Dr. Michelle Rodrigues

Dr. Michelle Rodrigues Dermatologist in Melbourne providing innovative, comprehensive and personalised care for adults and children.

Areas of expertise include pigment disorders, skin of colour, photoaging and aesthetic treatments in doverse skin types. Dr. Rodrigues is the director of Chroma Dermatology, Pigment and Skin of Colour Centre (Wheelers Hill, Doncaster). She also holds consultant dermatology the Royal Children's Hospitals and is a co-founder of Australia's first multi-disciplinary vitiligo clinic. Her areas of exper

tise include pigment conditions, skin conditions in skin of colour and laser surgery. She is also an interest in hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and acne scarring. Dr. Rodrigues brings her passion and knowledge gained in world renowned pigment and skin of colour centres around the world to the suburbs of Melbourne. For more information visit
www.drmichellerodrigues.com
www.chromaderm.com.au

Join the conversation:

30/04/2026

Calling BS on trending hair loss treatments—Part 3

Not everything trending online is backed by strong science.

In this series:

* Part 1: Peptides (GHK-Cu) - see prior post
* Part 2: Rosemary oil - see prior post
* Part 3: Exosomes

Some are biologically interesting
Some are marketed well
But not all are clinically proven

If you’re serious about hair loss:
👉 Start with evidence
👉 Then optimise

📌 Save this series
🔁 Share with someone considering these treatments
👩🏽‍⚕️ Follow for evidence-based dermatology

29/04/2026

Calling BS on trending hair loss treatments—Part 2

Not everything trending online is backed by strong science.

In this series:

* Part 1: Peptides (GHK-Cu) - see prior post
* Part 2: Rosemary oil

Coming up;
* Part 3: Exosomes

Some are biologically interesting
Some are marketed well
But not all are clinically proven

If you’re serious about hair loss:
👉 Start with evidence
👉 Then optimise

📌 Save this series
🔁 Share with someone considering these treatments
👩🏽‍⚕️ Follow for evidence-based dermatology

25/04/2026

Calling BS on trending hair loss treatments—Part 1

Not everything trending online is backed by strong science.

In this series:

* Part 1: Peptides (GHK-Cu)
* Part 2: Rosemary oil
* Part 3: Exosomes

Some are biologically interesting
Some are marketed well
But not all are clinically proven

If you’re serious about hair loss:
👉 Start with evidence
👉 Then optimise

📌 Save this series
🔁 Share with someone considering these treatments
👩🏽‍⚕️ Follow for evidence-based dermatology

19/04/2026

👋🏽Most people think skin type alone predicts pigmentation risk after procedures.

📚But a 2021 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology described the Palmar Crease Pigmentation scale, showing that darker palmar creases may indicate a greater tendency for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).

💯This matters when considering treatments like:

• lasers
• chemical peels
• energy-based devices

Your skin biology determines your response to inflammation, which is why treatment selection and settings should always be personalised.

Before your next procedure…
look at your palm lines.

🛟Save this post so you remember

10/04/2026

☔️It seriously feels like winter already here in Melbourne, right? Want to prevent or treat dry skin if you have skin of colour?

🚿Cold air, low humidity, and hot showers all strip your skin’s barrier — especially if you have medium to darker skin tones where dryness can show as ashiness, dullness, or accentuated pigmentation.

Here’s how to keep your skin healthy this winter 👇
1️⃣ Switch to a gentle, hydrating cleanser
2️⃣ Apply moisturiser immediately after bathing
3️⃣ Choose creams (not lotions) with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or urea
4️⃣ Avoid long, hot showers
5️⃣ Don’t skip sunscreen — UV + dryness = barrier damage

🎥 Watch the full reel to learn how to stop the “winter skin spiral” before it starts.

09/04/2026

Your gym routine could be exposing your skin — without you realising.

Fungal infections (tinea) and warts are extremely common in people who train regularly.

They spread easily in warm, moist environments — especially communal showers and change rooms.

The good news?
They’re largely preventable with simple habits.

