Sep 8, 20202 min read

What? How? Why? Dermaplaning Explained!

What is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is a short, in-office or spa procedure that’s kind of like getting your face shaved. It’s meant to exfoliate your skin and remove small, fine baby hairs (a.k.a. vellus hairs or commonly known as "peach fuzz"), so your face glows and feels softer and smoother.

“Dermaplaning uses a sterile surgical blade held at a 45-degree angle to gently scrape the outer layer of the skin which consists of dull dead skin cells.

At the appointment, esthetician will gently pull your skin tightly and lightly glide the blade in an upward motion using delicate, feathering strokes.

A dermaplaning treatment usually takes 10 to 20 minutes during your facial service and can be done as a stand-alone option or as a part of a facial.

First, your skin will feel seriously smooth and look super even thanks to a solid manual exfoliation. Still, this treatment isn’t exactly a wonder cure for your skin. Most recipients say how well their creams and serums absorbed into the skin after the service. Whic

h should, in turn, boost their benefits and effect on product absorption.

But if you’re simply looking for a great exfoliating treatment—and want something manual versus chemical (like a peel)—the procedure is a good alternative that works well for all skin types.

Why?

While it might be taking over Instagram, dermaplaning isn’t necessarily new—it’s been around for decades and is gene

rally safe if it’s done correctly. The person you visit for dermaplaning should use a sterile blade that you see being removed from a sterile pouch to avoid potential skin irritation or infection. If you’re worried about this, you might want to consider a board-certified dermatologist over myself (who is a licensed estatician and has been properly trained).

As for those little baby hairs that dermaplaning does away with? Many people worry that they’ll result in stubble after the procedure. In theory, your facial hairs shouldn’t grow back thicker or darker. That is an old wives tail. What about the hormonal chin hairs? Those will be tweezed

Who should avoid this service?

Dermaplaning is safe for virtually everyone. However, you should avoid it if you have a sunburn, active acne, a flaring rosacea breakout, or an inflammatory skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis. If you have a lot of deep acne scarring, you also want to be careful with dermaplaning.

Lastly, let your service provider know if you have a history of cold sores since dermaplaning can re-activate them (anything that irritates the skin can reactivate the virus responsible for cold sores).

If you’re looking for collagen stimulation procedures, permanent hair removal options, or a long-lasting exfoliation treatment, there are more effective and proven options to consider, such as laser treatments, laser hair removal, and aggressive chemical peels.