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POSTED UNDER Blue Peel Reviews

Obagi Blue Peel for Brown Spots--Ended Up with Large Pores + More Wrinkles - Jupiter, FL

UPDATED FROM rtistmom1
3 months post

Blue Peel Update

rtistmom1July 8, 2014
$800
Here are my photos. Unfortunately, I don't have any Before pictures that show my skin close enough to see the difference in pores and texture. While it looks like all those brown marks on my face disappeared, they were really not noticeable until the peel brought them all out. The ones still visible are the ones I was most concerned about.

Replies (5)

DashedHopes
August 6, 2014
I was about to book my sessions for Obagi treatment but now thinking again! The doctor said it didn't hurt and it was a two stage process. She would apply one layer and wait. If you tolerated it she would apply a second layer. She did not say she would do 4! Perhaps it was more than your skin could tolerate? I hope your skin heals well and all will not have been in vain. I was actually thinking of getting the Obagi Blue Peel kit to do at home but for some reason it is not readily sold here in Ireland, unlike the U.S.A.
rtistmom1
August 7, 2014
Hi DashedHopes, My skin is slowly getting better. My pores definitely look better in some areas and the dryness is much improved but I now use a super heavy moisturizer. I still have one or two "ice pick" spots. As far as it not hurting - wow. Is she numbing you first? My PS said she did two layers at a time, so only had it burn then wait then burn again and I had tears running down my face it hurt so much, which she said is normal. Like I said, some people have had great results. Maybe it depends on your age and skin condition (mine was pretty sun damaged.) I think the thumbs up rate on here for the Blue Peel is something like 63% which I don't think is all that great. It did help get rid of some of the brown spots but not the darkest ones that I was most concerned about and I don't see any other overall improvement from before the peel. As far as buying the kits, they actually recommend that a plastic surgeon do the peel and not someone at a spa, so I'm pretty sure they do not sell kits here. I would never attempt something this strong myself. Good luck with your decision. If you go through with it, I hope you have great results. Keep us posted!
NEVER4GET
November 4, 2014
I had a Obagi because my oily skin was getting congested and dr said in thinning out the outer layer of skin the oil could escape the surface and not clog. I had no open pores or wrinkles around the mouth and a year and a half I have the mouth of a 100 year old woman. The peel was just too harsh and drying for the mouth and lip area. For me the damage has continued and I am just now looking for improvement. I have been told I would need a very aggressive co2 peel for a 70% improvement. I am terribly scarred. It started out as pink and soft and in a few weeks the damage began to show. I am so sad.
rtistmom1
November 4, 2014
I feel your pain, Never4get. I would say that my skin has never recovered to what it was before the peel. I think I would gladly take the brown spots over the pores and orange peel skin, and yes, wrinkles galore. I would be very careful in getting an aggressive CO2 peel. Please post your before and after pics if you do. Or you can email me personally if you'd like. I'm curious to see how it all works out for you. Good luck!
rtistmom1
November 4, 2014
I feel you pain, NEVER4GET. My skin has not returned to how it was before the peel. In retrospect I would take the brown spots over the large pores and orange peel skin (not to mention the wrinkles!) Does the damage you have from your peel resemble the damage I experienced? I am afraid to have any more peels, especially a very aggressive co2 peel. I would love to see your results if you do get one. Please post before and after pictures or you can email me personally if you'd prefer. Good luck!
NEVER4GET
November 5, 2014
Yes rtistmom1, my damage is almost exactly like yours. I had no mouth or lips wrinkles before. No, I can't live like this. I so hope this will not be your experience but my skin continues to deteriorate. I am a year and a half out. Since you are so early on maybe you can still be helped by burn creams.
NEVER4GET
November 8, 2014
I should add that I was given no pre or post care instructions and so did not care for my skin properly. I am sure that was a huge factor in my horrific results. I am going to a PS on tuesday and I will post as to his advice.
RealSelf03120393
February 2, 2015
Obagi blue peel is a TCA peel which MUST be done by a professional. You won't find a kit for that. It sometimes gets confused with Obagi radiance peel which is a superficial salicylic acid peel. You could do that at home as it doesn't do much anyway.
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debijoy
January 27, 2015
oh I feel so bad at your disappointment , May I asked what your Doctor had to say about this.
rtistmom1
February 2, 2015
I have to say that I find drs have very little to say if the results are less than we'd like. Maybe it was because she didn't really know my skin beforehand, or maybe because it was 6 months when I saw her again, but she thought it looked good. It has gotten a little better, but that is because I baby my skin and never go in the sun. The pores still look larger than before and I guess I'm used to the wrinkles! If I had the chance all over again, I would not get it.
NEVER4GET
February 7, 2015
Mine has not improved and so I have had several different consults for laser. The pores around my mouth area were scarred from the peel but also it was so strong that my skin cracked and left deep paper cut type wounds which healed into deep wrinkles. I gotta get this fixed.
RealSelf03120393
February 2, 2015
I used Obagi Nu derm faithfully for 5 months and it did absolutely nothing except make my skin look tired, old and very white. My skin is SO tough I had no redness or irritation at all - even with full strength retin A. So I tried a peel and after the skin peeled it still looks the same! Arggh I don't understand how people get such great results. For brown spots you could use Obagi clear - that seems to work while you use it at least. The pigmentation might come back afterwards though.
kathi5981
May 18, 2015
Dr. Jed Horowitz, Newport Beach, has a video on his website that is Dr. Obagi doing a Blue Peel in a tutorial for other doctors. It is obvious that the woman getting the peel has been given a relaxer, and possibly a nerve block, which is what I received with my Blue Peel. I think not being anesthetized is very stressful for the patient and probably the doctor, as well. When I told the medical aesthetician that I had not completed the one month of pre-treatment, she set my appointment back to give me another two weeks of prep time. I did face, neck and chest and I am seeing now that where I was not diligent with the pre-treatment on my chest, the results are quite different and there is not peeling occurring there. It is a very specific treatment, I was given a sedative and a nerve block and my only pain was the needle, which I have felt before in the dentist's office. I can't rate my results yet, but I will say I scared by granddaughter this morning, and.... it is a pain to be BLUE!!
inzawoods
March 25, 2017
I think your skin looks 100 times better than it did before.
ORIGINAL POST

