POSTED UNDER Cosmelan Reviews
See Ya, Melasma! - Portland, OR
UPDATED FROM fiestaforever
Addendum to two week update
fiestaforeverJune 8, 2015
$900
Apologies, the photo didn't upload on my last post.
fiestaforever's provider
UPDATED FROM fiestaforever
Update: week two
fiestaforeverJune 8, 2015
Yesterday marked two weeks since starting Cosmelan 2. The discoloration is nearly gone, however I'm experiencing embarrassing peeling/flaking/redness daily and there's no indication of normalizing anytime soon. I've been using Cosmelan 2 twice a day, but starting today have decided to apply it only once a day going forward. It burns severely upon application (why has nobody mentioned this?) and my skin has peeled nonstop for two weeks straight; hoping a reduction in use will calm the irritation without sacrificing the efficacy of the peel. I applied prescription cortisone a couple times, but that didn't do much; also paranoid about using cortisone too often, as it thins the skin. If I could cover the redness with makeup, it wouldn't be so bad; however, the flaking and peeling makes it impossible to wear makeup. Don't understand how others have been able to. Here's how every day has gone, just like groundhog's day: 7:00am apply Cosmelan 2 which stains your face a strange yellow/orange/fake tan tinge (how come nobody talks about this?) > apply Hydra-vital Factor K 15 minutes later, which only slightly neutralizes the yellow/orange tone > apply sunscreen which unfortunately clings to the dry patches > apply makeup which cakes onto the layer of sunscreen on top of the layer of moisturizer on top of the layer of Cosmelan 2 > try to blend makeup, which exacerbates the dry patches > apply more moisturizer in an attempt to blend all the layers of products and makeup > go to work red/orange faced; apply moisturizer and/or hyaluronic acid and/or argan oil every couple hours, which removes all traces of makeup/sunscreen; even eye makeup melts right off because of all the layers of moisturizer > respond to people all day asking, "have you been in the sun?" > 3:00pm face is starting to crack and flake no matter how frequently moisturizer is applied > 5:00pm skin is peeling, red and fairly unpresentable > 6:00pm rush home from work to get out of sight as quickly as possible > 7:00pm wash face, apply Cosmelan 2, writhe in pain for 15 minutes until moisturizer can be applied; awake the next day, do it all over again. Don't get me wrong: I'm glad I did this and would fully recommend it for anyone bothered by their discoloration. I just want to give an accurate account of what can be expected in terms of recovery. I'm experiencing longer downtime than other people's reviews on this site. Personally, going back to work a week later was too soon. I would never do this again without giving myself two weeks off. My guess is I'm still about a week out from looking normal, now that I've cut Cosmelan 2 usage down to once a day. Yesterday I went to a BBQ and had to excuse myself five times over the course of four hours to sneak into the bathroom to remove chunks of peeling skin hanging off my face and try to disguise the flaky patches and redness. Below is a photo of the lower half of my face (where the peeling is most extreme) taken at the end of the day after work. I do not have any Cosmelan 2 on my face, so my skin is actually a fairly normal color in this photo. Hope this info is helpful!
Replies (5)
June 8, 2015
Thanks for the thorough review. Your writing style is very entertaining :-) I see the flaking in the photo, but overall your skin looks rather good -- no melasma that I can see. Keep us posted on your results.
June 8, 2015
Thanks for the note! I tried to write my updates less goofy than I speak conversationally, but sounds like some of the goofiness definitely poked through ;) The photo is slightly deceptive because the melasma only affected my cheeks/nose/forehead, yet the peeling and flaking is occurring around my chin/lip/nostrils, where there never was any discoloration to begin with. Also, the photo was taken after I had trimmed off most of the loose hanging skin with cuticle scissors, so it definitely appeared more shocking prior to cleaning it up. I would gladly post more photos—I have an entire photo album showing my various stages of recovery—but don't necessarily want to give Cosmelan access to my results (and fully expose my identity!) with no personal benefit. I will tell you my discoloration is nearly gone. Cosmelan works!! There's quite a bit of redness, but some of that was preexisting and perhaps appears more dominant now that the melasma is gone and the brownish/greyish camouflage has been eradicated. I'm hoping Cosmelan 2 will continue evening things out over the next few weeks and the red will become less noticeable. I will keep you posted!
June 18, 2015
I am going through the exact same thing! So glad you pointed out Everything because I thought it was just me that looked like an oompa loompa after applying cosmelan 2! And it stings So So So bad! And the Vita K thing only makes it sting all over again after the stinging kind of subsided after 15 mins of burning stinging pain from the cosmelan 2 :( I am on day 5 post cosmelan 1 and have yet to see the drastic changes in pigmentation. This is all very intense!
