If you keep up with your beauty trends online, there’s no doubt you will have heard about dermaplaning, as this treatment alone has an incredible 3.5 billion views on TikTok!
A simple, safe, and totally non-invasive treatment that can brighten your skin and leave it silky smooth and totally hair free, it’s become an increasingly popular “staple” in many people’s beauty regimes.
However, its rise to fame on the social networks has led to a big increase in the at-home dermaplaning market, which – as with any professional treatment tried at home – simply isn’t comparable.
If you’re intrigued but yet to have tried dermaplaning, we know you’ll have questions. Like what exactly is it? How does dermaplaning work? What results can you expect? Does hair grow back thicker or faster after dermaplaning? Is it safe to do at home? And many more...
If so, read on. We’re going to give you the lowdown on all things dermaplaning.
What is dermaplaning?
Dermaplaning is a non-invasive cosmetic beauty treatment that involves gently scraping off the top level of your skin with a medical-grade scalpel to remove dead skin cells and small hairs (aka peach fuzz).
If it sounds intense, it actually isn’t. It’s surprisingly gentle, totally painless, quick, and very effective – sloughing away all the dull, dead skin cells and leaving your face brighter, smoother, softer, and with an enviable glow.
The best way to think of it is like a turbo-charged exfoliation treatment that has the added benefit of removing all the unwanted hairs on your face.
How does dermaplaning work?
Although it involves using a blade to shave away dead skin and hair, it’s not the same as simply “shaving” your face.
The main difference is the exact type of blade that is used, which is a surgical-level scalpel that is able to cut close enough to the skin to create both an exfoliating effect and capture the fine facial hairs that standard razor blades cannot reach, but also be sensitive enough to not cause any damage or irritation to the skin.
With the above in mind, and given we’re talking about extremely precise surgical blades, this is a procedure that should be carried out by a professional in a licensed medical spa or clinic. At-home dermaplaning devices are becoming increasingly common, but you’ll be hard pushed to find any dermatologist that would recommend one, for the simple reason that “sharp blades, your face, and DIY” is a combination that’s just asking for trouble.
Professional dermaplaning treatments are quick and painless, typically taking less than 30 minutes, so if you’re looking for dermaplaning in Cleveland, come and see us at BodyTonic Med Spa – and you can join our list of clients achieving brighter more radiant skin on their lunchbreaks!
What are the benefits of dermaplaning?
The most common reason people get dermaplaning is to remove unwanted vellus hair (peach fuzz) from the face and to achieve glowing, radiant skin.
However, as dermaplaning is removing the top layer of skin, it can also help with the appearance of scars and pitted skin over time, as each treatment smoothens and evens out the skin’s texture.
But that’s still only the half of it. To put it simply, the benefits of dermaplaning are many:
- Evens out skin tone and texture
- Results in a smoother, brighter, and more radiant complexion
- Precisely and effectively removes vellus (peach fuzz) hair
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and makes your skin look younger
- Reduces the appearance of acne scars and pitted skin
- Helps skin-care products sink in better and make-up go on more smoothly
- Completely pain-free
- Quick, non-invasive procedure with no downtime
- Suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women
Dermaplaning is a straightforward yet wonderfully rewarding treatment that is suited to most people. However, it may not be suitable if you have a pre-existing skin condition such as active acne, cold sores, eczema, psoriasis, skin rashes, or moles, skin tags, or other skin growths. As with any treatment, you should start with a consultation, where your practitioner will be able to advise you if it’s the right treatment for your skin and needs.
What kind of results should I expect from dermaplaning?
One of the joys of dermaplaning is that it’s quick, non-invasive, and produces instant results, and you’ll walk out of your appointment with smooth, rejuvenated skin.
As it involves removing the very top layer of skin, you may experience a little redness for a day or so, but this will settle down quickly and you’ll enjoy a glowing, dewy radiance from the get-go.
Dermaplaning results typically last about a month; it’s not a permanent treatment. Hair will grow back just as it would from shaving, as it’s not being removed from the root, and a new layer of dull and dead skin cells will gradually form. Monthly or six-weekly treatments are therefore usually recommended for anyone wanting to enjoy the benefits on an ongoing basis.
