All Aboard the Dermaplane

going to be a smooth ride, no bumps

Mar 06, 2024

Hello hello!

Hope you’re having a decent, if not wonderful day. It’s been a weird one for me! But I’m pleased to report that mouth taping does seem to have improved my sleep and has not irritated my skin. A reader commented last week that they use this surgical tape instead, which seems like a smart idea for wallets everywhere.

What is the difference between professional dermaplaning and at home? And how can I successfully dermaplane at home?

I loooooove dermaplaning. Both doing it to others and getting it myself. It’s extremely satisfying to perform on others–the thrill of physically removing something, like extractions, but without making clients wince–and equally satisfying to have done.

Before we get into it, let’s address the biggest myth about the treatment: it does not and cannot make your hair grow back thicker or fuller. Vellus hair, or peach fuzz is a different type of hair than the hair on your head, which is called terminal hair. Vellus hair is super fine, non-pigmented (for the most part) and stays pretty short. Vellus hair is found everywhere on the body except your palms. Some of it is more visible than others–it’s even on your eyelids! During puberty, androgen hormones cause some of your vellus hair to become terminal hair, the best example being facial hair on people assigned male at birth (this also can happen to people assigned female at birth who have excess androgen, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). Vellus hair can only become terminal hair through hormone changes, so removing the vellus hair via dermaplaning cannot cause it to become terminal hair. In fact, many people often find that regular dermaplaning decreases the rate of hair growth. The reason people sometimes think they see their hair coming back thicker or darker after dermaplaning is just a mind trick if the hair is cut bluntly across, so it appears thicker when it starts to poke through the surface of your skin.

True dermaplaning is a form of manual exfoliation. In professional settings, we use a sterile surgical blade, to gently scape off vellus hair and the outermost layers of dead skin cells to reveal smooth, soft, glowing skin underneath. In addition to the smooth, fresh canvas, dermaplaning allows for better product absorption (because dead skin cells aren’t blocking the way) and helps makeup sit better. As a bonus it also creates a cool “snatched” effect because baby hairs can cast shadows and make your facial structure less defined. It’s completely safe and painless, but requires professional training because you are literally bringing a scalpel to someone’s face. It’s very precise and requires a lot of practice to do it well because to get the cleanest cut, you need to know how to manipulate skin to get the right angle, pay attention to changes in hair growth direction and have a steady hand. Though I theoretically could dermaplane myself, I find it pretty impossible to get the same results as when someone else does it to me. You just can’t get the same visual access to your own face and it’s much harder to hold your skin or the blade in the right way. When I’m dermaplaning a client, they’re wearing eye pads and I’m looking under a bright light, adjusting their head to different positions and constantly shifting how I’m holding their skin in order to be as precise as possible. I can easily see the spots I’ve already gone over and really pinpoint baby hairs. I’m holding the blade at a 45 degree angle to prevent blunt cuts and ensure the hair grows back properly. Everyone’s hair grows in different directions and you’d be amazed at how many times I need to change the positioning of my blade to get the cleanest, smoothest cut. Crucially, a professional knows the proper pre and post-care to reduce irritation and the chance of ingrowns, as well as how to assess if someone is a good candidate for dermaplaning in the first place. There are almost no contraindications for dermaplaning, it’s pregnancy safe and usually ok for sensitive skin if well prepped, but you can’t do it over active acne or on severely compromised skin.

By contrast, using a facial razor is basically like shaving anywhere else on the body. You’re doing it to remove excess hair, not to exfoliate off dead skin. Of course your skin will be smoother and softer than before, but it’s not the same effect. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s distinctly different from professional dermaplaning.

Brands have started coming out with at-home dermaplaning tools, which are more similar to professional blades than razors (like Flamingo or Billie). Then there’s a sort of in between option called Dermaflash. It’s an at-home device that uses single-use Microfine Edge blades and sonic technology to safely remove peach fuzz and dead skin. In other words, you move it along your face and the vibration basically does the work for you. The blade design is very unique in that it allows close contact to your skin for more precision, but has a safety guard so you can’t really hurt yourself. At-home dermaplane tools and Dermaflash are easy to get the hang of and I’ve used them myself, but though they come fairly close, they don’t give quite the same results as professional dermaplaning.

