There is nothing quite like the silky feel of skin right after being dermaplaned. Once you have experienced this level of baby skin smoothness, it’s easy to become addicted to this treatment.

This being said, dermaplaning is NOT for everyone, and after reading my thoughts on this topic you will confidently know if this treatment is right for you.

Let’s start at the beginning. What is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is a light to medium depth exfoliation treatment. It’s performed by a Licensed Aesthetician, PA, Nurse or MD using a surgical blade (sounds scary but it’s really not) designed specifically for the dermaplaning procedure. This blade glides across the skin at a forty-five degree angle shaving off surface debris and buildup with each swipe. The treatment is relaxing, painless and is a highly effective way to remove excess dead skin cells, and to prep the skin for deep penetration of active ingredients.

Several benefits include:  Temporarily reduced vellus hair or more commonly known as “peach fuzz”, an overall brighter complexion with a boosted glow. A reduction in the appearance of dark spots and sun-induced hyperpigmentation, and an improvement in the appearance of fine lines.

With all of these amazing benefits one may wonder: Who doesn’t want to be dermaplaned?! My response is, in my Nyc practice, I am discerning with whom I will and will not dermaplane. This ensures consistently happy clients and beautiful results across the board!

Here is an explanation of a few skin types I prefer not to dermaplane:

If you are a client with congested skin or many clogged pores who desires a deep cleanse with extractions then I would wait to try dermaplaning until one week after your skin has been professionally cleaned out. Dermaplaning leaves the surface of the skin temporarily fragile so I choose not to perform extractions in combination with  dermaplaning.

A second skin type I keep dermaplaning away from is a skin that is actively breaking out. Until the acne is in remission, this client is not a candidate since physical exfoliation can rupture and spread the breakouts. I include facial scrubs and microdermabrasion beneath my umbrella of No No’s until the acne has been brought under control.

If you have an abundance of fine to medium thick pigmented facial hair then I recommend being waxed before being dermaplaned. Or even avoiding dermaplaning altogether if you are comfortable leaving the hair as it is. Clients coping with facial hair often misunderstand that dermaplaning is an exfoliation and though it does scrape off peach fuzz, it is not designed to be a hair removal treatment and coarse hair will dull the blade. On top of that just trust me that most of you will not like the way the hair feels as it grows back in since it will have a prickly feel. This being said, I do have clients with fine brown facial hair scattered around their cheeks who don’t mind the way the hair feels growing in because they feel the visual improvement outweighs any negatives. If this seems like you, then you may love dermaplaning!

The last two skin types I do not recommend dermaplaning to are skins with rosacea or an abundance of visible broken capillaries. These skin conditions tend to be far too sensitive for any style of physical exfoliation.