Recovery
Results
Treatment Time
Aftercare
Treatment science score 
The Science of Dermamelan melasma peel
- This peel is best for stubborn melasma pigmentation
- This peel has a recovery of approximately 14 days
- The Dermamelan system consists of an in-office peel followed by a home kit
- The treatment cycle lasts 12 weeks
- Dermamelan is effective in approximately 60% of melasma
Dermamelan is one of the fastest ways to treat melasma pigmentation, however it is associated with a prolonged recovery of over two weeks. Regardless, it can be useful for patients wanting immediate results with only one treatment.
What is Dermamelan?
Cosmelan is a novel peeling system for melasma that involves 2 steps- an in-office chemical peel mask, followed by an at home treatment program. It has a high efficacy rate for treating melasma, albeit a long recovery phase of up to 2 weeks.
How is it different from Cosmelan?
Dermamelan is a more powerful peel compared to Cosmelan. It has similar ingredients as Cosmelan, only at a higher concentration. This means double the recovery time as this peel is 30-40% stronger. It has a slightly higher efficacy compared to Cosmelan.
What conditions does Dermamelan treat?
Melasma is the standout condition that Cosmelan treats well. Other conditions that can respond to this peel include sunspots, age spots, dark acne scarring, & post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
How good is it for melasma?
Dermamelan is a highly effective treatment for melasma pigmentation with an efficacy rate of around 60%. It sits below the efficacy of Picosure Pro & medical management, but it is much more effective compared to microneedling, Fraxel & other forms of chemical peeling.
Melasma treatment method |
Downtime / recovery |
Number of sessions |
Efficacy / costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dermamelan | 14+ days | 1 | +++/$$$ |
| Pico + medical | 0 days | 4 | ++++/$$$ |
When do we recommend the Dermamelan peel?
Dermamelan has a narrow window of application. It is best employed for –
- Superficial or mixed melasma
- Downtime of over two weeks
- For resistant skin types (non-sensitive)
How long do the results last?
Up to 12 months at most, however we can extend the effects of this peel with home care products. In some cases, a second peel is indicated after 12 to 18 months.
What is involved with the Dermamelan system for melasma?
Dermamelan treatment consists of an in clinic phase and a home care phase.
The clinic phase: After cleansing the skin the Dermamelan peel mask will be applied. The mask is kept on for 8-12 hours depending on the severity of your pigmentation & skin type. It is then washed off at the convenience of your home.
The home phase: Maintenance skincare products that must be used following the in clinic application. We provide very detailed and strict instructions on how to use these products as well as what to expect in the recovery phase.
What results can I expect?
Pigment starts to improve at the one week mark & will continue to improve over the next few weeks. Maximal results are seen at 6 -12 weeks.
*Not all cases of melasma will respond to Cosmelan, it has an efficacy rate of up to 70%. Cosmelan has a long safety record with over one million cases treated worldwide.
How long do the results last?
Results following Cosmelan vary considerably, in some cases like post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the results are permanent, whilst for melasma, remission periods range from 6 months to 5 years.
Limiting UV exposure & maintaining a prescribed at home maintenance program will help you achieve a clear, radiant & even toned-pigment free complexion.
How many sessions are required?
Results can be seen after just one session, visible as early as 10 days after the peel. Over the next few months your skin will continue to improve.
If pigment recurs within the year, a second Dermamelan or Cosmelan treatment may be indicated, or an alternative treatment suggested.
What is the recovery following the peel?
Recovery takes 14 days & goes like this-
Day 0-3: red, warm, irritate skin
Day 3-12: peeling, flaky & dry
Day 12+: less scale, less red, skin recovering
Can I use Dermamelan if I have sensitive skin?
Dermamelan & Cosmelan are not advisable if you have sensitive skin.
For patients with sensitive skin, we prefer to use pico lasers & medical therapy. Complex cases are managed by our dermatologist.
Is laser a better option than peels for melasma?
Picosure laser can clear up melasma pigmentation within a few short weeks. Results are seen as early as one week after treatment, however best results take 8-10 weeks. The upside of the laser is that it has no recovery time & provides a higher clearance of melasma.
Peels work faster, but have a protracted recovery period of at least 2 weeks.
