Recovery
Results
Treatment Time
Aftercare
Treatment science score 
The Science of Chemical peels for melasma
- Peels are an effective way of treating melasma pigmentation
- The most effective peels are Cosmelan or Dermamelan peels
- They have downtimes of 7 to 21 days
- Cosmelan or Dermamelan only require one session
- Glycolic & lactic acid peels are gentler solutions with no downtime
- AHA peels require a series of 5 sessions for best results
- Selecting the most suitable peel for your melasma will yield the best possible results
The Cosmelan Peel is one of the fastest ways to treat melasma pigmentation, however it is associated with a prolonged recovery of one to two weeks. Regardless, it can be useful for patients wanting immediate results with only one treatment.
Why chemical peeling for melasma?
Chemical peels act as exfoliants, removing excess pigmentation in various layers of skin. The speed of removal can be super quick (think Cosmelan peeling) or slowly (glycolic peels, salicylic or retinoic acid).
Fast peels require only one session; however, recovery is protracted at 2-3 weeks. Slow peels require 5 sessions; however, recovery is instant.
What types of melasma peels do we preform?
Our clinicians are versed in the following peels –
- Cosmelan peel
- Dermamelan peel
- Jessner peel
- TCA peels
- Glycolic & lactic acid peels
- Salicylic acid peels
- Retinoic acid peels
Our experience spans over 20 years & includes all forms of peeling- from superficial to deep.
What is the Cosmelan peel mask?
Cosmelan mask is a two-step program for melasma.
- Step one is an in-office chemical peel mask.
- Step two is an at home skin care routine that lasts 12 weeks.
It has a high efficacy rate for treating melasma (around 60% success), albeit a long recovery phase of up to 2 weeks.
What is Dermamelan & is it better?
Dermamelan is a supercharged Cosmelan program that is 30% more powerful than Cosmelan. It involves a similar program consisting of a clinic peel followed by a similar 12-week skin care routine at home. It has a marginally higher efficacy rate compared to Cosmelan, albeit a skin recovery phase of over 21 days.
When do we recommend the Cosmelan or Dermamelan peel?
Cosmelan & Dermamelan has a narrow window of application. It is best employed for –
- Superficial or mixed melasma
- For patients with an allocated downtime of up to 14-21 days
- For non-sensitive skin types
We commonly employ this peel for our out-of-town visitors.
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 60%. Cosmelan has a long safety record with over one million cases treated worldwide.
What are glycolic or lactic peels & are they any good for melasma?
Glycolic, lactic & mandelic peels are termed AHA or alpha hydroxy acid peels. They are useful in removing melasma pigmentation, however they require a series of 5 sessions spaced 2-3 weeks apart for best results.
These peels are less effective than Cosmelan or Dermamelan peels, however they do not have any downtime. AHA peels are best used to help prevent melasma from recurring.
What are salicylic & retinoic acid peels?
These peels that can help reduce melasma & other forms of pigmentation by increasing the turnover of pigment in the upper layers of skin. They do not work as well as Cosmelan or Dermamelan, however have minimal downtime.
Peel type |
Recovery |
Number of sessions |
Efficacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmelan/Dermamelan | 7-21 days | 0 days | 1-4 days |
| Glycolic / lactic acid | 1 | 5 | 3-5 |
| Retinoic / salicylic acid | 60+% | 30+% | 30+% |
What is the recovery following chemical peels?
Recovery depends on the peeling agent we employ. Here is a guide-
Peeling agent |
Glycolic acid |
Cosmelan |
Dermamelan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery | 0 d | 7-14 d | 14-21 d |
| Number of sessions | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Efficacy | ++ | ++++ | ++++ |
How do I know what is the best type of peel for my melasma?
Our clinicians will advise you on the most suitable peel, taking into consideration-
- Clinical factors: depth of pigment, activity of melasma
- Downtime: based upon your work & lifestyle
- Skin sensitivities: including background rosacea, acne & dermatitis
Are lasers a better option than peeling for melasma?
Lasers can clear up melasma pigmentation within a few short weeks & require 4 sessions for best results. They provide better clearance rates of pigment compared to chemical peels (80% vs 60%) & have zero downtime.
Cosmelan & Dermamelan peels require only one session, however recovery time takes up to 3 weeks. Peels work best with superficial pigmentation, whilst lasers work best with both superficial & deep melasma.
Treatment |
Recovery |
Number of sessions |
Cost/efficacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pico lasers | 0 day | 4 | $$$ 80+% effective |
| Cosmelan / Dermamelan | 14 -21 days | 1 | $$$ 60+% effective |
What sets The Melasma Clinic apart from other clinics that offer chemical peels
At The Melasma Clinic our clinicians are experts in all forms of peeling, including TCA, phenol, AHA, BHA, Jessner, Cosmelan, Dermamelan & retinoic acid peels.
We select the best peeling agent based upon the level of pigmentation, your skin type & sensitivity as well as your allocated downtime. We are also experts in laser & light-based devices with a collection of over 40 energy-based devices.
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.
Our Gallery of Results
Can the chemical peel be used on all skin types?
Yes. Darker skin types can be safely treated with most chemical peels including Cosmelan & Dermamelan peels.
What types of melasma are resistant to Cosmelan peels?
Though effective in most cases of melasma, Cosmelan has a failure rate of 30-40%.
Certain patterns of melasma are more resistant to treatment, including –
- Dermal melasma
- Erythrotelangiectatic melasma
- Rebound melasma, especially microneedling
- Jawline melasma
Understanding the level of pigmentation & melasma subtype will improve your chances of success.
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
Should I discontinue my skin care before the chemical peels?
Yes. Our clinicians will guide you accordingly. Retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids & other exfoliants can alter peel agent penetration, in turn compromising skin recovery.
When should I restart my skincare routine after a chemical peel?
Post Cosmelan peel, you will be transitioning the Cosmelan 2 program which entails the use of products to be used at home.
For other peeling agents, you can transition back to your skin care 1-10 days post procedure.
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.
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 Cosmelan compare to alpha hydroxy acid peels?
How do chemical peels compare with Fraxel?
What about TCA peels for melasma?
What types of chemical peels can be used when I am pregnant?
Do chemical peels cure melasma?
Can peels be used to treat other areas of skin darkening?
A SummaryMelasma treatments with chemical peels
Dr Davin Lim | Dermatologist
The Melasma Clinic, Brisbane | Sydney
In the 1970 to late 2000s, chemical peels including TCA, Jessner TCA & deep phenol peels were the mainstay for treating melasma pigmentation. In fact, Medicare still has an item number for medium to deep peel treatment for melasma, however it has been in outdated for well over a decade. Peels work, however, they are associated with long recovery times & a high chance of rebound melasma.
Cosmelan & Dermamelan peels are a more favorable rebound rate, primarily due to the ‘part 2’ peel program, namely home care kits provided with the masks. The decision to go on this program or not depending largely on downtime.
