Treating Melasma with NeoDerm | Dr. Pearl Grimes, MD | AAD 2026

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Why is melasma so difficult to treat — and how does the NeoDerm change that?

In this live demonstration from AAD 2026, Dr. Pearl Grimes, MD — clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA and founder of both the Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California and the PEARL Melasma Research and Treatment Institute — presents the case for the Aerolase NeoDerm as a front-line laser for melasma management.

Dr. Grimes frames melasma as what she calls "the tempest" — a volatile, multi-layered condition driven by genetics, hormonal dysregulation, and UV exposure that affects not just melanocytes, but the entire epidermal and dermal microenvironment. Standard treatments that address only pigment production fall short. The NeoDerm doesn't.

As a 650-microsecond 1064nm Nd:YAG laser engineered specifically for dermatologists, the NeoDerm targets melasma across every pathogenic layer simultaneously — dermal pigment, abnormal vascularity, solar elastosis, and collagen degeneration — without the aggressive energy delivery that risks triggering post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in darker skin types.

Clinical topics covered:

• The trifecta pathogenesis of melasma: genetics, hormones, and UV
• Why melasma involves fibroblasts, mast cells, endothelial cells, and sebocytes — not just melanocytes
• How the NeoDerm's pulse duration minimizes epidermal damage in Fitzpatrick III–VI skin types
• Targeting dermal vascularity and collagen regeneration simultaneously
• A gradual treatment protocol to maximize outcomes while mitigating PIH risk

Recorded live at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, 2026.

Presented by Pearl Grimes, MD

Pearl E. Grimes, MD, FAAD is a globally recognized dermatologist and leading international authority on vitiligo and pigmentation disorders. As Founder and Director of the Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California, she sees patients from around the world who seek her expertise in treating pigmentary conditions. She also holds the position of Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

A dedicated clinician, researcher, and sought-after speaker, Dr. Grimes lectures globally on pigmentation disorders and cosmetic procedures including chemical peeling, with a particular focus on treating patients of all ethnicities and skin types. She has authored more than 100 professional articles and abstracts, as well as two textbooks — including the seminal 36-chapter medical reference Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery for Darker Skin Types — and is co-editor of an Atlas of Chemical Peels.