As we head into the warmer months, the time for aggressive facial treatments is long gone, but that doesn't mean you still don’t want or need one! To help maintain that healthy glow you got after repairing all the damage you did last summer - one of our favorite non-invasive treatments is dermaplaning. Like shaving, dermaplaning removes fine facial hair and dead skin on the face with a blade, instantly revealing smoother and softer skin. Performed regularly, dermaplaning helps refine and brighten the skin, diminish the appearance of dark spots and fine lines, and enhance product penetration. Who wouldn’t want that?

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation swirling around the internet about dermaplaning. To help you out, we’re myth-busting five of the most common misconceptions about this treatment.

 

1. Dermaplaning Is Painful

 

Dermaplaning is actually one of the least painful ways to remove facial hair and dead skin—especially when compared to other hair removal techniques like sugaring, threading, and waxing. Think about it: shaving your underarms isn’t painful, so why would shaving your face be painful? Many people describe the feeling of dermaplaning as a gentle tickle or brushing sensation.

 

2. Dermaplaning Isn’t for Darker Skin

 

While some exfoliation methods (like scrubs) aren’t recommended for darker skin, dermaplaning is 100% safe. Dermaplaning is a type of manual exfoliation like a face scrub. However, unlike a scrub, dermaplaning doesn’t irritate or cause micro-abrasions in the skin so it won’t cause hyperpigmentation. It’s actually one of our favorite exfoliation methods for dark skin because it instantly removes the dark baby hair that can make deep skin look duller than it really is.

 

3. Your Peach Fuzz Will Grow Back Thicker & Darker

 

Let’s get over this rumor once and for all: no matter where it grows on your body, shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker or darker. Many people think that shaving your legs or underarms causes thicker hair growth. This is false. It’s biologically impossible for hair to grow back thicker because of shaving. Shaving simply creates a blunt tip on the hairs, which many people interpret as greater thickness. When you dermaplane, you are removing very, very fine hair called vellus hair. This hair is so thin and soft that removing it with a dermaplaning tool will have little to no impact on how it looks when it grows back. After removing the vellus hair, your skin will instantly feel and look smoother and brighter. It will take about a week for the hair to grow back, at which time you can dermaplane again. (Keep in mind that dermaplaning is NOT the best option for those with facial hair caused by hormonal imbalance.)

 

4. Dermaplaning Will Cause Breakouts

 

Like most exfoliation techniques, dermaplaning prevents breakouts rather than causes them. While dermaplaning can’t be performed on the skin with active acne, it will prevent clogged pores and pimples from forming. By removing the top layer of dead skin cells, dermaplaning prevents these cells from getting trapped inside your pores. Less dead skin = fewer breakouts. By gently exfoliating the skin, dermaplaning also makes it easier for acne treatments and serums to penetrate into the pores to prevent and treat breakouts.

 

5. At-Home Dermaplaning is the Same as an In-Office Treatment

Purchasing a Tinkle razor from Amazon is not going to give you the same results as a medical-grade scalpel and highly-trained hand is. You need to understand that in an in-office setting, a straight-edge razor or a surgical #10 scalpel (it has a curved edge) is being used which means the blade also gets rid of a superficial layer of dead skin. When using a shaving device, you’re getting just hair, but the scalpel goes just a little bit deeper than that. The brightening effect on the skin is immediate, and it can help skin-care products sink in better and makeup go on smoother.

As with any facial treatment, Dr. Beckman recommends that skin is as healthy as possible for optimal results. The Theraderm Skin Renewal System is perfect for making your skin as healthy as possible!