Tag Archives: obagi nu-derm

How can I treat spots in my 30’s?

FAQs, ,

Q. I am 35 years old and have been suffering with acne like spots around my mouth and chin. I have never had problem skin in the past, why is this happening and what can I do to treat it?

A. When we think back to our teenage years there are many things we’d give out right arm to have back. We spend hours in the gym trying desperately to regain our teenage figures, we long for the days when the most important and pressing issues in our lives where which party to go to at weekend and who is the best looking member of Take That. One thing we never get nostalgic about is our problem, acned, hormonal skin, but a recent survey by the Acne Support Group found that 15% of women are still affected by acne well beyond their teens.

Adult acne is no different to normal acne; it is only given this term to distinguish sufferers from the teenagers we normally associate with spotty skin. Acne is an inflammatory skin condition that most commonly affects the face, chest and back; and experts believe that acne is caused by sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone. That is not to say that sufferers have more of the male hormone, just that they are more sensitive to testosterone which can trigger acne. The rush of hormones associated with puberty explains why teenagers are prone to acne and why women may be prone to spots around their period.

Hormonal acne is usually characterised by large and painful spots around the jawline and chin, which does sound like the type you describe, but stress, poor diet and unsuitable beauty products can also be contributory factors.

An excellent new range that we now have available in our FAB Clinic is the Obagi range. Developed by leading American dermatologist Dr Zein Obagi. Dr Obagi conceived and brought to the market what would become the world’s most recognised brand of physician dispensed skincare products. Designed to transform skin with speciality products, which are clinically proven to work.

There is a specific range to target skin issues of all types and for clients of all ages. The range which would be perfect for your skin in the CLENZIderm MD system. Specifically designed for mild to moderate acne this range is effective in the treatment and prevention of acne.

Daily use of only three products expressly designed to stop acne will clear the skin, renew radiance and minimise side effects of other acne treatments.

Alongside its ground breaking skincare systems Obagi also offer the world famous Blue Peel Radiance  treatment. Initially designed to refresh and lighten dull skin, it will also target fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentary changes due to acne, uneven skin tone, laxity and texture issues and light melisma.

Obagi Blue Peel Radiance

This would be a great treatment for you to have because it completely removes the stratum corneum to reveal the new skin underneath. This in turn means boosted outcomes from your skincare at home. Applying product directly onto this new skin means that the skincare is able to perform to its best ability instead of having to fight through dead skin cells to start working on the skin it is designed to treat.

The trials we have performed in the clinic on models with similar skin concerns to your own have been astounding and the models have seen real results and complete transformations in their skin.

For further information or to book a full consultation with our clinical practitioner, please call in to the clinic or give us a call on 0161 6327 1114, where a member of our team will be happy to help you.

How do I get rid of dark marks around my mouth after my pregnancy?

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Q.After my pregnancy 3 years ago I have been left with as dark brown mark around my mouth that won’t go away. It gets darker in the sun and when I’m on holiday it even gets darker through total sun block. I am finding it harder and harder to cover with make-up and it is really affecting my confidence, what can I do?

A.From the description you have given it sounds very much like a condition called melasma or chloasma. Melasma is a common skin condition which is characterised by areas of light to dark brown pigmentation develops, mainly on the face. Melasma usually becomes more noticeable in summer due to the sun’s stimulation of melanin in the skin, and as you mentioned pregnancy can be a contributing factor to its onset, along with triggers such as stress and hormonal drugs such as the contraceptive pill.

In the clinic we have a number of ways we can treat hyperpigmentation including laser skin rejuvenation, skin peels and homecare products. In the case of melasma and the fact that it is a systemic condition we cannot treat it with laser skin rejuvenation as this could cause it to become darker. Skin peels and homecare products are still viable treatment options and I would suggest a treatment programme which included a combination therapy plan of both peels and the Obagi Nu-Derm system would be an excellent treatment option for yourself.

The Obagi Blue Peel Radiance treatment is a medium depth skin peel treatment designed for incremental desquamation of the stratum corneum, this will then reveal the new skin, allow the absorption of the Nu-Derm products to penetrate the skin more readily and thus boost the effects of the Nu-Derm programme.

Obagi Blue Peel Radiance

The Obagi Nu-Derm system was designed by Dr Zein Obagi to treat a wide range of skin care concerns using prescription based hydroquinone and tretinoine. This system promises to deliver your youngest possible skin after just 18 weeks. The system has enjoyed years of success and has proven clinical results in treatment of melasma and other pigment problems.