June 18, 2015
Such an oompa loompa vibe! And yes about the Vita K making the stinging reoccur! I've found that if I use a small pea sized amount rather than a large pea sized amount, the stinging is noticeably less. Hope I'm still getting the same effect with the slightly smaller amount. Seems to be working well! I think you will be very pleased by the results—just gotta get through four whole weeks. This Saturday will finally mark one month for me. While the Cosmelan 2 still stings, the peeling/flaking is totally gone as of a few days ago. I think you'll find this was all worth it. Hope so! Keep me posted...
June 19, 2015
Thank you Sooo much for your reply! It feels so good to know that I am not alone in doing this to myself :) When did you really start to see results? And when you applied Cosmelan 1, did it kind of clump up, get crusty and flake? I think I applied too thin a layer and when I tried to apply more it just kind of kept clumping off! I was worried that maybe I bought a fake because I bought it off ebay. But I am starting to think I have the real deal considering the massive and constant peeling I have been having since day 3. But after I applied the Cos 1 it turned like a really deep yellow brown, not like the tannish yellow I saw pictures of online once applied to the face. Also I have a little more than half a jar left. When I decide to use the rest should I slather it on thickly and spread it quickly before it dries?
June 19, 2015
Funny you mention it about Cosmelan 1! When I arrived home from the procedure and finally able to look in the mirror, it was extremely thick--about 1/8 inch--and the coverage was totally even. A few hours into it, I made the mistake of touching my forehead and a huge chunk clumped right off—so I think what you experienced was probably normal. The nurse who applied mine must've had a technique for even application. She used a circular motion to rub it into my skin. It was interesting, though—by the 4th or 5th hour wearing the mask, it started separating to the point oil was just dripping down my face! I had to wear a towel across my chest to catch the oil. I asked the nurse what was up; she said she thought it may have been due to her application technique of rubbing it in, rather than applying it lightly to the surface. So I think I experienced a different reaction than most people, since I haven't read about that happening to anyone else. And YES it was definitely a deep yellow brown, almost peanut butter-looking color—not at all the color shown in the demo videos online. I'm opting not to use the remainder of the jar for the second application--only because I cannot take anymore time off work, although I would love to. If I do this again next year, I'm definitely buying it off ebay and doing it myself, as you did. Regarding seeing results, it honestly took about three full weeks to see the even, nice skin I was promised. By the fourth week I was finally happy with/excited about my appearance once the flaking/irritation finally completely subsided. It sucks, but you just have to be a little shameless and go on with life with flaky, oddly orange skin during that time for about a full month. I will say that while it did even out the texture of my skin and my pores are definitely tighter, the texture isn't quite as smooth as I'd hoped. Can't expect miracles though, I guess. It's definitely an overall improvement in texture, but hoping when I do this again next year it'll tighten up my pores just a bit more than this first time around. And, like I mentioned in an earlier post, once the discoloration disappeared around the three week point, the broken capillaries and redness became a bit more prominent, since there was no longer any discoloration to camouflage it! So there's that. Still worth it though, as temporary as the results may be.
June 21, 2015
You are awesome! Thank you for being so detailed!!! OK well its good to know that the peeling and flaking does subside after 4 weeks. So are you still using the cosmelan 2. I've only ever been able to put it on twice a day because it burns so bad. I am now going into day 8 and it seems like my face will never stop peeling, and not just flaking, I mean like really heavy peeling!!! But I am starting to see a little bit of lightening of my discoloration so it is definitely an inspiration to keep on going!!!! And I am trying to be shameless but with my big sun hat and my orange face it seems like I am an eyeball magnet XD lol :)
June 22, 2015
I'm still using Cosmelan 2 once a day and plan on continuing until the jar is empty—I'm estimating I've got around two more months' worth remaining. I can't really figure out how long you're supposed to continue using it! Every doctor seems to recommend a different length of time and I haven't found one standard answer. In the meantime, best of luck with your continued improvement! I bet in one more week you'll really start seeing results and hopefully will have found your groove with the orange face situation. And the massive peeling! I have definitely been there lol! And you're right to rock the sun hat—gotta protect your investment! ;)
June 22, 2015
Thank you so much for posting your experience with the cosmelan kit and responding to all my inquiries. Keep us posted with your improvement. I'll definitely let you know how it goes with me :) Again, thank you so much, I truly appreciate it
June 22, 2015
Oh and one last thing, so sorry to keep bothering you, but when did the stinging/burning start to subside after cosmelan 2 application because I writhe in extreme pain for the first 5 minutes after applying cosmelan 2 and again after putting on the hydra vital k. Then I deal with the stinging for a few more hours.
