! Yes They're Fake ! Visitors' Journals - Obagi System & Peel: Uncovering New Skin

Obagi System: Uncovering New Skin

I was on the Obagi system for a while...instead of peeling like a snake, I would back off for a few days instead, leaving out the Retin A and acid creams. If you are peeling, etc., that much, realize that the dosages of the chemicals that are making you peel are approximate, and the right amount will vary from person to person based on size of face, type of skin, etc. What I'm saying is that if you are really irritated and hurting, the amounts you are using may be too much for your delicate skin on an ongoing basis. You might also consider using a smaller amount of the irritating ones or skipping a few applications here and there.

As far as the Blue Peel...

I live in the San Francisco area, so I made a trek down to LA to have the work done. What happened was that I met a consultant at a local Doctor's office who used to work for Obagi in LA. When I told her that I wanted a blue peel, she told me in hushed tones that I would be wisest to see the man himself to have the work done or the work wouldn't be as good. I figured that she could have no possible axe to grind, so I filed that away in the back of my head and didn't return to that doctor's office.

Turns out that very soon after, Obagi opened an office in town... and by some asking and some favor, I met him myself. He took a liking to me, and told me that I should come see him in Beverly Hills. Again, more happy coincidences, but my company had a shutdown, nearly forcing me to go do it. All the pieces fell into place for me to make the trek.

If you're going to do it, I would advise going to see him, also, because there are many fine details which you might miss if you go to someone else. I don't know how much cheaper it would be with another doctor, but I didn't want to scrimp when it comes to the only face I will ever have (know what I mean?)

Anyway, because of acne scarring, he also did some "subcision lifting" on me, a procedure he invented. The basic idea is that pitted scars look that way because fibrous bands form beneath the damaged skin, so that when they heal, the skin doesn't plump back up, level and smooth. Instead, it is held down by the bands of scars, giving the pitted look. The idea of this lifting is to take a needle-like instrument and cut the bands so that collagen can come and fill the skin back in, reducing or eliminating the look of the scars.

There are different "strengths" of peels, depending on the need of the person's particular face. If you don't have much scarring or sun damage, you may have a light peel and not need anesthetic. However, if it a medium (which I got) or a deep peel, then they put you under. There was an anesthesiologist present, and he stuck the needle in my arm and told me to count to 10 backwards, after which I would be in la-la land. So you don't remember a thing.

They woke me up, and I was groggy. My face was very blue, like a Smurf. The assistant washed off my face. Because of the anesthesia, you must have someone there to drive you to where you are staying (you're in no state to drive.) The blue acid was applied all over my face: up to my hairline, back to my earlobes, about an inch beneath my jawline, and on my eyelids.

My face stayed blue for about 3 days, but was replaced by angry red and blackened areas, like a severe burn victim. My face didn't itch that much, and didn't really hurt, but it did get tight. It did ooze sticky platelets or something.

Psychologically, you must be ready to look at your scary face in the mirror for about two weeks, and not let your mind tell you that you've made a big mistake and will never recover. As for me, 2 years previously I had a laser procedure (low energy) with a different doctor to reduce redness on my face, which made my face deep (birthmark) purple. The doctor NEVER advised me of this ahead of time, and I was terrified, as well as having to take two weeks off work without advance notice.

The hardest post-op thing, something which I didn't follow exactly, was that you can't put your face on a pillow. So you have to sleep in a recliner, or flat on your back, something that I don't normally do (side sleeper.) The reason is that the pillowcase absorbs the ooze, making your scabs dried out, your face to tighten and crack, causing more damage to your artificially-thinned skin.

The net result for me was that, a week later, I had a patch on my right cheek of scabs which were hard and wouldn't peel off. I ended up having to peel them off myself, leaving a part of my cheek and chin that had smooth skin, but which had deep straight-line cracks/tears in it. Looked horrible, and I wondered if it would ever look right again. (It has pretty much recovered, but there are some small signs of it when my face reddens.) Please don't make this mistake.

The doctor has you buy Cetaphil (over the counter alcohol skin cleanser) and tells you to swab your face with this a few times a day. The alcohol dissolves the hardening ooze, keep the scabs from getting hard and thick, and from shrinking up and tearing your skin. Expect your face to be quite a bit redder for about two months. The doctor told me that it takes about 5 or 6 months for the skin to really look great.

I'm now 7 months post-procedure, and my skin looks very, very good. The peel took off all my little freckles (on my eyelids, even), all the sun-damaged skin (grew up near Miami) which made my skin look browned and uneven in tone, and a lot of other things. My face is a healthy pinkish/clear tone. If all my scarring were gone, I would have a baby face. However, the blue peel doesn't' make your pores smaller; only a laser would do that, or oral Accutane.

If you're going to go to Beverly Hills, there's a (chain) hotel called Extended Stay America which is about 5 miles away that I would recommend. It's right up the street from LAX.

http://www.extstay.com/

Address:
6531 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Telephone: (310) 568-9337
Fax: (310) 568-9349

It's new and clean, but not overly fancy, and it was quiet when I was there. It cost me less than $500 for

eight days. (It costs a lot less than most places because of the weekly rates... and you'll need to stay a week, because there are immediate follow-up visits after the 2nd day and after a week to make sure that your face hasn't picked up a virus or other infection.)

Why a suite? because the way your face will look, you won't want to go out for food (unless you like horrified stares) and you won't want to get sun on your face. The Suite has a stovetop, refrigerator and sink, so the day before your procedure you go to the grocery store and stock the fridge with all your favorite stuff, especially drinks (need those liquids!) Then you curl up with the TV or books, and just chill out while your face fixes itself.

Dr. Obagi is a very nice man, Middle-eastern I think, in his early '50s. If you're really inquisitive, there's a $195 medical book with color pictures that Dr. Obagi wrote that illustrates what can go wrong and what can go right with the procedure.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0387984690/qid=993752398/104-2118409-8517510

The main thing I got from this book was: YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A HERPES INFECTION SPREAD FROM YOUR LIPS TO YOUR FACE. Your whole face will be destroyed. The pictures are hideous. Remember that your face will be an open wound for two weeks, and is very susceptible to all kinds of infections.

Okay, so I told you more than you would ever want to know. I hope this helps you. I wish I would have known these things before I had it done...

~F in San Jose

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