The Only Thing That Worked for my Melasma

As melasma is a lifelong condition, I thought I would post an update for those wondering whether they can expect Cosmelan results to last after the treatment is completed. The left pictures are the before, the right pictures are one month after I stopped using Cosmelan 2.
As you can see, my skin is very pale at the moment, but you can see my melasma returning. I use Cereve 50spf physical sunscreen every day and I am maniacal about it. I do everything possible to stay out of the Sun but isn't always possible. Despite my attempts to keep the melasma at bay, it is still there, but it looks better than it did before I used Cosmelan.
I would still recommend Cosmelan to anyone suffering from melasma, but youneedto have realistic expectations and know that it is only a temporary fix for a lifelong battle.

As a teenager, I had beautiful, clear, flawless skin. I had my son when I was 19 and after giving birth, I started using the Depo Provera shot for birth control. A few months after my first shot, I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like dirt above my upper lip. I tried scrubbing it and it wouldn't come off. I thought maybe I had missed that spot when applying sunscreen. I wasn't too worried about it though because I figured it would go away. I didn't learn until years later, when I went to a dermatologist about a suspicious mole, that I had melasma. By then it had spread to my cheeks but it had come on so gradually that I didn't really even notice it. The dermatologist looked at me and said "Do you want to do anything about your melasma while you're here? "

That was the beginning of a 15 year battle with melasma. He started treating me with Triluma, which did nothing. Over the years, my melasma became severe. People would often stop me in the street and ask what was wrong with my face. Strangers would ask if I had suffered severe burns to my face or if I had a disease. (I can't for the life of me imagine asking someone something like that but people never hesitate to point out my condition).

Over the years, I have spent thousands of dollars trying anything and everything to treat my melasma. From hydroquinone to retin A to vitamin C to chemical peels to laser treatments....if it exists, I have tried it. Nothing ever worked.

Earlier this year, I started seeing reviews about Cosmelan and it looked promising. I found a website out of Portugal that was selling the kit for $300 and I thought "why not?".

I applied Cosmelan 1 on November 10, 2015. I applied 1/3 of the jar to my face, as I was intending to do the mask 2 more times due to the severity of my melasma. At first, I felt no sensitivity, had no redness, and had no peeling. I was so disappointed and I thought I had purchased a fake kit. On day 3, however, I started to peel. I followed the directions religiously and did Cosmelan 1 again 2 weeks later and again two weeks after that. The results were nothing short of miraculous, as you can see. I know that my melasma will come back as soon as I spend any amount of time in the sun, but I am at least happy for the time being and glad to know that there is a product out there that works, however temporarily.