The 18 weeks system works on three skin cycles, and it works extremely well when combined with a course of three peels every 6 weeks to boost the effect of each Obagi skincare cycle. At the end of the 18 week system you would see a dramatic different on the treatment area, the whole face will be brighter, firmer, lifted, pores will be more refined and skin tone more even.

There is no need for you to continue to suffer with this problem, please call in to talk to our clinical staff who would be happy to assess the area, discuss your treatment options and provide you with any information you need. It will be our pleasure to help you moving forward with your problem.

Consultations on a range of skincare and aesthetic treatments are available in salon six days a week. Please feel free to call in and discuss your concerns, and mention this article for a free sample bag.

Read my 18 week journey to younger looking skin

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 18

Clinic Blogs, Obagi,

Well it’s been a long journey but here is the final installment of my blog:

Week 18

Let me begin by apologising  for the hiatus between weeks 6 and 18 of the blog, the clinic has been extraordinarily busy and the 6 weeks school holiday played havoc with my personal free time.

When I left you I was at the end of week, and I had started to peel again, but was hopeful that my Blue Peel Radiance treatment would remove any excess flaking in order to boost my skin in to the “restart” phase of the programme. Wow, was I wrong!

Initially after the peel my skin felt the softest it had ever felt, possibly since birth. This was however as short lived as one of Jordan’s marriages and by the morning following the treatment my peeling had gone into overdrive.

This peeling lasted well into week 12 and my next peel treatment only acted as a catalyst for even more peeling. I wouldn’t have believed it possible for any one person to have this much dead skin on the whole of their body, let alone a solely on their face. The pigment I was so desperately fighting against for willing to go a full 12 rounds with me, and I wasn’t about to give up.

I persevered through a break away with the family in Devon; and let me tell you there are few things that sting quite like salt water on open skin. When it came to our holiday to Menorca I decided that as we only had carry-on luggage and as I have peeled consistently for 3 months, I deserved a break from being flaky and pink, so I only packed the cleanser, toner and SPF in my see through plastic bag and left the active products at home. It didn’t take long for my skin to return to a normal colour and texture, and I was really careful to keep my SPF topped up, wear a hat and sit in the shade. I had no tan to speak of when we came home and not just because we had torrential rain for 4 of our 7 days, I was a living advert for being sun safe. Regardless of this I still picked up a few freckles which have yet to go back down.

So, today I am off Nu-Derm after 18 weeks and in limbo as to what to do next, there are so many choices and protocols that would be suitable for my skin that I am having trouble deciding which one is best for me to move on to. I could go for CRX to keep my skin fresh and bright or I could move on to 360 with retinol for mild anti-aging or I could stay on nu-derm and reduce the frequency of my active products to keep peeling at bay and treat all major skin concerns in one system.

As Nu-Derm goes, would I do it all over again if I had known just how intense it was going to be? Yes, I would. Even though I peeled beyond anyone’s expectation and for the entire duration of the programme, my results have made it all worthwhile. I have seen genuine transformation in my skin. The pigmentation is dramatically reduced, my fine lines and wrinkles are visibly diminished and the tone and texture of my skin is the best it has been in years.

If there is a specific treatment you would like me to road test on your behalf, so that you can get a real perspective on how it all works and what to expect please feel free to contact me on fayem@thefaceandbodyshop.co.uk

 

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 6

Clinic Blogs, Obagi, ,

Week 6 should be the end of the “delete” stage of the Nu-Derm programme, when you can expect the peeling and redness to have stopped and the pigment on the skin should be significantly reduced, ready to start the next 6 week cycle, the “restart” phase. Let me stress the word SHOULD in that sentence. I have been told on more than one occasion in varying aspects of my life that I am “different”, generally this is said with an inflection of sympathy for those around me. It would seem that my skin has some idiosyncrasies of its own that it would like present and feels that this is the perfect time for its very own expo in how to be non-conformist.

Week 5 was amazing in terms of my skin health and it was with great excitement and the chariots of fire music playing on my inner monologue that I entered week 6. There I was a naïve fool believing that I had options in the way of maintenance programmes, that I would not need the full 18 weeks to tame the problems with my skin, I am a trailblazer, a maverick with super skin. The sound effect I would like you to imagine going along with the next statement is the noise played on family fortunes to accompany an answer so ridiculous that the host is forced to reply “if it’s up there, I’ll give you the money myself”, UR ERRRRRR and a huge flashing X! Week 6 brings with it a return to peeling and hue of pink that any self-respecting sow would be proud of. I had not banked on this. The peeling is nothing like I experienced in the first few weeks of the programme but totally out of the blue. It has however made up my mind that I need to continue on with the Nu-Derm system as it obviously still has work to do. I was so pleased with the appearance of my skin in week 5 that if this is only the interim result then it is worth persevering with the remaining length of the programme in order to get the maximum benefit from everything the system can achieve.

