of melasma.

I have worked with several women who had melasma and high copper levels.

Apparently, copper levels come back to normal when women get off the pill but from my experience, women suffer melasma long after they broke up with contraceptive pills, even when their hormones aren't out of balance.

Copper is an important nutrient in our body, involved in collagen production for example. However, a healthy copper balance is very delicate and too much of it becomes easily toxic.

Symptoms of high copper:

• Anxiety
• Inflammation
• Hyperpigmentation
• High estrogen (inhibits estrogen clearance)

What to do?

A hair mineral analysis would be ideal to be 100% sure high copper applies to you and you are on the right track.

If copper is in excess, there are different ways to regain balance.

1. Detox with zeolite.

Zeolite is a binder derived from naturally occurring sediment. It can scoop up toxic heavy metals.

2. Increasing zinc intake.

Zinc naturally balances copper. People with excess copper automatically are low in zinc (hello poor wound healing) and vice versa, low zinc levels drive high copper levels.

If a hair mineral analysis is not an option for you, symptoms like poor wound healing, frequent colds and acne in the chin area are indicators of low zinc levels. Increasing the zinc intake through food or supplementing is safe and inexpensive if not done in excessive doses or longer than 6 months.

P.S.: There are more reasons for high copper levels. Check out the blog post Could High Copper The Reason For Your Melasma?.