I was looking for something to improve my sun...

rtistmom1July 1, 2014
I was looking for something to improve my sun damaged skin and get rid of brown spots. I've heard a lot about Obagi and their Blue Peels over the years, so decided to ask my plastic surgeon about it. I did not do any prep (such as using Nu Derm ahead of time.) My ps decided on 4 layers. It was incredibly painful but I had a fan within inches of my face. It took a really long time for me to start seeing any signs of peeling - at least 5 days in, and then the wrinkling was so incredibly deep that I looked 90. It took about 12 days until the peeling stopped. I then started using ZO Brightenex but even though I only used it twice a week, I started peeling all over again. At first my skin felt really smooth, but then I noticed my pores were huge! I never had visible pores before. Also my skin took on an orange peel texture with a few "ice pick" marks. It's been 10 weeks and my skin looks worse than ever. I have stopped the Brightenex completely and now use emu oil and vasoline on my skin. My skin is overly dry, the lines around on face are more noticeable, and the brown spots, while lighter, are still very visible. I feel like a vampire because I am avoiding the sun at all costs and being an outdoor person, it is ruining my summer.

I'm sure this works on some people, and the procedure was performed by a competent plastic surgeon, but I think my skin was just too sensitive. The down time was way longer than I anticipated and I really feel like I've ruined my skin. I would definitely not recommend it!

Replies (5)

Kimmers25
July 3, 2014
Thank you for sharing with the community.  I am sorry you are having so many issues with your skin now:(
RealSelf03120393
July 7, 2014
I'm so sorry for your experience. I want to have a peel as Obagi has not worked for me but reading stories like this scares me. Do you know what percentage TCA peel it was and do you have any pics?
rtistmom1
July 8, 2014
Thanks for your comment! You motivated me to post my pics but I don't know what strength my peel was. I think it was fairly strong since you can see how wrinkled I was at 5 days. I really can't advise you about a peel, as some have had great results, while others get the large pores and orange peel skin like me. In general, I think my skin looks older now and worse in makeup (but certainly not good enough to wear without it!) I'm going back to Florida and will visit my PS so will see what she has to say.
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MVPT
August 15, 2014
Good luck! Your experience does not sound like any fun at all. so disappointing.
skincareby jani
February 12, 2015
Prepping the skin is a must, when doing a Blue peel ! The unpredictability of results, is why everyone should pre treat. Using the appropriate products to conditions the skin makes a difference. Find a Dr's office that has a protcol in place for prepping the skin, before a peel. You also want a follow up protocol. You want a office that will educate and guide you, so you can achieve results that you will be happy with.
ninofred
April 17, 2016
Hi
Thx for your honesty .i was considering but since I have very sensitive skin I will Not ,so thank you .greatly appreciate and I hope that your skin will improve ...
Be Wholly Holy
May 30, 2016
As chemical peels remove layers of skin, the underlying layers are exposed. These underlying layers can be where much sun damage, wrinkles, scars and embedded debris are located and when they start to come to the surface, the skin can begin to look worse. But don't give up! Repeated chemical peels done in a series work well in getting past these damaged layers until a healthy unblemished layer of skin is revealed. A series is done with having another chemical peel about every 3-4 weeks until you reach your desired results. Do not pick or pull away your skin while it is sloughing off whatsoever since this can leave damaging pits in the skin. Also, If your skin becomes too dry, a Lactic Acid peel is great for re-hydrating the skin. After the series of chemical peels are done, its good to let the skin rest and recover for a while; during this rest period, maintaining your desired results with a good facial about once a month is important until you're ready to start the next series in about 6 mos. to 1 year as needed. So keep it up and don't loose heart, sounds like you may need a few more chemical peels to bring you to point where your skin looks fresh, healthy and smooth. To a beautiful you, blessings!
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