Treatment |
Recovery |
Number of sessions |
Efficacy / costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picosure Pro | 0 days | 4 | 80+% effective |
| Cosmelan | 14 days | 1 | 60+% effective |
Our Gallery of Results
What are the side effects of Dermamelan?
Rarely side effects can occur & include-
- Allergies to active ingredients
- Melasma rebound & flare
- Prolonged redness & itching
- Textural changes post peeling
- Blotchy skin, sun sensitivity & prolonged skin irritation lasting months
Hori, faded (not completely) in only 2 sessions with Picosure Pro
.
👉End point> Stippled frosting focally over my usual end point of gray/oedema. More aggressive settings give faster clearance, albeit higher risks of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
.
👉Ideally 2 more sessions
.
Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney,
Australia🇦🇺
.
#melasmaclinic #hori #horinaevustreatment #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist #pigmentationclinic
Hori, faded (not completely) in only 2 sessions with Picosure Pro
.
👉End point> Stippled frosting focally over my usual end point of gray/oedema. More aggressive settings give faster clearance, albeit higher risks of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
.
👉Ideally 2 more sessions
.
Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney,
Australia🇦🇺
.
#melasmaclinic #hori #horinaevustreatment #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist #pigmentationclinic
Pigment is a glow distractor
.
👉Understanding the level of pigment > first step in optimizing your outcome
.
👉Match a wavelength to the level > predictable outcome
.
👉Match an ‘ingredient’ to pigment output > better outcome
.
👉Match an injectable to the level > the icing on the cake
.
👉Reducing UV & visible light > an essential step
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney, 🇦🇺
Australia
.
#melasmaclinic #melasma #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist #pigmentation
Pigment is a glow distractor
.
👉Understanding the level of pigment > first step in optimizing your outcome
.
👉Match a wavelength to the level > predictable outcome
.
👉Match an ‘ingredient’ to pigment output > better outcome
.
👉Match an injectable to the level > the icing on the cake
.
👉Reducing UV & visible light > an essential step
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney, 🇦🇺
Australia
.
#melasmaclinic #melasma #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist #pigmentation
For melasma, it does not mean the deeper you go, the better the results💯
.
👉Superficial peels: slow & steady with glycolic over lactic acid
.
👉TCA: outdated, though 8-10% single to double coating can reduce pigment in some cases
.
👉Phenol: for recalcitrant cases, with the risk of PIH & long lasting hypo
.
👉Novel Peels: probably gives the best results, with a hit rate of around 60+%, best used with medical therapy
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney,
Australia🇦🇺
.
#tcapeel #cosmelanpeel #viprecisionpeel #chemicalpeel #melasmatreatment #melasmaclinic #drdavinlim #phenolpeel #pigmentation
For melasma, it does not mean the deeper you go, the better the results💯
.
👉Superficial peels: slow & steady with glycolic over lactic acid
.
👉TCA: outdated, though 8-10% single to double coating can reduce pigment in some cases
.
👉Phenol: for recalcitrant cases, with the risk of PIH & long lasting hypo
.
👉Novel Peels: probably gives the best results, with a hit rate of around 60+%, best used with medical therapy
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney,
Australia🇦🇺
.
#tcapeel #cosmelanpeel #viprecisionpeel #chemicalpeel #melasmatreatment #melasmaclinic #drdavinlim #phenolpeel #pigmentation
As with everything medical, advice is based upon probability not possibility, taking into account outliers
.
🧴Creams: can flare melasma. More potent creams containing a mix of estrogen, especially estradiol over estriol (acknowledging that estriol is the predominant form in pregnancy) has a higher chance of flares. The greatest risk is in sun exposed areas
.
💊HRT tablets / systemic/ patches: Has a higher risk compared to creams. Dose related threshold that depends on individuals. Estradiol has a higher risk compared to estriol
.
👉Vaginal Estrogen Creams: risk is very low as systemic absorption is limited
.
🤷🏻♂️Non-hormonal estrogen receptor modulators (Emepelle): risk unquantified
.
👉💯Tips: avoid creams on sun exposed areas, including face /chest / arms
.
👉Are you on HRT, & has your melasma flared up because of it?
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney, 🇦🇺
Australia
.
#melasma #HRT #hormonereplacement #themelasmaclinic #melasmaclinic #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist #menopauseclinic #menopause #menopausemelasma
As with everything medical, advice is based upon probability not possibility, taking into account outliers
.