At the end of each 6 week cycle on the Nu-Derm programme Obagi recommend having a Blue Peel Radiance treatment to kick start the beginning of the next phase and it may just be that my skin is ready for that treatment and that is why I am experiencing the light flaking around my nose and mouth again. I intend on having the treatment at the beginning of week 7, so keep your fingers crossed for me that, that will clear the residual peeling in order to “restart” a whole new skin!

I have put together a baseline photo and a week 6 photo to show the improvement in the pigment and the tone of my skin. I hope the blog has been of some help in providing an insight into how Nu-Derm works and the stages you can expect to go through on the journey to your best possible skin.

Obagi nu derm

obagi nu derm

I will keep you informed of my progress at week 12 as I prepare to begin the “refresh and restore” stage.

Thanks for reading

Faye

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 5

Clinic Blogs, Obagi, ,

It dawned on me yesterday that I have two weeks before I take part in the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride and so I schedule in a practice session to test my legs. I apply my SPF to protect whilst I’m out and will do my full morning routine when I get back. The AM products have to be on the skin for at least 4 hours to make sure they achieve the penetration depth they need so it will still have plenty of time on the skin before I need to apply the PM products.

The bike ride over to Hebden Bridge not only tested my legs but also my will to live. I hit a physical wall in Heyside and whistled for my husband, a mere blip on the horizon by this point, to stop. He understood the seriousness of my situation when I begged him to buy me a Lucozade and a Mars Bar. Years of experience in the field of my behaviour had taught him that this was not a drill or a test, I was in serious need of a sugar rush and this time he would not be berated in the future for letting me have the glucose and calorie hit I requested. I don’t think I even chewed the Mars Bar, I inhaled it like a Gremlin being fed after midnight. I managed to make it home! It was no longer morning and if there had not been a date indicator on my watch I wouldn’t even have been sure it was the same day, but I still had the necessary time and energy to apply my AM routine, and my skin has stood up to the ride much better than my legs, bum and mental state. We had cycled through, wind, rain, fog and sun but my skin still looked radiant. A shallow victory, but I’ll take it!

obagi skin care system week 5

Day 2
I decide to change my exercise today and go swimming, I really enjoy swimming but haven’t really been since week 3 when my face was still peeling and the chlorine made it feel very tighter and more uncomfortable than it already was. Being of the belief that the peeling was behind me I felt it is once more safe to venture into the water.

Day 3
It seemed like I had gotten away with it, the perfect crime, exercise and good skin. It was not to be, and today the peeling has found a winning return to form. I have an awards bash to attend tomorrow and would rather not peel all over the venue. Fingers crossed for not only a FAB, but also a facial win on the night

Day 4
A nerve wrecking night at the Skills for Business Awards and my skin has managed to hold out on what is the hottest day of the year so far. Lisa and I are joined by Maxine Parfitt our sponsor from Tameside College at The Point at Old Trafford, sharing our table with several other nominees. As I sit and try and explain to the gentleman next to me that when I mentioned body shop, it was the beauty kind and not as he had assumed the motor vehicle kind, we are announced WINNERS! Euphoria, an amazing night had by all, backed by the reassurance that should we fail to make it in beauty, we could still pass as panel beaters in a very different kind of body shop.

week 5 awards

Week 6 on the horizon and with the home straight, I now have to decide where to go maintenance wise from this point, I still have a week, I’ll decide later!

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 4

Clinic Blogs, Obagi, ,

Day 1 of week 4 is also day 1 of a 4 day hangover, although my skin does not show it. Where I would usually be a morbid grey colour with matching purple suitcases under my eyes, I appear fresh faced and radiant. My head is banging and my stomach is demanding I eat everything in the kitchen cupboards, but my skin is performing some kind of smoke and mirrors illusion which is telling the casual onlooker that I’m fine. I am not, and won’t be for some time.

Day 4, the fog in my head has cleared and I am thrilled to report that the peeling seems to have stopped. My forehead is luminous and I can see a visible refinement in my pores especially across my cheeks and nose.

