My Obagi experience
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Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:23 pm

anniezmoon wrote:

Things that have helped me cope with Obagi:

Getting up earlier in the morning to take care of flaking before I go to work!!

BioMedic Conditioning Solution- a great exfoliant to remove the dry flakes-- but use on an eight-ply gauze pad (like from a dr. office) rather than a cotton ball-- really helps to clean off flakes. I sheepishly admit to sometimes using regular scotch tape to peel off flakes.

Instead of C Serum I've started using IS Clinical Super Serum Advance which seems to be having more positive effect on my skin (except that the consistency of it is like water and is easier to spill and drip..) It includes C and copper peptides. Also using some samples of IS Clinical Active Serum on what I'd call "recovery days" -- really liken' it & wish I had more samples cause those IS Clinical products are pricey... but, then, what isn't??

Thanks for the tips. They are really appreciated. I always find them useful! I certainly couldn't have made it this far if it hadn't been for all of the advice posted on here!!! Very Happy

free skin care · Sun May 01, 2011 6:06 am

3tm wrote:

Dianew: the "what are You doing to Yourself" and "You looked better before" sounds strangely familiar:). Only, I am Norwegian, so in different language:). As for staying out of the sun: I am going on vacation in my 15 week of the regiment, I don't want to stop the regiment, because I will not stand to start again with all the side effects.. I will not be able to stay out of sun - so - any advices?

I'd say vigilant & frequent reapplication of the sunscreen & a big sun hat! Big sunglasses for your eyes... My skin's always burned rather than tanned anyway so the tretinoin & hydroquinone have made it ridiculously sensitive, maybe others won't be quite so bad in the sun - I'm just desperate not to mess up what I've done so far with more sun damage Cool

Good to hear all the Obagi tips - think I'll go out & get a small spray bottle for my toner today - a cheap way to make it last a lot longer - must waste loads on cotton wool!

Sun May 01, 2011 12:36 pm

Thank You for answers and tips! I am better now after one day pause, but still dry and a little peeling Smile

. I will try to go heavy on sunscreen and hats Smile

Sun May 01, 2011 6:48 pm

Hello Girls, I am new to this thread and am so happy I found it. I have been on the Obagi NuDerm system for a little over a week and have already learned a lot of useful information. Thank you to everyone who has shared what they've learned.
I had NO idea when I started about the commitment I was making (both financially & to the unattractive stage). After reading this thread I see the next several months will be challenging. So far I have been following directions to a T. Like most of you I am experiencing the peeling and and redness but in addition to that I have these raw places that are now oozing. I am on the %.1 tret and did not apply that or the blender tonight hoping to heal a little. I also bought diaper rash ointment because I read on here that that may help. I have a few questions...Should I apply it all over or only to the raw places? How long is a course of treatment...a set period of time or until you use the all of the product? How many am I committed to (for optimal effect?)I have a tendency to pull (or roll) off the flakes is that bad?
Thank you.

free skin care · Sun May 01, 2011 7:25 pm

TN*girl wrote:

Hello Girls, I am new to this thread and am so happy I found it. I have been on the Obagi NuDerm system for a little over a week and have already learned a lot of useful information. Thank you to everyone who has shared what they've learned.
I had NO idea when I started about the commitment I was making (both financially & to the unattractive stage). After reading this thread I see the next several months will be challenging. So far I have been following directions to a T. Like most of you I am experiencing the peeling and and redness but in addition to that I have these raw places that are now oozing. I am on the %.1 tret and did not apply that or the blender tonight hoping to heal a little. I also bought diaper rash ointment because I read on here that that may help. I have a few questions...Should I apply it all over or only to the raw places? How long is a course of treatment...a set period of time or until you use the all of the product? How many am I committed to (for optimal effect?)I have a tendency to pull (or roll) off the flakes is that bad?
Thank you.

TN*girl, use the diaper rash cream on only the raw/oozing areas. Also, don't apply any of the Nu Derm products on those areas until they heal. Nu Derm is a total of 18 weeks, some need longer, like 24 weeks. Good luck!

Debo- excellent tips. I like the putting the toner in a spray bottle as that would really make the toner go further!