🧴Creams: can flare melasma. More potent creams containing a mix of estrogen, especially estradiol over estriol (acknowledging that estriol is the predominant form in pregnancy) has a higher chance of flares. The greatest risk is in sun exposed areas
.
💊HRT tablets / systemic/ patches: Has a higher risk compared to creams. Dose related threshold that depends on individuals. Estradiol has a higher risk compared to estriol
.
👉Vaginal Estrogen Creams: risk is very low as systemic absorption is limited
.
🤷🏻♂️Non-hormonal estrogen receptor modulators (Emepelle): risk unquantified
.
👉💯Tips: avoid creams on sun exposed areas, including face /chest / arms
.
👉Are you on HRT, & has your melasma flared up because of it?
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney, 🇦🇺
Australia
.
#melasma #HRT #hormonereplacement #themelasmaclinic #melasmaclinic #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist #menopauseclinic #menopause #menopausemelasma
In the past 10 years there has been a tremendous increase in knowledge regarding the cause/s of melasma, enabling better treatments with longer remission times & higher clearances
.
👉Peels: are a novel way to reduce pigment. They can be effective in 50-60% of cases. We perform Cosmelan, Dermamelan, Vi Precision, AHAs & Jessner. In some cases they provide a slightly faster clearance rate compared to lasers, however their ‘hit’ rate is not as good, providing devices are dialed in correctly. As per diagram, there are many other pathways to consider when treating melasma pigment 💯
.
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼Sunscreen: correct application overlooked by the majority of patients. This is step on in the algorithm, get this correct before embarking on peels, skin care & lasers
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney, 🇦🇺
Australia
.
#melasma #cosmelan #chemicalpeelmelasma #themelasmaclinic #melasmaclinic #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist
In the past 10 years there has been a tremendous increase in knowledge regarding the cause/s of melasma, enabling better treatments with longer remission times & higher clearances
.
👉Peels: are a novel way to reduce pigment. They can be effective in 50-60% of cases. We perform Cosmelan, Dermamelan, Vi Precision, AHAs & Jessner. In some cases they provide a slightly faster clearance rate compared to lasers, however their ‘hit’ rate is not as good, providing devices are dialed in correctly. As per diagram, there are many other pathways to consider when treating melasma pigment 💯
.
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼Sunscreen: correct application overlooked by the majority of patients. This is step on in the algorithm, get this correct before embarking on peels, skin care & lasers
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney, 🇦🇺
Australia
.
#melasma #cosmelan #chemicalpeelmelasma #themelasmaclinic #melasmaclinic #drdavinlim #sydneydermatologist
Effectively building & keeping collagen in the upper layers of skin can potentially prevent & treat some forms of pigmentation, especially the ones related to aging. This includes late onset melasma & ‘dermal’ dropout, more common in darker skin types
.
👉How to? Topical retinoids can potentially provide very low levels of collagen, more efficient modalities include lasers, RF microneedling (correct depth & settings) as well as HIFU & biostimulatory injectables. The ideal biostimulus depends on the clinical presentation & age of the patient🙌🏼
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney,
Australia🇦🇺
.
#melasma #melasmaclinic #biostimulator #skin #melasmatreatment #sunscreens #bioremodelling #drdavinlim #dermatologistsydney
Effectively building & keeping collagen in the upper layers of skin can potentially prevent & treat some forms of pigmentation, especially the ones related to aging. This includes late onset melasma & ‘dermal’ dropout, more common in darker skin types
.
👉How to? Topical retinoids can potentially provide very low levels of collagen, more efficient modalities include lasers, RF microneedling (correct depth & settings) as well as HIFU & biostimulatory injectables. The ideal biostimulus depends on the clinical presentation & age of the patient🙌🏼
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane | Sydney,
Australia🇦🇺
.
#melasma #melasmaclinic #biostimulator #skin #melasmatreatment #sunscreens #bioremodelling #drdavinlim #dermatologistsydney
90% of CALM or cafe au lait macules can respond to pico or QSL.
.
👉This patient: treated with 532 Hollywood Spectra nano laser, sessions spaced 8-10 weeks apart. Anecdotally facial lesions respond better than extra-facial lesions
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
The Melasma Clinic
Sydney, Australia🇦🇺
.
