MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
Issue link: https://medesthetics.epubxp.com/i/283505
medestheticsmagazine.com | APRIL 2014 61 wonderful wife in the world," he says. "From day one, she has been with me." Together, they've grown the practice and expanded the Obagi brand, without any of the successes or obstacles affecting their marriage. And that is among his proudest achievements. Dr. Obagi also benefi ted from two key fi gures in dermatology, both of whom pre- pared him to "fi ght those people who have tunnel vision," he says. The fi rst was Dr. Sam Stegman in San Francisco. "When he saw me doing peels, he really helped me in solving certain puzzles," says Dr. Obagi. The other mentor was Dr. Albert Kligman, "who was a master of Retin A. So those two people worked with me, and we shared ideas. Other- wise, I am self-made." A Focus on Education As he enters 2014, Dr. Obagi is focused on spreading his knowledge about skin health science through a variety of educational platforms. "I try to educate the public through webinars and seminars," he says. He recently trained 13 doctors who came from all over Europe at his Beverly Hills facility, and he hosts these types of seminars every two to three months "to really learn and advance," he says. "This is the future." But he doesn't want the education to stop at the medical community; he also wants to empower patients with information "There are patients who have high expectations, or patients who are demanding a miracle overnight, and unfortunately, there are doctors who will do what the patient wants and, in general, they'll end up with a disaster," says Dr. Obagi. "Physicians have to exert control. I will not do what my patient wants, I will do what is best for my patient." He calls it a "fatherly approach, or a family approach," and believes that if physicians spend 15 minutes educating their patients about their concerns and treatment options, "I think patients would become more friendly and more open-minded." He points out that most doctors spend "zero time educating patients" and instead do what he calls "procedure on-demand." Dr. Obagi explains what will work best for the patient, and does procedures according to the skin's needs, and not the patient's wants. "Never do a budget treatment," he says. "If you come to me and say, 'I only have 300 dollars for a fi ller.' I will tell you: don't do it. You will see no difference. Come back when you have the money to do it right.'" And his most important piece of advice: "Never treat weak, inactive skin. Activate skin, that's called skin conditioning, and treat it. You will get results, the patient will be happy." He wants patients to understand this too; that before you treat the skin, it needs to be fi xed from the inside out. "If your skin is not good, no matter what you do, it's not gonna look good," he says. "So I feel strongly, the new trend, which I'm going to focus on in my teaching and with my lectures and my public seminars, will be based on prevention." Stacy Gueraseva is the senior editor of MedEsthetics. Dr. Obagi's wife, Samar, oversees business management while he focuses on research, patient care and product development. B e y o n d t h e S u r f a c e M E D 4 1 4 . i n d d 6 1 Beyond the Surface MED414.indd 61 3 / 1 3 / 1 4 9 : 2 4 A M 3/13/14 9:24 AM