Kim - big hugs for the compliment. I did not know you were on a cycle of Nu Derm. Good luck! Very Happy

Sun May 01, 2011 7:45 pm

TN*girl wrote:

Hello Girls, I am new to this thread and am so happy I found it. I have been on the Obagi NuDerm system for a little over a week and have already learned a lot of useful information. Thank you to everyone who has shared what they've learned.
I had NO idea when I started about the commitment I was making (both financially & to the unattractive stage). After reading this thread I see the next several months will be challenging. So far I have been following directions to a T. Like most of you I am experiencing the peeling and and redness but in addition to that I have these raw places that are now oozing. I am on the %.1 tret and did not apply that or the blender tonight hoping to heal a little. I also bought diaper rash ointment because I read on here that that may help. I have a few questions...Should I apply it all over or only to the raw places? How long is a course of treatment...a set period of time or until you use the all of the product? How many am I committed to (for optimal effect?)I have a tendency to pull (or roll) off the flakes is that bad?
Thank you.

Hi TNgirl, I am also in TN. This is the best forum you could possibly join. I would have never stuck with it had it not been for these ladies.
You're starting out on a pretty heavy duty strength of tret. Have you already been using a Retin A? I started with a 0.025% strength and it's been a lot easier to get through this process. Using a clarisonic in the shower helps a lot also. However, I'll bet you've read through this entire thread and have already heard all of this. These gals have so much knowledge, it's amazing.
Good Luck on the program. You will truly love the results Cool

Sun May 01, 2011 7:56 pm

Ok ladies, I need some advice. Pray

I've not been through a summer while on this program yet. I have a pool and love to be outside on the weekends as much as possible. I have a very fair complexion and always wear blue lizard sunscreen which keeps my face from burning, but I do tan. I do plan on getting a big floppy hat. Will this still work or am I in for being a recluse this summer? I don't want to reuin what results I achieved so far. Cool

Sun May 01, 2011 8:14 pm

You're starting out on a pretty heavy duty strength of tret. Have you already been using a Retin A

Since I'm starting out so strong should I do every other day until I build up a tolerance?

free skin care · Mon May 02, 2011 4:02 am

TN*girl wrote:

You're starting out on a pretty heavy duty strength of tret. Have you already been using a Retin A

Since I'm starting out so strong should I do every other day until I build up a tolerance?

that sounds like a good idea with the reactions you're describing - I'd wait until your face has healed before going back onto it though - & perhaps a smaller amount, or higher ratio of blender to tret - how much have you been using?

I confess to being a picker of flakes, though I try not to... it's hard not to when you look in a mirror after lunch at work & seem to have grown a wispy white beard... Rolling Eyes

Mon May 02, 2011 10:12 am

[quote="dianew"]

TN*girl wrote:

You're starting out on a pretty heavy duty strength of tret. Have you already been using a Retin A

Since I'm starting out so strong should I do every other day until I build up a tolerance?

that sounds like a good idea with the reactions you're describing - I'd wait until your face has healed before going back onto it though - & perhaps a smaller amount, or higher ratio of blender to tret - how much have you been using?

I was using a gram of each. I will try with more blender and less tret. Should I quit it all together for a few days or just back off of the tret/blender? Do you know if your skin stays like this for the entire 18 weeks? That is a long time to look like a lizard. javascript:emoticon(' Confused

')

Mon May 02, 2011 2:17 pm

I started out with 0,1 tret every day from start, so I don't want to stop now when I am so close to end. But I am too wondering what to do in summer.. Go for full program the last three weeks, or back of to every other day from week 15??

I am also wondering - do You use oils or anything to avoid the horrible dryness? I know You're not supposed to, but I have the impression a lot of people do? I am getting tired of looking white, wrinkled and dry after twelve weeks of this...

free skin care · Mon May 02, 2011 2:45 pm

TN girl - I started out with .05 tret - a pea-size amount of that & the same of blender for the first few weeks, as I'd never used any actives on my face before this, & am doing it DIY without a derm.

I upped the amounts after a few weeks to half a gram of each, & upped again to half a gram of blender & a gram of tret a few weeks later again, with a full gram of Clear twice a day now too. It's meant I've peeled fairly consistently for the 9 weeks so far, but seemed a safe way to go to avoid the horrors - so maybe I'll have to do 24 week rather than 18 as I've taken it slow at the start

I'm still a bit of a mess, but not lizard-like any more Smile

think the first 3 weeks were the very worst

3tm - I haven't used any moisturiser or oil, other than eye cream & Eucerin round the nose & lips - have resigned myself to looking a bit freaky at work. I've heard people say the Action stuff is ok, & can be used a couple times a week without slowing your progress down

hth

Mon May 02, 2011 5:11 pm

dianew wrote:

TN girl - I started out with .05 tret - a pea-size amount of that & the same of blender for the first few weeks, as I'd never used any actives on my face before this, & am doing it DIY without a derm.