#spectralaser #lutronic #calmbirthmark #birthmarktreatment #cafeaulaitbirthmark
#birthmarkremoval #drdavinlim #davinlim #sydneydermatologist
90% of CALM or cafe au lait macules can respond to pico or QSL.
.
👉This patient: treated with 532 Hollywood Spectra nano laser, sessions spaced 8-10 weeks apart. Anecdotally facial lesions respond better than extra-facial lesions
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
The Melasma Clinic
Sydney, Australia🇦🇺
.
#spectralaser #lutronic #calmbirthmark #birthmarktreatment #cafeaulaitbirthmark
#birthmarkremoval #drdavinlim #davinlim #sydneydermatologist
🍊Vitamin C is useful, only if your skin can tolerate it. Why? High bioavailable vitamin C has an acidic formulation with a low pH, much lower than the already acidic environment of skin. This can lead to irritation, which means more potent pigment correctors can’t be applied
.
👉Formulations: L -ascorbic acid, preferably in the morning under make up & a thick layer of tinted sunscreen
.
👉Tips: concentrate on getting your sunscreen application correct before product selection, 90% of melasma sufferers haven’t got this step correct
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
The Melasma Clinic
Sydney, Australia🇦🇺
.
#melasma #vitaminc #ascorbicacid #vitamincskincare #themelasmaclinic #sydneydermatologist #drdavinlim #themelasmaclinic
🍊Vitamin C is useful, only if your skin can tolerate it. Why? High bioavailable vitamin C has an acidic formulation with a low pH, much lower than the already acidic environment of skin. This can lead to irritation, which means more potent pigment correctors can’t be applied
.
👉Formulations: L -ascorbic acid, preferably in the morning under make up & a thick layer of tinted sunscreen
.
👉Tips: concentrate on getting your sunscreen application correct before product selection, 90% of melasma sufferers haven’t got this step correct
.
😎Dr Davin Lim
Dermatologist
The Melasma Clinic
Sydney, Australia🇦🇺
.
#melasma #vitaminc #ascorbicacid #vitamincskincare #themelasmaclinic #sydneydermatologist #drdavinlim #themelasmaclinic
What sets The Melasma Clinic apart from other Dermamelan peel providers?
At The Melasma Clinic we give you options for removing pigment. We are experts in all forms of peeling, including TCA, AHA, Cosmelan, Dermamelan & retinoic acid peels. We also have a selection of lasers that can treat melasma pigment without any downtime.
Dermamelan is a good option for patients who can take up to 3 weeks off, however you may want to discuss other treatment options with our clinicians. We individually tailor treatments for every one of our patients.
The Melasma Clinic difference
Our specialist clinic can effectively treat pigmentation in all skin types, employing bespoke treatment protocols that consist of skin care actives, picosecond lasers, clinical peels & in some cases prescriptive medication. With 20 years of dermatology behind us, we can manage all forms of pigmentation, from melasma, through to post inflammatory pigment.
How does Dermamelan compare to alpha hydroxy acid peels?
AHA peels are much gentler than Dermamelan. These include lactic & glycolic acid peels, termed ‘lunchtime peels’ as they are not associated with any downtime.
The end result following AHA peels are not as good or as predictable as Cosmelan or the more powerful Dermamelan.
Peel type |
Recovery |
Number of sessions |
Efficacy / Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dermamelan | 14+ days | 1 | ++++/$$$ |
| Glycolic peels | No downtime | 5 | ++/$ |
Pico lasers offer two major advantages over Dermamelan peels, firstly, no recovery period, secondly, the effects are better. Pico lasers combined with medical therapy can effectively treat melasma in over 80% of cases.
Dr Davin Lim
645K subscribersHow to treat PIGMENTATION
If I can identify the cause of pigmentation, chances are I can treat it. This can only be achieved with careful real time examination…
More of our mostFrequently asked questions
How does Dermamelan compare with Fraxel?
What about Dermamelan vs TCA peels for melasma?
Does Dermamelan contain hydroquinone?
Is Dermamelan a cure for melasma?
A SummaryMelasma treatments with Dermamelan Peels
Dr Davin Lim | Dermatologist
The Melasma Clinic, Brisbane | Sydney
Though a useful treatment for melasma, the Cosmelan & Dermamelan peel systems are hampered by two main issues, firstly the downtime of over 14 days,
secondly the lower efficacy rates as compared to pico lasers & medical management.
