8 Things You Should Know About Dermaplaning

You may have already heard about dermaplaning. It’s making rounds all over the internet with influencers and beauty gurus running a razor blade across their faces. If you’re intrigued by dermaplaning, you’ve come to the right place! Here are a few things you need to know about this groundbreaking facial treatment.

 

What is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is an esthetic procedure that exfoliates and removes the peach fuzz
or vellus hair from the skin's surface. The process of dermaplaning requires tools like a scalpel or a dermatome, running it across your skin to scrape off the top layer of dead skin and taking the vellus hair with it.

Dermaplaning can help improve the appearance of your skin because it allows for
newer and undamaged skin cells to rise up to the surface. It can often help treat
hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, acne scars, and soften fine lines and wrinkles.

Dermaplaning isn’t to be confused with dermabrasion and microdermabrasion.
While all three are performed in the clinic, dermabrasion is a surgical procedure.
Microdermabrasion is a non-surgical procedure that sloughs off dead skin cells
using fine crystals or minimally abrasive instruments.

1. Dermaplaning doesn’t make the hair on your face grow thicker
A common myth regarding shaving or dermaplaning is that the hair grows back
thicker. However, this isn’t true. Vellus hair is the hair dermaplaned off the general
area of the face.Vellus hair is different from terminal hair as it is lightly pigmented, fine, and short, and it’s often called “peach fuzz.” Terminal hair is thick and can be found on the scalp, underarms, and pubic area. While terminal hair can feel coarser when it grows back after shaving, vellus hair grows back fine and lightly pigmented.

2. Dermaplaning is safe for most people
Dermaplaning is suitable for many skin types and can address many skin concerns. However, people with sensitive skin, an active case of acne, previous or current cold sore outbreaks, eczema, psoriasis, and other skin inflammation problems should avoid dermaplaning. Before doing any cosmetic procedure, it is best to consult licensed estheticians to get the green light.

Most people who decide to dermaplane have little to no irritation or reaction. The
scratching of the scalpel across your skin may cause some redness and maybe a bit of burning or tingling, but it usually goes away after 24 to 48 hours. The worst-case scenario is the risk of infection if you get nicked by the scalpel during your
appointment.

3. Dermaplaning doesn’t hurt
The procedure itself has little to no pain. It might be uncomfortable and slightly tingly for some people who may not be used to the continuous scraping motion of the scalpel, but other than that, you shouldn’t feel any pain.

4. You should avoid exfoliating a week before your dermaplaning session
Dermaplaining is essentially an exfoliation process and a relatively thorough one.
You should stop using any chemical exfoliants and scrubs three days to a week
before your dermaplaning appointment to avoid irritating your skin by over-
exfoliating. If you use any retinol or tretinoin, it is best to pause that as well. You can return to your retinol skincare routine 48 hours after or a little later, depending on how sensitive your skin is.

5. Sunscreen is a must after dermaplaning
Dermaplaning has no downtime for skin healing, but it leaves your face with fresh
new skin cells that need a little more protection. Be diligent with wearing sunscreen and maintaining sun safety practices like reducing sun exposure and wearing sun protective clothing.

Not protecting your skin after your dermaplaning will just leave your skin more
vulnerable to sun damage and reverse or even worsen any progress you’ve made
with your skin.

6. Practice your technique if you decide to dermaplane at home
You can dermaplane at home, but you must make sure to purchase the right tools.
You can purchase a dermaplaning at-home facial kit to do proper skin prep and
post-dermaplaning skincare before and after your dermaplaning.
While it may seem very easy and straightforward, you must be careful since it’s still a blade running over your skin. The rule of thumb is to hold the blade at a 45-degree angle to your skin, using light and short strokes. Take great care of angled areas like eyebrows and crevices like the nasolabial folds and chin.
If you’re unsure or have any worries, look up tutorials made by professionals so you can dermaplane as safely as possible.

7. After dermaplaning, nourish your skin
Now that you’ve exposed a fresh layer of skin cells, the new layer of skin can take in the good ingredients of your skincare. Go for mild and gentle natural skincare
ingredients like Centella Asiatica, plant-based non comedogenic oils, ceramides, peptides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, as these are the best skincare ingredients to repair your skin barrier. Avoid strong skincare actives or exfoliating chemicals, so you don’t irritate the skin.

8. Dermaplaning can be done once every month
You can return back to the esthetician’s clinic as early as three weeks or as late as six weeks. You need to discuss this with your professional, so you can safely build a dermaplaning routine without risking over exfoliating your skin, creating more
damage than good.

Dermaplaning is a great skincare procedure you can do to rejuvenate your skin and help improve the appearance of the complexion. If done right, you’ll have smooth and glowing skin pretty much all year round. And if you’re excited to begin your at-home dermaplaning journey, we’ve got an at-home dermaplaning starter kit that’s perfect for anyone just starting out on this skincare routine. Or you can also try Oilplaning with this kit!