Dermaplaning 101: The Pros & Cons

Dermaplaning. What the hell is it, and why is everyone talking about it? Well, this relatively new phenomenon (at least to everyone outside of the beauty industry) is gaining significant traction thanks to both its hair removing properties and skin smoothing benefits.

As someone with quite long yet fine "sideburns" that manage to get makeup caught in them, dermaplaning sounded like it could be right up my alley. So, I visited the team at Me Skin & Body in South Yarra to try it out. Watch my experience below.

Don't worry, I had lots of questions too - in fact, I probably spent the whole treatment asking Sylvia all the same ones you're thinking of right now.

During a dermaplaning session, your dermal clinician uses a medical-grade and sterile scalpel to gently scrape the surface of the skin on an angle. This process removes vellus hair (what we know as "peach fuzz", the very fine hair on our faces) without any pain or discomfort.

At the same time, dermaplaning also effectively removes the build up of dead cells on the skin's surface for a much smoother, softer face. This can ultimately help to improve the penetration of your skincare ingredients as well.

It's a great pre-event treatment, as it leaves you with an extremely smooth canvas for your makeup to glide onto. If you find your makeup often clings to dry patches, or like me, gathers in the hair on your face, this could be the ideal regular treatment for you. It can also have a brightening effect on the skin.

For most people, you can have dermaplaning every 4-6 weeks - it's suitable for most skin types. However, this treatment is not recommended in most cases for those with active acne, very sensitive skin or with certain forms of rosacea.

I have quite mild rosacea and experienced slight redness and sensitivity for about 24 hours after the treatment, with no further side effects. Anyone with a hormonal imbalance that experiences excess hair growth on the face (ie women with PCOS), are generally advised to avoid this treatment.

It's best to have a consultation with your dermal clinician prior to your treatment to determine your suitability.

Unlike waxing and threading, dermaplaning is completely painless. You'll feel a very soft scratching sensation on the skin, and also hear a scratching sound as the scalpel moves across your face. Your clinician will hold the skin taut and hold the blade at an angle to ensure it glides across your skin comfortably.

Nope. The fine, vellus hair on your face won't grow back thicker or faster after dermaplaning - you may notice the texture of regrowing hair on your face when you apply your skincare, however it won't causes excess hair growth, or a change in the density of the hair.