Everything you need to know about Dermaplaning

Shahnaz Husain *

Dermaplaning is fastly gaining popularity among young professional ladies seeking cleanest and clearest complexion without hassle of down time.

Dermaplaning aka Dermablading is a gentle non ablative shaving like technique in form of physical exfoliation that uses a butter blade to remove built up dead skin and baby hairs from the face and neck, leaving the skin smooth, bright and glowing with or without make-up.

It is hot beauty treatment extremely popular, especially among models, cine actresses and stage artists in metropolitan cities that consists of using a butter blade to gently scrape off the top layer of dulling dead skin cells in order to reveal a smoother, brighter, younger and radiant skin eliminating pesky peach fuzz or vellus hair from face. It is extremely useful for those who suffer from dry skin, fine lines and dullness but persons with inflamed acne must wait till skin clears up.

Exfoliation has become an integral part of skin care, where grainy substances are used for the removal of dead skin cells, in order to improve skin texture and make the skin clearer, smoother and brighter. It also helps to produce an even colour tone. Many such treatments have been devised, like microdermabrasion, peeling, use of AHAs, as well dermaplaning. However, before using any procedure, it is best to know all about it.

Exfoliation of the skin is done with scrubs or cleansing grains, which have an abrasive effective when applied and rubbed on the skin. In certain methods of dermabrasion, rotating brushes are used on the skin to remove build-up on the skin and dead skin cells.

According to dermaplaning experts, it suits all skin types and is particularly suited to skin that has suffered damage, like acne scars or pits in the skin. However, if you have acne or a rashy condition, it is better not to go in for dermaplaning and wait for the condition to subside.

Some doubts have been expressed regarding dermaplaning, because a scalpel is used and skin is actually scraped. The increase of facial hair, after dermaplaning, is one of the doubts, because the hair is actually cut.

Also, soon after such procedures, it is better to protect the skin from sun-exposure. As far as skin damage is concerned, the removal of scars is done by a plastic surgeon and is a surgical procedure. For instance, chemical peeling is used to remove scars.

It can be a painful procedure and some risks may be involved, as chemicals are used. There are chemical exfoliants too. In some salons, AHA or alpha hydroxyl acids are used for peeling, which also helps to exfoliate the skin. These are obtained mainly from fruit acids. Similarly, there are glycolic peels and others.

Considering the risks of chemical peeling, Vegetable Peeling is only recommended to minimize skin damage and smoothen the skin. In vegetable peeling, plant extracts are used, along with certain procedures, to dermabrase the skin. This is done by rubbing the skin gently.

The effect is both gentle and safe on the skin. In fact, the plant extracts actually help to restore beauty and health to the skin. In the case of acne scars, the treatment is given only after the acne condition subsides.

Vegetable Peeling is a clinical procedure and professional training is essential to carry out the treatments. Several sittings are required and the number of sittings depends on the extent or kind of scarring.

Pits or tiny depressions in the skin are common in acne scars. The pits in the skin may also become pigmented (dark), making the scars more apparent. So, these various factors have to be taken into consideration, while deciding on the treatment and the number of sittings.

The exponents of dermaplaning say that facial hair growth does not really increase, but the hair may look different. According to them, the plus points are that it does not take much time to do dermaplaning.

They also say that the effect lasts much longer than other hair removal methods. It seems after dermaplaning, the skin’s absorption ability improves and skin care products are better absorbed.

They, however, advise that after dermaplaning, the skin should be protected from sun-exposure by applying sunscreen. There is also a word of warning…..do not try it at home. It is a clinical procedure.

Find a reputed clinic and speak to those who have had it done before trying it.