Dermaplaning: The Case For Shaving Your Face

After years of trying every skincare trend under the sun (and that includes snail mucin), the one that consistently gives me glassy skin is surprisingly simple: dermaplaning.

• The What: Dermplaning is a cosmetic procedure that removes the top layer of the dead skin and fine vellus hair (“peach fuzz”) using a single-use surgical blade.

“Hang on. How is that different from shaving?”

With shaving, you’re trimming hair. But with dermaplaning, you hold the blade at a 45-degree angle to exfoliate, scraping away your skin’s outermost layer.

The result is immediately brighter, smoother skin (with no downtime!) that lets makeup glide on like butter since there are no dry patches or fine hairs.

And with that buildup of dead cells and peach fuzz gone, skincare products penetrate more deeply (especially water-based products) and become more effective.

Is Dermaplaning Safe For Mature Skin?

It is! But there are caveats.

As estrogen drops during menopause, your skin becomes thinner and easier to irritate. That means your dermaplaning technique is everything. Tug too hard, and you could damage your skin.

That’s why I’d recommend you do dermaplaning through a professional. But if you’d rather DIY, use a feather-light touch and replace your blade after every use (dirty blades = higher infection risk).

Also:

• Prep the skin: Cleanse and make sure your skin is dry. Any leftover oil and moisture could cause your blade to drag and skip, increasing your risk of nicks.
• Dermaplane down: Glide the blade in the direction of hair growth. Never go up (like the way a man shaves his beard).
• Hydrate afterward: Use a gentle moisturizer and broad-spectrum SPF, as your skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun.
• Every 3-4 weeks is plenty: Your skin needs time to regenerate its protective barrier, especially as cell turnover slows with age.

“But doesn’t dermaplaning cause more fuzz to grow?”

That’s a myth. Vellus hair (peach fuzz) doesn’t change texture or thickness after you cut it. It’ll grow back more or less the same.

Read This Before You Start Dermaplaning:

If you have acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, open wounds, or just generally sensitive skin, I wouldn’t recommend dermaplaning. Also, tread carefully if you use any topical retinoids or exfoliating acids.  

• Zoom In: Stop using products with ‘actives’ (powerful ingredients like retinol) 3-5 days before and after dermaplaning. Why? Layering chemical exfoliation on top of mechanical exfoliation can be a recipe for irritation.

Dermaplaning can give you baby-soft skin, but it’s still just exfoliation. The results are temporary. For lasting skin health, you need to look beyond what you scrape off and focus on what you’re putting in your body.

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