Cosmelan depigmentation peel at CoLaz clinics

Cosmelan is a professional two-part depigmentation protocol developed by Mesoestetic, widely regarded as the gold-standard treatment for melasma. The in-clinic Cosmelan 1 mask is applied as a thick layer over the whole face and worn home for several hours before being washed off. The Cosmelan 2 cream is then used at home twice daily and tapered down across a structured six-month regimen with scheduled clinic reviews. The combination targets the enzyme tyrosinase, which controls melanin production, and works at a depth that standard surface peels do not reach. It is the most effective treatment we offer for stubborn melasma and post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Yes. Cosmelan is one of the few professional depigmentation protocols safely used across the full Fitzpatrick scale, from one through to six. It is particularly valued for higher-melanin skin types where many other peels and lasers carry a risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. For Fitzpatrick five and six we may do a small patch test first and we adjust the protocol slightly based on how the skin responds. The specialist assessing your skin at consultation will explain the exact plan, and we will only proceed if Cosmelan is clearly the right protocol for you.

Allow about seventy-five minutes for the mask application. The skin is cleansed and prepared in clinic, then the Cosmelan 1 mask is applied in a thick, even layer across the whole face. You wear the mask home, with clear written instructions on how long to keep it on, which is usually eight to twelve hours depending on your skin type. You wash the mask off at home following the protocol, then start the supporting moisturiser. Cosmelan 2 cream begins on day two and is used twice daily. The full at-home regimen runs for six months with scheduled clinic reviews along the way.

The first three to four days after the mask are the most active. The skin feels tight, looks pink or red, and starts to flake significantly between days three and ten. Most patients arrange for the first week to be a quieter social week or take a few days at home. Light cover-up makeup is fine from day four or five for most patients. Do not pick, peel or exfoliate the flaking skin manually; let it shed naturally or you risk a pigment patch where the skin was disturbed. Strict daily SPF 50 is non-negotiable throughout the six-month regimen because the skin is more photosensitive while it remodels.

Visible lightening of melasma and stubborn pigmentation usually appears between weeks four and eight, with the full result developing across the six-month regimen as the at-home cream is tapered. Most patients see a significant and meaningful improvement, often the first lasting improvement they have had after years of trying other treatments. Long-term maintenance depends on lifestyle: melasma in particular is driven by hormones and sun exposure, and ongoing daily SPF, a good antioxidant routine and avoiding strong sun are essential to hold the result. Some patients book a single touch-up mask after twelve to eighteen months.

We do not treat patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding, who have an active skin infection or eczema flare in the treatment area, who are on isotretinoin currently or in the last six months, who have a known sensitivity to any component of the Cosmelan formulation, who have a tan or recent strong sun exposure on the face, or who have a history of keloid scarring on the face. We also do not start the protocol with patients who cannot commit to the strict daily SPF and the structured six-month home regimen, because the result depends on the discipline as much as the mask. We will be honest about this at consultation.

The full Cosmelan protocol is £1,250 and includes the in-clinic Cosmelan 1 mask application, your take-home Cosmelan 2 cream for the start of the six-month regimen, the supporting in-clinic moisturiser and SPF, and the scheduled clinic reviews along the way. The course is one full protocol; maintenance creams to extend the regimen beyond the initial supply are sold separately and priced at consultation. Pricing is confirmed in writing at your free consultation, with no upsells in the treatment room.