I upped the amounts after a few weeks to half a gram of each, & upped again to half a gram of blender & a gram of tret a few weeks later again, with a full gram of Clear twice a day now too. It's meant I've peeled fairly consistently for the 9 weeks so far, but seemed a safe way to go to avoid the horrors - so maybe I'll have to do 24 week rather than 18 as I've taken it slow at the start

I'm still a bit of a mess, but not lizard-like any more Smile

think the first 3 weeks were the very worst

3tm - I haven't used any moisturiser or oil, other than eye cream & Eucerin round the nose & lips - have resigned myself to looking a bit freaky at work. I've heard people say the Action stuff is ok, & can be used a couple times a week without slowing your progress down

hth

What is the Clear? I bought my NuDerm from a skin care place here in town and I didn't get the Clear. I got a generic tret (it's in green tube) and a generic hydroquinone (generic meaning not the NuDerm brand). Is the Clear the same as one of those two?
If I back off on the tret a half or a quarter of what I'd been using and keep the Blender amount the same do you think that will help with the extreme irritation? Sorry for all the questions I just want to be as aggressive as I can with out looking like a complete freak and not prolong it any longer than I have to.

Someone asked me if I had done retin a before... the answer is no but I have been on Ziana and MD Forte 30% glycolic acid and tolerated them both really well.

Mon May 02, 2011 11:12 pm

I have another question... after I do my morning routine the last step is the 35spf sunscreen. It seems to just right on top of my face and not absorb in.
Am I doing something wrong? or is there something I could mix it with to make it sink in a little better?
Thank you so much for all of the help! Very Happy

free skin care · Tue May 03, 2011 10:28 am

No worries about all the questions ? I've asked plenty, & was very glad to find this site!

I got a 'starter kit' of Obagi from an online UK store, & use:

AM Cleanser
Toner
Vit C serum (optional - I added this after 6 weeks)
Eye cream (also optional, but helps keep the Obagi from migrating into my eyes too much)
1 gram of Clear (hydroquinone 4% cream)
half a gram of Exfoderm forte (glycolic acid)
spf 35 (& yes, it sits on my face as a white layer too - tho am so red that's generally a good thing... Smile

)

PM Cleanser
Toner
Eye cream
I gram of Clear
Half a gram of Blender mixed with a gram of tret (or a bit less if I've been particularly sore & freakish the previous day)

Every 3 days or so I'll go a bit closer to my eye area with the blender / tret then put eye cream on after half an hour or so - my eyes look worse at the moment tbh, but I hear that's normal to look worse before it looks better Smile

I think the clear is pretty vital if you're using the system for hyper-pigmentation, although the ingredients seem to be almost identical to the blender...

free skin care · Tue May 03, 2011 10:41 am

TN*girl wrote:

If I back off on the tret a half or a quarter of what I'd been using and keep the Blender amount the same do you think that will help with the extreme irritation?
S

& yes - I think it's the tret that's the most irritating bit, so that's the one to back off on... the doc who prescribed mine online said to go to every other night or even every 3rd night if reactions were too severe, so that's an option too - I preferred to keep it every night, but reduce the dose

Tue May 03, 2011 11:58 am

dianew wrote:

TN*girl wrote:

If I back off on the tret a half or a quarter of what I'd been using and keep the Blender amount the same do you think that will help with the extreme irritation?
S

& yes - I think it's the tret that's the most irritating bit, so that's the one to back off on... the doc who prescribed mine online said to go to every other night or even every 3rd night if reactions were too severe, so that's an option too - I preferred to keep it every night, but reduce the dose

The exfoderm forte seems to be a little harsher than just exfoderm. You may need to skip a day every so often of that also. I keep neosporin, cortisone cream and aquafor on hand in case I do get irritated. I went on this program under the care of Plastic Surgeon. Her nurse practitioner kind of put it into perspective when she said your skin gets "angry" when you start this program. A lot of it depends on whether you want to go through this red/peelie stage the entire time or not. I chose not to
and still seem to be getting good results. You're definitely in the right place to get lots of good advice. These ladies are the best! Very Happy

Tue May 03, 2011 12:07 pm

Debo: I agree - I have read through the whole thread, and learned alot! Thank You to all of the people sharing advices!