However, when it comes to reducing the appearance of scars or pitted skin, dermaplaning is more permanent. As the treatment involves removing the very top layer of your skin, each time you have the procedure done your skin texture will be improved and scars will become less visible. At least three treatments are usually recommended to see the best results of scar reduction, although bear in mind that dermaplaning only works for more superficial scars. If you have deeper and more significant scarring, more intensive procedures such as laser skin resurfacing or microneedling are likely to be recommended.
Importantly, as with any skin rejuvenation treatment, you need to avoid direct sun exposure for at least three days after dermaplaning, and always keep your face protected with sunscreen (which you do already, right?). Although it’s a gentle treatment, you’re removing a thin layer of skin which makes your face more susceptible to sun damage.
Does hair grow back thicker and darker after dermaplaning?
This is one of the main concerns about dermaplaning, but so long as you have the procedure done properly and professionally, the answer is no – dermaplaning doesn’t cause hair to grow back thicker.
As the root or hair follicle isn’t affected, there’s nothing that would cause it to start growing any differently. The hair will simply continue to grow with the exact same speed, thickness, and color as always. This concern, or myth, comes from the fact that standard shaving can often cause hair to look thicker or darker – but this is because the type of blades used for standard shaving typically cut the hair in a way that causes it to have a blunter tip which then leads to stubble and a thicker, darker appearance.
However, because dermaplaning uses such a precise scalpel, this isn’t the case. So the hair regrowth following an in-office dermaplaning treatment should grow back looking and feeling exactly the same as before. Another reason to avoid any temptation of using an at-home dermaplaning device…
Is dermaplaning the same as dermabrasion?
These two procedures are commonly confused due to the similarity in name, but other than both being exfoliation-based skin rejuvenation treatments, they couldn’t be more different.
Dermaplaning uses a medical-grade scalpel to carefully and precisely remove dull and dead skin cells, gently exfoliate the skin, and remove vellus hairs. It’s painless, requires no downtime, and is extremely safe if performed in a professional setting.
Dermabrasion, on the other hand, is a fairly invasive surgical procedure that uses a mechanical device to essentially sand down the top layers of skin. It’s an intense and invasive procedure that requires general anesthesia and can take weeks to heal. It’s also largely fallen out of favor due to its intensity and potential risks, which include infection, scarring, and pain.
Microdermabrasion is the more common and popular alternative to dermabrasion, which is a non-surgical, less invasive, and far gentler version of its predecessor, but which follows the same principle of sanding down the skin, albeit far more gently and without the same risks.
Dermaplaning and microdermabrasion are therefore both procedures that provide skin rejuvenation through exfoliation. Microdermabrasion is the more intensive of the two and requires more healing time, but provides longer-lasting results. Dermaplaning is the least invasive, and also has the benefit of removing hair.
Can I do dermaplaning at home?
Although at-home dermaplaning devices are now available to buy over the counter, we (and most medical practitioners) strongly advise against using them.
The very fact that dermaplaning requires the use of extremely sharp surgical blades means that it comes with a huge number of risks if not performed or handled correctly.
Untrained at-home users don’t have the technique or skill required to perform dermaplaning in such a way as to prevent cutting the skin, which can cause scarring or infection, or to prevent ingrown hairs or stubble regrowth. The correct maintenance and use (e.g. sterilization) of any at-home device is also generally far laxer than in professional settings, which in itself leads to far higher risks of infection or causing breakouts.
Ultimately, if you want to enjoy the benefits of dermaplaning without any risks, you should go to a licensed and experienced practitioner.
Enjoy dermaplaning in Cleveland at BodyTonic
At BodyTonic Med Spa in Cleveland, we’re proud to offer our clients the very best in cutting-edge skin rejuvenation treatments, and dermaplaning is one of our most popular.
If you live in the Cleveland area and are interested in enjoying the benefits of dermaplaning, schedule a completely free no-obligation consultation with us today, and you could be enjoying a gloriously smooth, youthful, radiant complexion tomorrow
Want to know more about other rejuvenating, restorative, and age-reversing treatments? Check out our blog or Facebook and Instagram pages, where we’re regularly posting about the incredible treatments we offer, and other exciting BodyTonic news and promotions.