June 22, 2015
Not a bother at all! Glad to share my experience! The intense pain didn't really subside until about four weeks along--and honestly even now it still hurts a bit. I still spend many a night in front of the fan cooling my face before applying Vita K and going through it all over again. I've wondered if applying it straight out of the shower versus letting the skin dry a bit has been a factor. My dermatologist advised me to wait 15 minutes after showering/washing my face before applying the retinol product I was using prior to Cosmelan, as it penetrates the skin too quickly otherwise and causes flaking and irritation. I wonder if the same goes for Cosmelan? I'm going to try experimenting with timing and wait a bit before applying Cosmelan after showering--not only for the pain factor, but also because my skin has started peeling/flaking all over again! Just when I thought all that was behind me and enjoying my nice new skin (Friday marked one full month), the peeling is back! If I'm going to continue using Cosmelan 2 another couple months, I need to figure out how to do so with less irritation. I'll keep you posted if I figure anything out in the meantime!
June 24, 2015
Ok great thanks! Same here, except I immediately go running to the freezer to stick my face in it but I am in so much pain I end up alternating it with running and jumping around the house and whimpering very loud through a closed mouth for those 5 to 10 minutes after I put on cosmelan 2. I have experimented with the timing ranging from 15 minutes to 2 hours and it makes no difference :( It is still excrutiating. And I have done laser peels going up to 150 microns deep, tca's, glycolic, lactic acid peels, you name it, and nothing has ever, Ever been this painful! And I have such a high tolerance for pain. The sides of my mouth are cracked and split so bad that it is always painful to really laugh, eat, or open my mouth very much for anything. I have resorted to putting vaseline there as well as my lips, eyelids and earlobes because the cosmelan 2 always seems to seep there even if I am careful to avoid them, and yet it Still burns in those areas even with the layer of vaseline. I don't know what I am going to do since it is so painful and every time I put it on I say to myself "I can't do it, I can't do this anymore" before I start running and yelling around. It all sounds very comical I know but why didn't anybody ever say it was going to be this consistently painful for so long D-; .....I know I should stop complaining; I am doing this to myself. Whoever said beauty is not or doesn't have to be painful? I have started to see results on some of the areas on the sides of my cheeks and I am amazed but am still really waiting to see an improvement around my lip area. The little yet drastic progress I have had so far is what keeps me going. And would you say that the cosmelan helped to treat ALL of any discoloration you may have had, or did it only really help improve the actual Melasma??? Again, thanks :)
June 24, 2015
I just remembered something!! While the nurse was applying Cosmelan 1, she told me that if the irritation got to be too bad with Cosmelan 2, I should take a break from using it for a day or two. I asked how I'd know if there was irritation (dumb question, I know) and she said, "YOU'LL KNOW!!!!" So I guess you know! Maybe call your provider to double check, but everything my nurse told me to do (which was slightly different protocol than others have followed) has worked out perfectly, so I trust her advice. As far as if it treated all discoloration, not just melasma--it did! My freckles (which weren't cute little freckles, but more like blotchy random spots, nothing cute about them) are now 90% gone! :)
June 27, 2015
Great! Thank you for the additional information! And now it's been about 4 days since I've dropped down to cosmelan 2 only once a day which I put on at night and it has helped so much with the stinging! I am still really waiting to see results on my lip area, some days it looks better but then much worse on others. I can never really tell if my skin there is improving though because it it always like snake skin and peeling. Anyway, in the daytime I alternate between using a really good sunblock by Obagi and lycogel which is a special makeup for post procedures like laser and chemical peels and my skin is slowly gaining a little bit of its moisture back which is great. I think i am about at 2 weeks since starting this whole process and hopefully will get to see a clearer face at the end of 4 weeks. I am thinking i may repeat the rest of my cosmelan 1 in 2 weeks but I will see.
July 21, 2015
I had cosmelan 1 on Sunday. Kept it on for 8 hours. When washed my face off I had no redness whatsever but the texture of my skin felt really nice and smooth. I applied mesoestetic anti-stress mask and left it for 20 monutes then wash it off, put sun block factor 50 n a bit of make up n went out. I got up next day with normal face n put cosmelan 2 on n hydro factor k cream. Not very much stinging as described and went away very quickly. Second day today my skin has started peeling off but only a bit which can be covered by make up- just a little bit red but not much n like i said can be easily covered. My brown spots seem to be lighter. So as you see each individual reacts to cosmelan differently. So far really recommended
UPDATED FROM fiestaforever
One week later...
fiestaforeverMay 27, 2015
The melasma and discoloration is around 70% gone already—yay! That in itself makes the process totally worth it in my book. The heavy peeling is nearly done as of last night, however the snake skin is in full effect and just getting started. Essentially my entire face is tomato red and has the appearance of snakeskin—all-over scaliness, flakiness and light peeling. I use moisturizer about every half hour—it really is that parched. It doesn't look like it'll get better or worse—just constant. Will the skin ever adjust to the Cosmelan 2? God I hope so, considering I've got months ahead of me using the product daily. I'm nowhere near having the smooth, pink, shiny skin everyone describes, but it's bound to happen soon, right? So that's the latest. I'll wake up tomorrow hoping it'll be better than today, and so on and so forth.
Replies (5)