tell me about facial dermaplaning

March 23, 2023 3:41 PM

I saw an ad and now I'm curious. Looks like I can spend between $10-$200 on a dermaplaning tool.... what is dermaplaning like? Other than removing peach fuzz, what does it do for the skin? Is it irritating? Is it basically like shaving with a razor? Is it worth spending more money on a fancier apparatus?
posted by fingersandtoes to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

Dermaplaning redirects on wikipedia to exfoliation.
posted by aniola at 4:46 PM on March 23, 2023

Best answer: I dermaplane once a week. My skin is much smoother since I started. I use a straight razor so that I can stop throwing away those plastic eyebrow razors. I never cut myself with the eyebrow razors but have nicked myself a few times with the straight razor. The "refillable" eyebrow razors with lights and vibrations or whatever features are *all* junk. Their blades are dull. I can't apply anything more intense than moisturizer with sunscreen the day I dermaplane without causing skin irritation, so I always do it a on a non "treatment" day--no retinols, chemical exfoliants, etc.
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 5:36 PM on March 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I tried it once, certainly with bad technique, and it hurt and my skin was super super dry and irritated for a few days afterwards. If I want to remove peach fuzz (or PCOS chin hair in reality), shaving cream and a normal razor is plenty effective.
posted by GrimmblyTuna at 5:38 PM on March 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

Other than removing peach fuzz, what does it do for the skin? Is it irritating?

I blockquoted this section from wikipedia but it got deleted so I will try again and this time I am bolding the parts that answer the questions I quoted at the start of this comment:

According to dermatologists, chemical or manual exfoliation is not medically necessary, as dead skin cells already exfoliate naturally,[28] and excessive artificial exfoliation can break the skin's barrier against microorganisms and lead to infection,[28] as well as tightness and sensitivity in the skin.[28] Artificial exfoliation can exacerbate dry, flaky skin, which needs moisturization for repair,[28] and can result in some initial redness to the skin.

posted by aniola at 7:49 PM on March 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

IMHO "dermaplaning" is marketing-sell-you-stuff-speak for "shaving."
posted by nkknkk at 5:06 AM on March 24, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I dermaplane every week or two - I use a rubber dipped scalpel handle with a brand new #11 blade and do it in a mirror, but I knew I'd be good at DIYing it after I saw a video because I am dextrous with a light touch and I have shaved my legs with an old fashioned safety razor many times! it takes me about 10 minutes.

I think it has made a huge difference with my acne scars, which are worst in areas that don't get much natural exfoliation or exposure like my temples - the scraping removes hair and dead skin and increases blood flow to the area, and might activate lymph or collagen or some other less-well-researched results.

In general it makes you look pretty glowy in what I have heard described as an "oiled egg" way, your skincare soaks in really well, makeup lays smoothly on your skin and the increased blood flow usually means I don't need blush or undereye concealer for the next couple of days.
posted by euphoria066 at 11:04 AM on March 24, 2023

Response by poster: euphoria066, are you saying you dermaplane your undereye area?

thank you for the specific product link.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:19 AM on March 24, 2023

Best answer: Dermaplaning at r/skincareaddiction; product recommendations, techniques, tips, & occasional before & after photos.
You could also try a professional dermaplane/dermablade session, to see if you like the results. (This is location-dependent; California update.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:24 PM on March 24, 2023

Best answer: nope, just the cheek area - I go a little more towards the nose than I see other people demonstrate but I have some scarring there I'm working on!

I think it just plumps up the skin on my cheeks and smooths out my eye area by tightening, as well as my main issue being dark circles and having more rosiness in my cheeks evens the colour difference a little.
posted by euphoria066 at 3:27 PM on March 24, 2023