Posted by ParkDale Junchang
on December 02, 2025
NMN May Help Improve Age-Related Hyperpigmentation by Targeting Aging Melanocytes.
Highlights
- NMN significantly reduced melanin production in aged melanocytes.
- Research suggests NMN may help improve age-related hyperpigmentation by restoring cellular NAD⁺ levels.
1. Why Do Age Spots Become More Noticeable as We Get Older?
One of the primary reasons is that our skin gradually loses its ability to regulate melanin production.
As we age, excess melanin is more likely to accumulate in the skin, making age spots, dark spots, and uneven pigmentation increasingly visible.
A study published in 2022 revealed an intriguing discovery:
NMN was found to reduce melanin production specifically in aged melanocytes.
Rather than acting as a conventional brightening ingredient, NMN appears to work selectively in aging skin by targeting age-related changes in melanin regulation.
2. NMN Specifically Targets Aging Skin
Young skin naturally maintains relatively high NAD⁺ levels, helping keep melanin production in balance.
However, NAD⁺ levels decline significantly with age, allowing pigmentation-related signaling pathways to become increasingly active.
As a precursor to NAD⁺, NMN helps restore intracellular NAD⁺ levels.
Researchers found that increasing NAD⁺ through NMN supplementation resulted in:
- Restoration of cellular NAD⁺ levels
- Selective reduction of melanin production in aged melanocytes
These findings suggest that NMN's skin-brightening effects may become more pronounced as the skin ages.
3. How Was This Confirmed?
Study 1. Three-Month Treatment of Young and Aged Human Melanocytes
Researchers isolated both young and aged human melanocytes and treated them with NMN for three months.
To avoid influencing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), NMN concentrations of 10 μM or lower were used throughout the study.
[Key Findings]
▲ Reduction in Melanin Production Following NMN Treatment in Aged Melanocytes
- Young melanocytes: Little to no change in melanin production
- Aged melanocytes: Significant reduction in melanin production
Only the aged melanocytes showed a meaningful decrease in melanin synthesis after long-term NMN treatment, suggesting a selective effect on aging skin.
Study 2. Confirmation Using a Three-Dimensional Human Skin Model
The researchers extended their work beyond cell cultures by applying NMN to a reconstructed 3D human skin model designed to closely resemble real human skin.
[Key Findings]
▲ Reduced Hyperpigmentation in a 3D Human Skin Model Following NMN Treatment
- Reduced pigmented area
- Lower melanin content
- Visible improvement in overall skin brightness
These findings demonstrated that NMN reduced pigmentation not only in isolated cells but also within a more realistic skin environment.
Study 3. NMN Suppresses Melanin-Producing Signaling
To better understand the mechanism, researchers stimulated melanin production using forskolin, a compound commonly used to activate pigmentation pathways.
[Key Findings]
▲ NMN Suppresses Melanin Signaling Even Under Forskolin (FSK)-Induced Stimulation
- NMN prevented the increase in melanin even after forskolin stimulation.
- Expression of melanin-producing enzymes (TYR, TRP-1, and TRP-2) was significantly reduced.
These results suggest that NMN may suppress the signaling pathways responsible for initiating melanin production rather than simply reducing existing pigment.
Study 4. Direct NAD⁺ Supplementation
Researchers also asked an important question:
Are these effects caused directly by NMN, or by the increase in NAD⁺ that NMN produces?
To answer this, they administered NAD⁺ directly to aged melanocytes.
[Key Findings]
▲ NAD⁺ 직접 투여 시 멜라닌 감소 그래프
- NAD⁺ alone reduced melanin production.
- NAD⁺ also suppressed the cAMP/Wnt signaling pathway, producing results comparable to NMN.
These findings support the proposed mechanism:
NMN → Increased NAD⁺ → Reduced Melanin Production
The results also suggest that NR (Nicotinamide Riboside), another NAD⁺ precursor, may produce similar skin-brightening effects through the same biological pathway.
Conclusion: NMN Shows Unique Potential for Age-Related Skin Brightening
This research extended beyond traditional cell experiments by incorporating:
- Human aged melanocytes
- Three-dimensional human skin models
- Melanin signaling pathway analysis
- Direct NAD⁺ supplementation
Together, these experiments demonstrated that NMN may:
- Selectively target aged melanocytes
- Suppress key pathways involved in melanin production
- Reduce pigmentation in a human skin model
Unlike conventional brightening ingredients, NMN appears to work by addressing age-related declines in cellular NAD⁺, offering a novel approach to supporting healthier-looking skin as we age.
As research continues to expand, NMN is emerging not only as a well-known NAD⁺ precursor but also as a promising ingredient for maintaining a more even-looking complexion in aging skin.
[Source] Brito S, Baek JM, Cha B, Heo H, Lee SH, Lei L, Jung SY, Lee SM, Lee SH, Kwak BM, Chae S, Lee MG, Bin BH. Nicotinamide mononucleotide reduces melanin production in aged melanocytes by inhibiting cAMP/Wnt signaling. J Dermatol Sci. 2022 Jun;106(3):159-169. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2022.05.002. Epub 2022 May 7. PMID: 35610161.