Some lucky people do not need to wear make up to look presentable but I have never been one of those people, I have missed wearing make up so much! Aside from the party last week I have only really worn make up to come into work and even then I have only really worn mascara and lipstick as any kind of foundation has made the peeling look more obvious. I decide to give a mineral foundation a try. Mineral foundation would never have been an option for me before as it didn’t cover the pigment and blemished areas on my face enough to mask them. Today even the very lightest dusting has given my skin a healthy natural glow. It may well have all been worth it!

Day 6 and I’m actually getting excited in the morning to look at my skin and see how much it has changed in the night. It is a lot brighter and more even looking and the redness around my mouth has subsided but not completely disappeared. I have had a few comments on my skin in recent days, but if I’m honest I’ve had more comments on how brave I am to be putting pictures of myself looking so awful on social media for the world to see. Finger crossed the swan is about to emerge from the ugly duckling.

This week’s brave yet awful photo does not quite do justice to the improvement my skin has made.

faye week 4 obagi nu derm

 

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 3

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While my nose gently weeps

Day 1 of week 3 and my sore red face needs to make an appearance at a BBQ with the “Reggae Weekenders” as a group of friends we are now that close they feel that brutal honesty is not only allowed but compulsory. The BBQ is at 2pm and my shedding period has become later in the day, I may get away with it, unfortunately the more I talk the more my face peels and after an hour of catching up my face hits full peel, cue generous amounts of laughter and head shaking from the male members of the group. We leave after 2 hours to go and collect my eldest son from a cricket match in Preston. By now my face is losing skin in sheets I try and cover it over with a scarf, but it’s a hot old day over in Preston and the heat is too much for me to bear. I remove the scarf like they remove bandages in films when they are revealing a person’s face after they’ve had surgery that’s gone horribly wrong, slowly unwinding to expose the abomination beneath.

After a short while staring a lady finally plucks up the courage to ask if I have seen my Dr about a possible vitamin c deficiency! Having spent all afternoon explaining my shedding to friends I’m at my wits end, so go along with her line of questioning assuring her I will make an appointment with my Dr first thing Monday morning.

obagi nu-derm week3

Day 3
I’m shedding in the night now too! I give my face a vigorous rub over with a damp face cloth after I have cleansed. Arrrghhhh, why does the toner sting so much this morning? Oh that will be because I have scrubbed with a little too much vigour and made my nose weep, and what is that? A few spots, sore, yellow, I’ll just do a little extraction. Note to self, leave spots alone! Instead of popping they have just bled under the skin and now I have a series of blood blisters on my chin to distract from my weeping nose, can’t wait until later on when I start to shed too!

Day 5
I have turned a corner, the past few days the peeling has calmed beyond measure, it is no longer shedding during the day, just a little at night and the redness around my mouth has calmed, excellent just in time for my gorgeous sister-in-laws 30th birthday party. During the process I have not really worn much make-up as it only draws attention to the shedding so fingers crossed I will be able to wear some to the party.

Day 7
Party night! I have applied make up, I am pleased to say that the skin on the upper part of my face looks flawless, the system is definitely working it’s magic there. My mouth and chin areas are still dry so my make-up doesn’t sit as well there but it’s a huge improvement from last weekend. The party is a rip roaring success and as such I am still up and dancing at 3am (yes I am too old for this). My face has given up well before my feet and I started to peel around midnight, like Cinderella this should have been my cue to leave. At 4am when I finally roll home I drag myself in to the bathroom and against the odds do my entire night time routine. When I wake a few hours after the fact that I did manage to apply my creams is a complete miracle, the fact that it will take me until the middle of next week to shake the hangover is less of a surprise. Week 4 will be sponsored by Obagi Nu-Derm and copious amounts of water and ibuprofen!

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 2

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Here is our next instalment from Faye on her journey to younger skin.

EAT, SLEEP, PEEL, REPEAT……..

Week 2 appears to be a breeze, I’m taking the peeling in my stride and those in the know now know to stand down wind of me for fear of falling skin. I say appears to be a breeze, as the morning of day 3 rolls round I question my youngest son on exactly how long it is since he last had a shower. The answer is so disgusting that my jaw hits the floor and the side of my mouth cracks OUCH!!!!!! The pain, the disgust, the pain, the disgust, but which is worse? As I try and eat breakfast I realise the pain is infinitely worse. For the next few days I nurse the crack at the side of my mouth and make a mental note to be more careful with my product application. Too close to the mouth and creases of the nose may cause cracking and bleeding, I have said it so many times to clients as I have advised them on the correct use of the product, I now know from experience this is not an empty threat.

