What Is Dermaplaning And How To Do It Safely

What is dermaplaning you ask?

If you’re as obsessive about your skin care as I am, then you’re constantly looking for new exfoliating products or the latest trending skin care treatments to brighten and smooth your complexion.

If this sounds like you, then you’ve probably already heard about dermaplaning for smoother, brighter skin.

But if you haven’t, I’m here to tell you alllll about it, so grab a coffee and get comfy while we explore the pros and cons of dermaplaning and how you can do it at home (safely) with a facial razor.

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What Is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is an exfoliating treatment that involves a doctor or licensed medical aesthetician gently scraping the surface of your skin with a surgical scalpel to remove dead skin and vellus hair (a.k.a. peach fuzz).

Basically, if you read my post on the Tinkle Facial Razor, dermaplaning uses that same process to literally shave the dead skin cells right off your face using a much a sharper tool.

When done properly, dermaplaning is a great way to de-fuzz, tighten, brighten and exfoliate the skin for a smoother finish. However, there are pros and cons to everything and we will review those next.

 

What Are The Benefits of Dermaplaning?

Glad you asked! Results can vary for everyone, but you can expect to see smoother, softer, brighter skin that has zero peach fuzz/facial hair (temporarily, of course). And no, your facial hair won’t grow back darker than it’s original shade – I shave my peach fuzz all the time and it still grows back thin and blonde.

Another plus? Since you’re removing all your dead skin cells, your skin care products won’t have to fight through all the layers of dead skin camping out on your face and will better penetrate when you apply them, making more them even more effective.

Dermaplaning is also a good exfoliation option for pregnant women who don’t want to use acid exfoliants during pregnancy (some doctors advise against chemical exfoliants during pregnancy, some don’t – ask your doctor first!).

Dermaplaning also improves how your makeup applies and sits on your skin. You won’t have any pesky facial hair to get in the way of your makeup application and the exfoliation means any flaky, dead skin cells that foundation likes to cling onto are non-existent afterwards.

 

What Are The Side Effects Of Dermaplaning? Can It Cause Breakouts?

First of all, you need to be sure that you’re getting your dermaplaning done by a professional. Think about it – do you really want someone that isn’t properly trained running a thin, super sharp surgical scalpel down your face? How about, no? You can use a facial razor like the Tinkle to do some mild dermaplaning at home, but DO NOT think you can order sharper razors or scalpels and do this yourself please!

You should only have cosmetic dermaplaning done by a doctor or medical aesthetician from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon’s office – period. The lady at the spa that claims she can dermaplane you for a fraction of the price of a dermatologist might not be your best option, you know?

If you have sensitive skin, or reactive skin issues like rosacea or acne, dermaplaning might not be for you – it could cause your skin to become very irritated and angry. However, if you have skin prone to breakouts, dermaplaning can be a great blemish-fighting option!

That’s because dermaplaning removes dead skin cells that can clog pores and generate pimples (just don’t get the procedure done when you’re in the middle of a breakout – pimples and sharp blades don’t mix, ever).

 

How Long Does It Take To Recover After Dermaplaning? 

Everyone reacts to things differently, but the recovery time for dermaplaning is super fast and nothing to worry about in general – you can go back to work right afterwards (you just might be a touch pink).

You can expect some mild redness after the treatment, so use soothing products (no retinol that day!) and stay out of the sun or use a good broad spectrum sunscreen afterwards, since your skin will be super photo-sensitive.

You might also want to skip makeup for a day, but it’s totally up to you – the downtime is minimal for most people and will vary based on how your skin reacts.

Dermaplaning After-Care: Hyaluronic acid serums or masks are great for boosting hydration and speeding up skin recovery and a good aloe vera gel is wonderful for cooling and soothing the skin and reducing redness.

I like to top these items off with some rosehip oil, which promotes skin regeneration.

You can shop some after-care products below:

 

Can You Dermaplane Safely At Home?

If you plan on doing a true dermaplaning session yourself using sharp, surgical grade scalpels, you’re asking for trouble – please let a professional do it! However, if you want a gentler (and cheaper) form of at-home dermaplaning, you can always buy some eyebrow/facial razors and gently do it on your own (you can see a how-to video on this here).  I like to do some mild face shaving/dermaplaning at home every one-two weeks and love how soft and hairless my skin feels afterwards!

You can shop some facial razors below:

 

After Care – How To Take Care Of Skin After Dermaplaning

Again avoid sun exposure and only use gentle, non-exfoliating products on your skin after dermaplaning. Products with skin soothing ingredients like aloe vera, camomile, centella asiatica or allantoin.

Hyaluronic acid serums or creams also help skin to stay hydrated and heal faster.  Rosehip oil is also a great way to seal in moisture and help skin heal.

 

So, what do you think? Are your ready for your first dermaplaning treatment?