💡 Save this for later
📤 Share it with your gym buddy
👩🏽‍⚕️ Follow for dermatologist-led education — especially for skin of colour

04/04/2026

👉🏽Retinoid dermatitis is one of the most common reasons people give up tretinoin—but it’s usually avoidable.

This is irritation from barrier disruption, not an allergy.

Your reset plan:
✔️ Cool water cleansing
✔️ Gentle, fragrance-free cleanser
✔️ Ceramide-rich moisturiser
✔️ Barrier balms for peeling
✔️ Stop ALL actives

⚠️ And one key point:
Inflammation → can trigger pigmentation, particularly in darker skin types.
This is why early control of erythema matters.

Restart slowly and strategically—and you’ll get the benefits without the setback.

💬 Have you had this reaction?
🔖 Save this so you don’t repeat it
📲 Follow for evidence-based dermatology (especially pigmentation & skin of colour)

31/03/2026

🧴Sunscreen blocks UV — but it doesn’t stop biology.

🧬Research shows that DNA damage can continue forming after sun exposure ends. This delayed injury — called dark CPDs — is driven by oxidative stress in melanin-containing cells.

👉🏽That’s why pigmentation behaves differently in darker skin types.

Biologically informed photoprotection means:

• Broad-spectrum UVA protection with tint
• Oral and topical antioxidants
• Avoiding photosensitising ingredients
• Supporting skin recovery after exposure

🧪Sun protection is no longer just about preventing sunburn. It’s about protecting skin biology.

⏩Save and share this if this is the firt time you have heard about CPDs. I know many dermatologists will be doing just that.
And share it with anyone who is interested in avoiding hyperpigmentation and skin aging.

28/03/2026

😎The sun can damage your skin… even after sunset
Most people think UV damage only happens during sun exposure.

📚But PubMed-indexed research shows something different.

🧬After UV exposure, your skin can continue forming DNA damage for hours — even in the dark. Dark CPDs (cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers) drive oxidative stress inside melanin-containing cells.

This research has changed how dermatologists think about:

• Photoprotection
• Pigmentation disorders
• UVA exposure
• And skin of colour

🧴Sun protection isn’t just about preventing sunburn.
It’s about protecting skin biology — before and after exposure.

🛟Save this post — part 2 will tell you how to enhance protection after sunset

⏩Follow for dermatologist-led skin science you won’t hear anywhere else

☀️

23/03/2026

IPL is often marketed as a simple ‘light facial’.
But in skin of colour, the risks are very real.

A recent Australasian Journal of Dermatology case series we published reported serious pigment complications in Melbourne patients treated with IPL in cosmetic clinics. And we see this on a monthly basis.

Why?

Because IPL uses broad spectrum light that melanin absorbs — increasing the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.

⚠️ Device choice
⚠️ Energy settings
⚠️ Operator experience

All matter for safety — especially true in darker skin types.

If you have Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, African or mixed heritage, choosing the right practitioner and technology is critical.

📌 Save this before your next laser treatment.

19/03/2026

👺Red light LED masks are one of the most aggressively marketed anti-ageing devices right now.

But the reality is far less exciting.

While low-level light therapy has some evidence in controlled clinical settings, most consumer LED masks:

• deliver very low energy levels
• may not reach the therapeutic wavelengths used in studies
• show modest and temporary results at best
• have raised quality and overheating concerns in some models

That doesn’t mean LED technology is useless — but the at-home versions rarely replicate medical-grade treatments.

In dermatology we always ask one question:
Does the science justify the cost and risk?

For most home LED masks, the answer is not really.

💬 Have you tried one? Did you see results?

12/03/2026

Don’t forget the most overlooked part of skin aging: the mitochondria

Supporting mitochondrial health requires a biologically informed approach:

✔ antioxidants
✔ photoprotection
✔ adequate sleep
✔ nutrition that supports cellular energy

Ageing well isn’t about doing more —
it’s about protecting what matters most.

dria

Address

G15. 202 Jells Road
Wheelers Hill, VIC
3150

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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