Days 4, 5 and 6 this week have been particularly sunny and I have taken extra care to be sun safe but I have not let the programme restrict any of the things I like to do, I have just been aware that I need to keep my SPF topped up and try as best I can to keep out of direct sunlight. I have been out on my bike, walking the dogs and gardening and my face has been fine; apart of course from the fact that it’s bright red and peeling.

Obagi Nu-Derm Skin Care System week 2

Day 6 of this week see’s us celebrating, our now fresh and clean son’s 9th birthday. A trip to Old Trafford Cricket with a few of his friends and a bite to eat. James’ friends must be the most polite set of children I have ever met, not one of them questioned why on earth my face was as red as a beetroot and shedding all over my clothes, even as they watch my husband carefully batting it off the fallen debris from my jumper. I spend most of the night trying to shield the shed from public view by wearing a horse mask, hiding in plain sight, I think I got away with it!

horses head - faye

Day 7 and I hit a wall! When will I stop shedding? I know it is generally 6 weeks of shedding that clients should prepare for, but after 2 weeks I cannot believe that there is any skin left around my mouth that my face does not require to stop my teeth being visible. After an early start on the wine and a FULL bag of chocolate raisins I decide to suck it up and go apply my night time regime, stick with it! Bring it on week 3.

skin peel

 

Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 1

Obagi, , ,

Faye one of our  senior therapists is testing out the the Obagi Nu-Derm  Skin Care System, read about her journey to younger looking skin.

“Nu- Derm is the #1 physician-dispensed skin care system, clinically proven to help reduce the signs of skin aging. It is specially formulated for all skin types to restore beautiful, healthy-looking skin”. That’s what the brochure says and who wouldn’t want that kind of result, but what does the actual treatment feel like to the patient. This is my journey through the first 6 weeks of the Obagi Nu-Derm programme; the “delete” stage.

For those of you unfamiliar with Obagi Nu-Derm, the system is an 18 week programme to take your skin back to its youngest possible form, it will treat skins with age spots, fine lines and wrinkles, rough, sagging or red skin, uneven or dull skin and discolouration. Using a medically prescribed personal protocols, each patient uses a collection of Nu-Derm products to address the skin care concerns they would like to treat.

Week 1

My skincare issue is an area of pigmentation around my mouth and the beginning of sun damage around my eyes, the fact that in the course of removing these areas of concern, I will also be transforming my skin to a healthier, younger looking state is an absolute boon!

I have been on the training for this system twice and become an Obagi Ambassador, so I am pretty well placed to know that this is an intense skin care system. I know to make patients aware that they will see some redness and peeling in the first 6 weeks of the programme, to assure them that this is all perfectly normal, but you can never totally reassure someone of this until you have walked in their shoes, so here we go……

Day 1 sees me shun all my beloved skincare products and set out my new Obagi product range. There are quite a few products here to use, but everything is labelled with a number for order of use and AM & PM so I know what to use and when. They have also given me lots of information on the products and I can also sign up to a website to get further details on the whole system.

After full use of my AM and PM routine on this day my skin feels a little tingly, but otherwise fine.

By the afternoon of day 3 I have started to get some slight peeling around my mouth and the area looks a slightly pink, much like you expect to see if you have burnt yourself in the sun. When I apply my PM routine in the evening it stings a little, but I am focused on my goal and I know this is normal.

Obagi Nu-Derm Faye Day 3

WOW by day 6 the shedding is so pronounced that I have to ask for a dust pan and brush when I go round to my brothers for tea to clear up all the skin that has peeled whilst I talked and ate. YUK, they all think I am mad but I am as happy as a snake shedding it’s old skin to reveal a brand new one. This analogy only serves to them as a full acceptance of my madness.

Day 7 sees me go into Manchester with my husband for shopping and drinks, at the exact time that my shedding hits it’s peak. After several shops and a few cocktails, he asks me to go into the toilet and wipe my face, the shedding had become too much for him to bear, and to be honest when I saw it, I had to agree with him that it was time to go home.

fay-day-7 Day 7

The first week has seen me have quite an intense peel and at times certain times in the day my skin does feel quite tight, it has become pinker and pinker as the week has gone on and some of the products sting a little on application. I have however already noticed a radiance to the skin on my forehead and when I stretch the skin where my pigment is strongest it does now break up, where it did not before, an indication that it is beginning to breakdown. I will chalk week one up as a success, 5 more weeks to go……