Is it just me, or have all of the sudden you’ve seen dermaplaning everywhere? Before you take a razor to your face, we break down what dermaplaning is, the pros and cons of it, and how to do it. We briefly mentioned it in our recent blog about summer makeup trends, but keep reading for the full scoop below!
Dermaplaning – What It Is
Dermaplaning is simply removing unwanted hair from the face by using a blade to scrape away your peach fuzz, along with any dead skin cells! It’s kind of a mix between shaving and exfoliating because it removes barriers that would keep your makeup and skincare products from penetrating your skin.
Pros of Dermaplaning
As soon as you finish dermaplaning, you will immediately feel a difference in the surface of the skin on your face. You won’t be able to stop touching it – it feels incredibly smooth! Probably the biggest “pro” of dermaplaning is that it makes your makeup application go on easier and sit better, because there isn’t the barrier of any hair to make your makeup look and feel uneven.
What’s also great about dermaplaning is that your hair won’t grow back thicker, as it may do when removing hair in other parts of your body. The reason for this is that you aren’t removing the bottom of the hair like you would from waxing or tweezing. Because with dermaplaning you are simply removing the hair from the base of the skin, you aren’t removing the entire hair follicle – so no touching the root which would sometimes lead it to grow back thicker!
Another pro of dermaplaning is that it is simple to do. Once you get the hang of it, it won’t take you long to remove all that peach fuzz from your face. Plus it’s cheap – here is a 3 pack of dermaplaning razors from Amazon for only $5! If you prefer to get it professionally done, most places charge anywhere from around $75 to $200 to get this done.
Cons of Dermaplaning
No two bodies are the same, so be aware that dermaplaning may not be the best option for facial hair removal for you. Although the benefits are amazing, there is some potential for skin irritation and dryness when dermaplaning. Similar to shaving, you have the risk of cutting your face when removing the hair – so please be careful with that razor! Lastly, because you are removing an extra barrier from your skin, you may experience more sensitivity to sunlight. So PLEASE make sure after you are dermaplaning that you continue to use sunscreen on your face (and all over for that matter!)
How to Dermaplane
Please, whatever you do, do not grab the same razor you use for your legs for your face. Dermaplaning razors are thinner and the blades are much shorter. Shape has a great article that breaks down some options for dermaplane razors and where you can buy them here.
Alright, and now the steps to dermaplane:
- Start by washing your face and patting it dry as you would part of your normal nighttime skincare routine (but you can do this anytime of day!)
- Hold your razor at a 45-degree angle and then glide it across your face with short, tiny strokes.
- Apply moisturizer. If you are dermaplaning during the day, make sure to also apply a layer of sunscreen.
If done correctly, this should last you anywhere from 4-6 weeks before having to redo again. If your hair does tend to grow back quicker, this can be done more often, but try to resist dermaplaning more than twice a month to protect your skin and to avoid excess dryness or irritation.