COSMELAN PEEL: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Take a look around and you’ll find dozens of chemical peel options available. Every spa you visit has a different specialty, but most will have a menu of peels designed to treat different skin conditions. Each fits a slightly different purpose, and may or may not be right for every patient.

One of the strongest peels currently available is the Cosmelan Peel. This unique product is specifically designed to treatment severe hyperpigmentation from melasma, freckles, age spots, blotches, scars, and beyond!

WHAT IS HYPERPIGMENTATION?

Hyperpigmentation is not a harmful condition. It occurs when the skin produces excess melanin. Melanin is a brown substance that controls the color of your skin. Having too many melanin deposits in your skin leads to colored, darkened patches.

This condition can impact the color of your skin. Race or skin color does not necessarily protect you. Several specific conditions cause hyperpigmentation:

• Solar lentigines are more commonly referred to as “liver” or “age” spots. They are almost always caused by sun damage.
• Melasma, also known as chloasma, can be similar to age spots but usually appears in much larger patches. It is often caused by pregnancy hormones but can also be caused by birth control and severe sun damage.
• Acne, skin diseases, and even injuries can cause melanin spots. This situation occurs because of scarring and discoloration.
• Even the freckles you already have, which are simply darker melanin spots, can become darker when exposed to harmful UV rays. This is one of the reasons it’s important to wear a broad-spectrum sunblock at all times.

A CLOSER LOOK AT MELASMA

One of the reasons people become particularly conscious of melasma is because the patches tend to be very large and spread across the face. They have a greyish-brown appearance and often develop in a specific pattern across the forehead. The chin, nose, cheeks, and even the upper lip area can be impacted, as can the neck and arms.

Melasma isn’t painful, but people often feel very self-conscious about the way it makes them look. While some cases of melasma will fade naturally, others will not. The ones that do may take weeks, months, or even years to fade. This is what leads many people to seek professional treatment.

Dermatologists often recommend skin-lightening treatments like Hydroquinone, Tretinoin, corticosteroids, and other topical drugs when trying to resolve melasma. While these products work, chemical peels like Cosmelan can also be remarkably effective.

THE COSMELAN PEEL

Microdermabrasion, microneedling, and chemical peels are all used in medical esthetics spas to reduce the hyperpigmentation present in melasma and other skin conditions. However, the Cosmelan Peel (also known as the Cosmelan Depigmentation Peel) is by far one of the most common strategies for balancing tone. It works by specifically targeting the enzymes that allow your body to produce melanin. As a result, the discolorations fade away and your skin tone evens out again.

While the Cosmelan Peel is safe for all skin tones, not everyone is an ideal candidate. You have to be able and willing to commit to the entire process, which includes not only an in-office procedure but several weeks of at-home care. Those who follow the routine perfectly will begin to see results within a week and will enjoy the full results of their peel after approximately five weeks.

It’s also important to have realistic expectations for your results. Those with very dark melasma spots may see improvement, but not full reversal of the pigmentation. Some patients require additional treatments, while others need just one. Cosmelan is unique in that it not only helps to correct melasma, but it can also work as a preventative to keep the condition from returning.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TREATMENTS

The procedure itself is very easy. Unlike so many other cosmetic treatments, there is no prep work for you to do in advance. Upon arrival, your medical professional will cleanse your skin and apply a solution to absorb oil or “degrease” the area.

Once the Cosmelan mask is applied, it will stay on your face for several hours (sometimes up to 10 or more). You’ll definitely want to make sure you have the day off so you can go home and relax as you will look like you have a brown mud mask on your face for most of the day. Your medical professional will let you know how long to leave the mask on and you will wash it off at home.

Upon removal of the mask, you will immediate apply the Mesoestetic Hydra-Vital Factor K. This product will help to soothe your skin and aid it in retaining moisture. You’ll need to make sure you are wearing a sunscreen with at least SPF 30+ anytime you leave your house throughout your treatment period. This is especially important because your skin may be red and irritated from the peel itself; sunburn could cause serious damage.

The follow-up treatment varies depending on the office. Some will give you Cosmelan II cream, which you’ll need to apply up to three times per day for the first two weeks after your in-office treatment. After the first two weeks, you’ll reduce application to once per day. Other offices may send you home with other skin-care instructions and ask you to return after few weeks for a second mask, which will serve more as a spot treatment instead of a full-face procedure.

The Cosmelan Peel really isn’t painful at all. The initial application makes some people feel warm, which can be uncomfortable; you can remedy this sensation by using a fan to cool your face. Your skin may begin to feel tight as the mask dries and in the days following the procedure.

A small number of patients experience itching or mild irritation as the peel progresses, but this is entirely manageable. Most of the process is more of a nuisance than it is painful. Talk to your medical professional about whether or not you can wear makeup after your peel. Many advise avoiding traditional makeup, but sometimes a BB or CC cream with SPF is acceptable. It may help you to cover some of the initial redness.

Talk to your dermatologist or medical professional about your hyperpigmentation or melasma and your treatment options. You may just find the Cosmelan Peel is exactly what you’ve been waiting for – easy, convenient, and definitely effective!