(press release from Obagi medical Products, INC.)

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LONG BEACH, Calif.--April 27, 2004--As summer approaches and more Americans head outside for swimming, bicycling, gardening, hiking and sunbathing, Skin Cancer Awareness Month also arrives to help combat overexposure to the sun. While most people know that a sunburn is bad for the skin, the myth continues that a person can have a "healthy tan." The reality is that a tan itself is a sign of skin cell damage.

May is the month designated to increase skin protection education and awareness. Obagi Medical Products wants to remind people that the sun can cause skin damage all year round, but especially in the summer, when people are looking for that "sun kissed" look that can later result in skin cancer and premature aging.

Obagi is engaged in a worldwide initiative, through support of the Skin Cancer Foundation, to help educate people in the prevention of skin cancer. "More than a million cases of highly curable skin cancers are diagnosed each year, and it is estimated that more than 24,000 women will be diagnosed with malignant melanoma by the end of this year," said Dr. Zein Obagi, noted dermatologist and the Company's founder.

The Obagi System focuses on preventing premature skin aging and sun damage by protecting skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are present year round and are thought to be the primary cause of skin cancer. In the summertime, people are exposed to even higher levels of UVA and UVB, which is the reason a tan develops. A tan is skin's natural reaction to assault by the sun that can later cause skin cancer and premature aging. The Obagi System protects from both UVA and UVB rays, helping to prevent sun damage.

"The latest clinical results now show that the Obagi System can significantly reverse sun damage," said Dr. Obagi. "This improves skin firmness, reduces wrinkles, and increases the formation of collagen and elastin by transforming skin at the cellular level."

In addition to daily use of UVA/UVB sun protection, in the summertime, people should remember to avoid the sun's direct rays between 10AM and 2PM, stay in the shade (trees, sun umbrellas etc.), wear a hat with at least a three inch brim to protect the face, and wear sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection. For premature aging that has already occurred (brown spots, lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness) the Obagi System can help. It transforms skin at the cellular level, making it look and act younger and healthier.

The Obagi System is available from plastic surgeons and dermatologists by prescription. It is the number one skin care system available from physicians and is dispensed by more than 4,700 doctors in the United States.

Obagi Medical Products, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., develops, manufactures, markets and sells physician-dispensed products designed to transform skin at the cellular level. Obagi products have been available for 15 years in the U.S. and are now available in Japan, Scandinavia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Latin America, the Middle East and East Asia.