Dr. Obagi doing one-on-one consultations at one of his Personal Appearances

I learned something new on Saturday; in fact, I learned a lot.

There were 600+ women who began lining up outside a Nordstrom store at 7 am to see Dr. Obagi and a few other celebrities like Kate Somerville and Deborah Lippman.  It’s a big show, but that’s not what impressed me.

Sitting next to Dr. Obagi, while he visited with people was a great experience.     Even for me, and  I’ve known and worked with him for a while.  What made it most interesting was not what he said, but the people with whom he met—some of whom had traveled thousands of miles to see him. A few of the surprises:

• Many people told him that he had changed their life—given them self-confidence and happiness, because he treated difficult skincare problems that other dermatologists refused. We’re not talking  lines and wrinkles here—we’re talking very serious and debilitating skin diseases.
• The mother who brought her son, who had severe nodular acne.  Dr. Obagi asked this woman why she had not taken her son to a doctor before this. She said that she wouldn’t let anyone else treat him, because she herself had the same condition 25 years ago, and only Dr. Obagi was able to correct her skin.  So she waited—and waited—until she could see Dr. Obagi.  He gave her his card, and asked her to bring her son to his clinic right away.
• The number of different races and ethnicities that were represented.   Part of the reason is because Dr. Obagi led the dermatology profession in the treatment of different skin colors.  Only about 25 years ago, many dermatologists treated skin like it came in only two different colors:  fair-skinned and slightly tan.  They were color blind; they didn’t understand anything other than Caucasians.  Dr. Obagi changed  all of that.  Now he’s a hero to people with skincare problems, all over the world.
• The number of different languages that they spoke.  And he talked right back–in four different languages.
• There were some women whom he admitted that he couldn’t help—they had diseases for which there was no treatment.  One woman left in tears, because he said, “I don’t want to mislead you.  My products won’t help you.” Understandably and unfortunately, she was desperate for a solution. But at least he was honest.
• His 18-year old daughter, who sat and listened, so very proud of her father.  She has heard it all before, I’m sure, but she wanted to hear it again.
• The number of people who came to him because they were disillusioned with skincare products that didn’t work.  They left feeling stronger and optimistic, that this time will be different.  They left with hope; but more than that, they left with solutions.
• Scores of women who use the Obagi® Nu-Derm® products that Dr. Obagi developed, and just wanted to thank him, personally.

It’s not very often that Dr. Obagi makes a personal appearance, but if you have the opportunity, join him some time.

For me, it was a day that I’ll never forget.  For him, it was just another day.