They don’t use as ultra-fine or sharp a blade and for good reason–we use a literal surgical 10 blade (yes like in real medicine and also Grey’s Anatomy) so we can safely remove more dead skin and be even more exacting in technique. The size and shape of at-home blades can make it tricky to go over certain smaller areas with precision or at all. These methods also come with all of the same caveats I mentioned above in terms of visual access. Not only is it just more difficult to maneuver your own face, it’s near impossible to see every little change in hair growth direction, so you aren’t always getting a clean and smooth cut.

Photo: Photo I took on my phone of my computer screen because Netflix blocks you from taking screenshots??? RIP Derek.

The biggest risk with any at-home hair removal is not properly prepping your skin before and after. As with any hair removal, you run the risk of ingrown hairs. This happens on the face when the hair grows back into the skin instead of out, which is why the angle of the blade is very important. You can also irritate your skin by going over the same spot too many times, not holding the blade correctly or re-using a blade.

To prep your skin, wash it well to remove excess oil and debris. You must, must, must use a brand new, clean blade every single time. Re-using the same blade is asking for infection and irritation. Dermaplaning works best on clean, dry skin, ensuring full contact between the blade and your skin and making it harder to slip or snag. Hold your skin taut and the blade at a 45 degree angle and use short, feathery strokes to remove the hair. I highly suggest watching a tutorial on YouTube first. Just search the name of your device and you’ll find a bunch of videos.

After you finish, moisturize with a simple moisturizer to soothe your skin. In treatments we usually use a chemical exfoliant right after before going in with all of the hydrating, soothing stuff. This helps prevent ingrown hair and prep for extractions. Unless you know your skin can handle it, just apply moisturizer and wait a few hours or until the next day to use an exfoliator.

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February Product Empties

Rael Pimple Patches: I’ve tried every pimple patch under the sun and these are better than whichever brand you’re going to ask about. I got an unfortunate sweat+backpack induced shoulder pimple last week, patched it up and didn’t realize it was still on until 2 days later. Invisible, didn’t budge.

ILIA Lip Wrap Reviving Balm (x2): I have (at least) one in every room & every bag. Most underrated ILIA product.
Sol De Janeiro Mini Strengthening & Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner: I feel pretty neutral on the shampoo and conditioner performance (no issues, just nothing mind blowing). I feel excellent about the scent, which filled my shower and lingered in my hair, so I reached for these whenever I wanted a sensorial pick-me-up. I do the same thing with the brand’s exfoliating body wash, which features my #1 favorite scent they create.
Experiment Super Saturated Serum: One of my beloved blue goops. As the name implies, this serum saturates your skin with 30% glycerin and other skin soothers, making you calm and glowy. You can use it as a mask, as a daily serum or mixed into moisturizer. I’m on my 3rd bottle.
NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid: My other beloved blue goop! This one is blue thanks to reparative and collagen-stimulating copper peptides. This has been a staple in my routine for years, I use it on my “rest” nights when not using exfoliants or retinoids.
Activist Manuka Mask: What a month for goops I love! This one is honey colored and I wear it most mornings as a mask while I drink my coffee before rinsing it off with a drop of gel cleanser. Deeply hydrating, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, you can use it as a mask or spot treatment.

Three Other Things

Hello Sunday, a UK-based brand that makes a lot of excellent sunscreens is coming to Sephora in the US! However, the reason they make so many excellent sunscreen products is because they are able to use filters not available in the US. So they had to reformulate their products in order to be sold here. Seems like a risky move! I wonder how they will perform with sub-par filters. We really don’t need any more sub-par sunscreen, so I’ll be curious to see the response.
I have noticed a big improvement in my acne since I started taking these daily. I’m not a nutritionist or doctor so I’m always hesitant to talk about supplements, but the whole site is currently 30% off so I feel obligated to mention it. The only other supplement I take is this fish oil, which I’ve used for years and also helps breakouts.
Ok so a few weeks ago you may remember I wrote Kim Kardashian & her tanning bed for psoriasis in my introduction. I did not defend or endorse this decision, but I didn’t dismiss it. Psoriasis can be debilitating, so I wondered if there was ever a situation where the benefits of using a tanning bed for treatment would outweigh the risks. I was in contact with a psoriasis expert to learn more, but he ghosted me??? Luckily, Susan Yara (content creator & the founder of Naturium) had the same questions and many more dermatologists in her contacts, so she made a reel with the help of Dr. Samantha Ellis. You can watch the whole video, but tl;dr–sunlight can help psoriasis, but it’s never beneficial enough for the risk. The type of phototherapy used in clinics is a narrowband UVB wavelength that’s extremely precise and can reduce inflammation without risk of skin cancer and is distinctly different from using a tanning bed.

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