Shaving Face: What Is Dermaplaning, Exactly?

There are some beauty regimens out there that sound a little too bizarre to be true and dermaplaning is one of them. Also known as face shaving, dermaplaning is a skin-care meets hair-care beauty procedure that involves a dermatologist taking a small scalpel and scraping it across the face to shave the skin. However, advancements in beauty tools have also made it possible to perform a lighter-lift version of dermaplane at home, but more on that ahead. 

Dermaplaning has a multitude of skin-care benefits, as well as being a great way to remove unwanted peach fuzz on your face. To get a better understanding of this beauty trend, we spoke with Dara Levy, founder of DERMAFLASH, the original at-home dermaplaning device. 

The Skin-Care Benefits of Dermaplaning Are No Joke

Dermaplaning boasts a number of skin-care benefits that make it an appealing treatment. The gentle yet effective exfoliation technique can help with anti-aging, product penetration, brightening a dull, lackluster complexion and even makeup application. “When we remove that dull layer of build-up, skin-care products are able to be absorbed better and do their job more effectively,” says Levy. “And even better yet, your makeup goes on flawlessly.” Similar to other forms of chemical and physical exfoliation, most of all, dermaplaning can help you achieve a smooth complexion. 

The Correct Way to Dermaplane At-Home

Anytime you’re performing a form of physical exfoliation, you want to proceed with caution as to not over-exfoliate your complexion. With that said, dermaplaning isn’t a dangerous or hard technique to grasp. Levy describes it as simple and intuitive. For the best results, start with clean, freshly washed skin that’s free of any products or makeup. “While holding skin taut with the opposite hand, use short feathery strokes (not long sweeping ones) to most effectively sweep away all of the debris in its path,” says Levy. “You will not believe the amount of dead skin you accumulate on the surface of your face even from one week to the next.” 

Levy recommends dermaplaning your face once a week, but you can do it more if desired. “When we are young, our skin cells turn over every 28 days but that slows down as we age, which is why we recommend at least one time per week.”

After dermaplaning, take advantage of your newly exfoliated complexion by applying a face mask, serum or moisturizer. Because all of the dead surface skin cells, debris and peach fuzz has been removed from the top layer of your face, your products will be able to absorb into your skin better. 

Major Beauty Myth: Shaving Your Face Causes Hair to Grow Back Thicker

This is the most commonly asked question we receive — it’s simply a beauty myth passed down for generations,” says Levy. “Hormones are the only thing that can impact hair growth.” The hair that dermaplaning removes is called vellus hair (otherwise known as peach fuzz) and is not impacted by the removal process. “If you stop, your vellus hair will come back exactly as it was before.”

To try dermaplaning at home, we recommend the Dermaflash device.

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