Kelly Bertrand tries the mother of all peels, the Melanopro Skin Treatment, and documents the results:
I have to laugh as I’m running down the street back to my car after my Melanopro Skin Treatment – and so is my lovely skin therapist Bianka, who’s filming my desperate dash in between uproarious giggling and telling me to be careful with my face.
Absolute *scenes*
It’s currently covered in a thick layer of bright-white peel – like, thick and white and most definitely has the potential to frighten a little old lady walking her dog – so imagine that plus an unfit-ish woman in her mid-30s running as fast as she can towards her Subaru before anyone gets a look at her terrifying face (and that’s before we got to the actual peeling – more on that to come!).
Imagine bumping into THAT when you’re out walking your chihuahua
It’s a wild start to a wild ride, but I’ve come to know that when you embark on facial peels – proper, serious peels – then it’s an all-encompassing journey that, I can attest to, bloody WORKS. But, just like the best things in life, you have to put in a little bit of work (and just a smidge of embarrassment when your neighbour sees you walking up the driveway – just when you think you’ve made it) to truly get results.
What is the Melanopro Peel System?
The DermalogicaPRO Melanopro treatment, available at Skintopia, targets stubborn hyperpigmentation and promises brighter, smoother skin in less than six weeks. It’s a clinical-strength peel that’s designed to help those with concerns about sunspots, skin discolouration, acne scars, dull skin, our rough texture. Kind of like sandpaper on an upcycle project, the peel strips away as many of the niggly things on the surface that prevent you from getting a great paint job.
There’s two phases in getting this peel – phase one involves your skin therapist taking some before photos (always a fun vibe) and then simply slathering the peel solution on your face, with instructions to wash off after four-six hours (depending on your skin type) at home.
Then, for the next six weeks, you’ll only treat your face with two – that’s right, just TWO – products, an Ultracalming Mist to control itching and tightness, and a Continuous Resurfacing Cream that keeps the work of the initial peel going.
My experience with the Melanopro Peel System
Before this peel my skin, while normally pretty void of any major issues, was… fine, I guess? But looking in the mirror, I couldn’t help but notice it had lost some glow (planning a wedding will, ironically, do that to you) and looked quite dull and lifeless. I had some patches of discolouration, a few sunspots and perhaps the most annoying thing, rough texture. On a day where I don’t wear makeup (which is most days, God bless the work from home lifestyle) it’s not an issue, but as soon as I would try to put any skin product on, my skin’s texture would pop out just as obviously as if I had acne.
This treatment, Bianka told me, would help with that. So it was with high levels of optimism that I lay back and let her apply the thick layer of peel, which, following the great car dash of 2024, I washed off at home later on. So far, so good. Following its removal, I experienced some pretty intense shedding for the next week or so, and my skin was very tight (the Ultracalming Mist was my best friend) but I’m one of those people that doesn’t mind that because I want to feel shit working. There’s nothing that annoys me more than ‘facials’ where the therapist does nothing else except apply cleanser, serums, masks and moisturisers – girl, I can do that at home. I need you to get in there and sort this mug out, so then I can at least, in my girl-math head, justify shelling out $ for a facial.
Three days after – she’s red, she’s flaky, but she’s about to be glowy
Pro tip? Schedule this during a week that you don’t have to leave the house much. In fact, based on my experience, try and have it on a Thursday morning, so you have the weekend to deal with the worst of the peeling (it’s pretty manageable after a few days).
So, does it work?
Well you don’t actually have to take my word for it if you don’t want to because of those aforementioned before and after pics – see below:
Before:
After:
But yes, it did, as you can tell from these photos. My skin is less congested, the hyperpigmentation has faded dramatically and everything is just that much more chill. But the biggest difference that these pics doesn’t show is my skin texture. She is smooth. Putting on foundation is a different experience – it glides on smoothly and doesn’t highlight and lumps and bumps. It’s even smoothed out a few fine lines and wrinkles – I wouldn’t say removed, but the lines on my forehead are definitely softer.
Is it worth it? Hell yes, it is. If I was embarking on a skin journey (which, actually, I am – stay tuned for that) then this is exactly the place I’d start to really nail the foundation of your skincare. There’s no escaping the fact that this is pricey ($999, and for transparency purposes I was gifted this treatment so I could write about it) but if you’ve tried everything to reduce hyperpigmentation, and you’re buying product after product that doesn’t work, then I would say that this is worth it.
No makeup, no rough texture, no worries – my skin after six weeks
Even my fiancé noticed my skin was different, which I was equal parts surprised and delighted about (he’d better bloody appreciate it – when I think of the difference between men and women when it comes to wedding prep, I want to scream and then laugh and then drink some gin).
It’s really easy to lump skincare into the superficial, aesthetic and trivial category of life’s worries, but it’s not just about what the world sees – it’s about how you feel, and after this peel I was as glowy on the inside as I was on the outside, and hell, I’ll take that as a win.