Tue May 03, 2011 5:39 pm

debo wrote:

dianew wrote:

TN*girl wrote:

If I back off on the tret a half or a quarter of what I'd been using and keep the Blender amount the same do you think that will help with the extreme irritation?
S

& yes - I think it's the tret that's the most irritating bit, so that's the one to back off on... the doc who prescribed mine online said to go to every other night or even every 3rd night if reactions were too severe, so that's an option too - I preferred to keep it every night, but reduce the dose

The exfoderm forte seems to be a little harsher than just exfoderm. You may need to skip a day every so often of that also. I keep neosporin, cortisone cream and aquafor on hand in case I do get irritated. I went on this program under the care of Plastic Surgeon. Her nurse practitioner kind of put it into perspective when she said your skin gets "angry" when you start this program. A lot of it depends on whether you want to go through this red/peelie stage the entire time or not. I chose not to
and still seem to be getting good results. You're definitely in the right place to get lots of good advice. These ladies are the best! Very Happy

Well..if you opted not to go through the red peelie stage... why are the rest of us opting to do it? I didn't know it was optional. I thought that's just the way it works and I have to deal with it.

Wed May 04, 2011 5:09 am

The exfoderm forte seems to be a little harsher than just exfoderm. You may need to skip a day every so often of that also. I keep neosporin, cortisone cream and aquafor on hand in case I do get irritated. I went on this program under the care of Plastic Surgeon. Her nurse practitioner kind of put it into perspective when she said your skin gets "angry" when you start this program. A lot of it depends on whether you want to go through this red/peelie stage the entire time or not. I chose not to
and still seem to be getting good results. You're definitely in the right place to get lots of good advice. These ladies are the best!

[/quote]
Well..if you opted not to go through the red peelie stage... why are the rest of us opting to do it? I didn't know it was optional. I thought that's just the way it works and I have to deal with it.[/quote]

I have extremely sensitive skin, so I'm using the medical kit for sensitive skin. It has the exfoderm in it, not the forte. I also use a much lower percentage of the tret than most. It may take me a bit longer to get the results, but I prefer it this way opposed to all of the major peeling and redness. I do have flare ups occasionally and have to back off a bit. I am under a doctor's supervision and she is very happy with my results so far. I also think everyone's skin reacts differently to this product. I know several people that have used it without a lot of issues. Smile

Thu May 05, 2011 8:35 am

Tomorrow is 2 weeks since I started. I have healed up from the rawness, although those areas are still a little tender. I feel like my wrinkles are more pronounced and/or my face has a greasy appearance. I am still holing out for the amazing complexion I've heard about but at this point that is hard to imagine. Confused

Thanks for letting me vent.

Thu May 05, 2011 9:06 am

TN*girl wrote:

Tomorrow is 2 weeks since I started. I have healed up from the rawness, although those areas are still a little tender. I feel like my wrinkles are more pronounced and/or my face has a greasy appearance. I am still holing out for the amazing complexion I've heard about but at this point that is hard to imagine. Confused

Thanks for letting me vent.

Hey TN*girl! Congrats on making it this far. Dancing

Glad you're healing up. I did the same thing at first. My face got really tight and I felt like I looked 10 yrs older. Then, all of the sudden it started looking better. It's supposed to make your skin produce it's natural oils, so that's a good thing!!! Hang in there, we're with you all the way Very Happy

Thu May 05, 2011 9:16 am

Today I started on my 13 week. I have started with a new sunscreen today - MyChelle Sun Shield spf 28 coconut. I start the day with obagi spf 50, but I find that if I use only the obagi the whole day, I get quite white. So I am testing out using this for reapplying the rest of the day. Anyone tried this sunscreen?

I am still very dry, and peeling. The peeling is better, far from good though. I am hoping as I am entering 3.phase now, I will soon have glowing moist skin:).

Thu May 05, 2011 9:58 am

debo wrote:

TN*girl wrote:

Tomorrow is 2 weeks since I started. I have healed up from the rawness, although those areas are still a little tender. I feel like my wrinkles are more pronounced and/or my face has a greasy appearance. I am still holing out for the amazing complexion I've heard about but at this point that is hard to imagine. Confused

Thanks for letting me vent.

Hey TN*girl! Congrats on making it this far. Dancing

Glad you're healing up. I did the same thing at first. My face got really tight and I felt like I looked 10 yrs older. Then, all of the sudden it started looking better. It's supposed to make your skin produce it's natural oils, so that's a good thing!!! Hang in there, we're with you all the way Very Happy

Debo Thank you. It's nice to not have to go through this alone Very Happy

3TM am I supposed to be applying sunscreen all day? I didn't get the memo on that one... Confused

free skin care · Thu May 05, 2011 1:20 pm

I'm using the new Nuderm SPF 50 sunscreen and really like it quite a bit! It goes on really nice after all the other products; it doesn't feel as if it's "sitting" on my skin at all.

**I don't continually reapply my sunscreen unless I'm outside all day.

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