The Beginning-Obagi NuDerm System-Back Story to My Journey

Summer 2007 with my fist daughter.
 Hardly EVER wore foundation then.

In the last few years my skin has changed, and not for the better.  :(  I was one of those kids, teenagers and adults who never thought much about my skin and never really needed too.  So now it's my turn, I guess.
Please don't judge me too hard because I know that overall my skin is okay, but I want to go back to better than okay!  And I really want to even out my complexion as it was.  My husband does NOT understand this at all. Also, I am writing this blog and posting some unattractive pics of myself because when I did a Google search to find other people's experiences with Obagi NeDerm & pics, there was very little out there.  Of course, everyone's skin is different and will react differently but this is my experience.

Summer 2009-no makeup pic.
(These are hard to find!)
Starting to see melsama under eyes.

After having my first daughter 4 1/2 years ago I noticed my first "age spot" right under my right eye.  Nothing really came of it until after the birth of my second daughter who is now 2 1/2.  About a year ago I started noticing alot more hyperpigmentation under both of my eyes and I started to get acne on my forehead-signs of sun damage, hormone changes and just getting older.  After trying to battle this with every over the counter cleanser, lightener and concealer I decided to take my probs to my general doctor.  I was sick of having to wear SO much concealer, foundation and powder.

Dec. 2010-no makeup.
Really starting to wonder what was up with my skin.

First I got a prescription for Cleocin which is a topical antibiotic cream that cleared up my acne almost instantly.  Some scaring was left though.  I use this daily.  I was also prescribed a low dose Tretinoin (Retin A) for my hyperpigmentation aka melasma under my eyes.  That didn't do much at all except make me red.  Three months in to this process and I went to see a doctor at Kaiser Cosmetic Services in Santa Rosa to see if I was a candidate for Fraxel-a laser treatment that targets melasma, acne scars and even wrinkles.

He told me I prob would be a candidate for it but that it was expensive (about $900 a treatment-in my case I could probably do 1 or 2 treatments) and that I might be better off trying the Obagi NuDerm System first since I wasn't on any serious skin care regiment.  Got it on sale, 20% off, so I started my $274 journey on Monday, December 5, 2011.

Dec 5, 2011-Before Pic
Uneven skin tone, melasma, acne scars.
More prevalent that  1 yr ago.