What in the World is Dermaplaning?
Well, simply put, it is the act of shaving the top layer of dead skin from your face. More specifically, it is a safe procedure (as long as it’s done by a professional) which physically exfoliates your facial skin. The professional will use a medical grade scalpel to carefully remove the top layer of your skin, including the vellus hair, which you most likely know as peach fuzz. Generally, this procedure takes about 30 minutes or so and is done once per month. Dermaplaning is meant to be used only on your face, and areas such as your nose and eyebrows are completely avoided.
What Can I Gain From Dermaplaning?
While it might seem insignificant or lacking in benefits, removing the top layer of your skin is actually very beneficial for your face. Not only does it remove the decaying cells, but it also promotes the growth of new skin cells which make your facial skin look smooth and wrinkle-free.
Furthermore, that peach fuzz we mentioned earlier has a tendency to collect oil and dirt which can generate acne in the surrounding areas. After dermaplaning, most of the vellus hairs are completely removed, which eliminates all the extra oil and dirt particles and results in even clearer and better-looking skin surface.
Who Should Use Dermaplaning?
If you have unevenly tones facial skin or many rough dry patches around your face, we think that you can benefit the most from dermaplaning. The removal of all the dead skin cells will help even out your skin and reduce the acne which is formed due to the leftover dead skin cell still residing on top of your skin. Women who are older can also benefit a lot from dermaplaning since older skin has a tendency to accumulate higher amounts of dead skin cells over time because of a slowed down cellular turnover rate, meaning that older skin doesn’t regenerate as quickly as younger skin. This slow turnover rate gives your pores more time to absorb the oils, dirt, and dead cells which can result in more acne.
Women who have thick and dark facial hair might want to avoid this procedure. If your skin is very oily it also might be a good idea to stay away from dermaplaning. Lastly, if you have many acne breakout areas around your face, you should avoid dermaplaning as well; try to clear out the area first.
Should I Perform Dermaplaning at Home?
This is a slightly gray area which we have to approach with caution. You have to understand that working with a scalpel for any reason requires extremely steady hands. A scalpel is a medical piece of equipment far sharper than a run-of-the-mill shaving blade you use on your legs at home. If used incorrectly, you can end up with serious injury, infection, or permanent scarring. Because of these potential risks, we strongly suggest that you do your research and find a local licensed establishment which has professional employees who are licensed to perform this procedure.
How to Perform Dermaplaning At Home
With that said, you can choose to perform dermaplaning at home at your own risk. There are a few things you should consider before attempting to do this. The size of the scalpel, proper skin removal technique, the direction of the blade movement, and cleansing the skin properly beforehand will all play a huge role in how successful your dermaplaning attempts will turn out.
Dermaplaning is best done with a surgical grade scalpel. Some people use a size 21 scalpel while others opt for a size 18 or a size 15. We suggest the smaller size because it will give you less room for error. While it might be more tedious and time-consuming to use a smaller scalpel, it’s also more precise and accurate than a bigger one. There are also scalpels specifically designed for dermaplaning, such as the DERMAFLASH kit. This comes with a specific device which is already angled for your convenience and is much easier to use than a regular scalpel since you don’t have to train your hand to angle the scalpel properly. This set will cost a pretty penny, but it is an option if you are too nervous or you don’t trust yourself with a scalpel. No matter which device you choose, please be careful and take a look at the following suggested steps.
- Step 1: Your first step should always be to cleanse your face as thoroughly as possible. Dermaplaning is different from traditional shaving and your skin has to be completely dry and oil free for best results. We suggest using an oil free face wash and then drying your face completely. The dryer you make your skin, the better the results will be.
- Step 2: Position your scalpel at an angle towards the direction of each stroke. Your scalpel should be at about a 45o angle. Each stroke needs to follow the direction of your vellus hair.
- Step 3: With your non-dominant hand, pull the skin taught behind the blade and stroke the scalpel away from your non-dominant hand along the direction of your vellus hair. Avoid your lips, nose, the sides of your nose, your eyebrows, and your hair lines. Never treat the same area twice.
- Step 4: Once you are done with the scalpel, wash any residual hair off your face, put on some of your favorite moisturizer, and enjoy your smooth as butter skin.
Final Takeaway
Dermaplaning can certainly boost your skin’s glow and improve its overall health. We strongly suggest using a professional to treat your skin and only opt in for at-home self dermaplaning if you understand the risks and are confident enough in your own success.
There are many products out there to treat your skin and make it as smooth as silk, but if you are looking for that extra boost to improve your facial skin then we can suggest using dermaplaning as a possible solution. No matter what you decided to do, be careful and always use common sense when working with sharp objects.
