I Tried a Professional Depigmentation Peel to See If It Could Erase My Melasma

Welcome to I Tried It Month, where we’ll be publishing a new fashion, beauty, or wellness article every day in January that features a first-person account of shaking up an old habit, pushing beyond a comfort zone, or simply trying something new. Follow along for 31 days of storytelling, including everything from going without a cell phone for 40 days to trying the polarizing low-rise-pants trend.

Name: Shayna Kossove

What did you try?

Cosmelan MD—a professional depigmentation peel treatment for melasma.

Why did you try it?

I have melasma, or dark patches of skin on my cheeks and forehead, that get worse in the sun and sometimes even just in the heat. It started over 10 years ago when I was pregnant with my son. (They say it has something to do with hormones—yay.) It's been frustrating because I am generally careful in the sun and never leave the house without wearing at least SPF 50 on my face. That said, most people don't even know I have it because makeup usually covers the discoloration in the winter when it's not as dark. I'm always the first in line to try new beauty treatments like lasers, but I've heard from doctors and internet searches that, unfortunately, the heat from lasers will only make melasma worse and that the only real fix for it is a Cosmelan depigmentation peel treatment. So I tried it!

How did you prepare?

The main prep work for me went into trying to find time on my calendar where I had A) at least a week with no major social gatherings or work events (this was made a little easier by COVID restrictions) and B) no warm-weather vacations or outdoor activities planned (difficult even in the winter when you live in Southern California).

What happened during the whole process?

First, Nicole Jewell, the lead medical aesthetician at Dr. Kao's office in Santa Monica, took me into a room to do a VISIA skin analysis, which is basically a photo booth that scans your face in order to measure skin pigmentation, UV spots, and sun damage and provides an overall analysis of your skin health and then ranks you against individuals in their database. While I scored at the top of my age range for texture, pores, and wrinkles (95th-to-99th percentile), my UV and brown spot scores were significantly lower (with some even registering in the 57th percentile)! Needless to say, I was shocked. Below, you'll see three different angles of my before VISIA photos and the afters right next to it.

Next, we went into the treatment room, where she applied a thick and gooey, mud-like mask all over my face. Then I was sent home with strict instructions to leave the mask on for at least eight hours, a box of post-care products, and a list of what to do for the following two weeks of treatment (i.e., Cosmelan 2), which occurs on your own at home. After several hours at home, the mask was tight and itchy but manageable. Late that night, when I washed it off, my skin was a bit red but felt hot, and the brown spots were still there. (I was told this would be the case.)

The next morning, my face was even redder, like a very bad, but evenly distributed, sunburn. Thank goodness the Cosmelan 2 kit came with an amazing moisturizer that was immediately soothing. 

Three days later, the redness and burning sensation calmed down, and the peeling began. At this point, I was instructed to start using the Cosmelan 2 cream, which is basically a much less intense version of the first treatment. Over the next seven to 10 days, I kept up with the treatment, applying the Cosmelan 2 cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen daily. My face continued to peel like crazy!

Any challenges?

I knew there would be one to two weeks of downtime, but I didn't think it would be as intense as it was. It wasn't exactly painful or uncomfortable, but the peeling and redness were real.

How did you feel afterward? What kinds of results did you notice?

After a few weeks of at-home maintenance and an additional touch-up appointment (followed by another two weeks of home care), I returned to retake the VISIA skin analysis. My skin looked clearer on the surface, and the brown spots were almost all gone to the naked eye, but I was interested to see how the computer scans would read. Nicole and I were both very pleased to see that all of my brown and UV spot scores had dramatically improved—the 50th and 60th percentiles shot up into the 80s.

What did you like about it?

It worked!

What did you dislike?

It was a long process, and as I mentioned above, the peeling was really intense.

Would you try it again?

Yes, probably every two to three years. Unfortunately, there is no "cure" for melasma, so although Cosmelan improved my spots, they can return.

Any advice for anyone who's thinking about trying it?

Don't do it unless you can commit to maintaining your results (i.e., staying out of the sun and wearing sunscreen—BTW—Dr. Kao makes the best one I have ever tried!). Otherwise, it can come back.

Shop the Products Shayna Used Throughout the Process

Cosmelan 2 Home Kit

Sunscreen

Post-Procedure Repair Serum

Lipid-Restoring Moisturizer

Tinted Sunscreen

Daily Radiance Pads for Maintenance