Leonard Kim, MD

I developed melasma underneath my eyes back in 2016 after a tropical vacation and what I think is a combo of sun exposure and the birth control pill. I tried Triluma which helped at first but the melasma kept coming back worse each summer after that. My dermatologist recommended a chemical peel and said people with melasma can see good results with it. I decided to get one in August 2018 as I had some down time in between switching jobs. I ended up getting a 22.5% TCA peel; my skin is quite fair and sensitive so I didn’t want to go too strong right away but my doctor advised higher than 20% in order to see results. The procedure itself was virtually painless apart from the burning sensation after the solution was applied. My face was pretty red following the procedure but the next few days the redness went away and I began peeling on Saturday (I got the peel on a Wednesday). The peeling honestly wasn’t bad at all, it was more annoying because it was itchy and I was tempted to pick it, but I still went out in public and even worked out a few days after. It took about 8 to 10 days for all the skin to finally peel off. After those 10 days, my skin looked a lot better. I definitely noticed a difference and think the melasma was about 70% gone. He did say that results keep on occurring a few months after the peel, and I found that to be true. It’s October now and my skin looks great. The melasma is about 85-95% gone. My skin is nice and even toned and I feel confident without makeup. He also recommended a Lytera 2.0 serum which I have been using every day after getting the peel. I make sure to wear sunscreen every day as well and try to stay out of the sun. Overall I had a very positive experience and would definitely get one again to maintain the results.