DERMAPLANING

If you decide to jump on the bandwagon, and we think you should, we want to help you better understand the dermaplaning treatment. Although it’s similar in concept to shaving, dermaplaning (which is offered by Three Rivers Dermatology & Windy Ridge Skin Care Centre) is much more precise and beneficial to the skin than shaving.

Dermaplaning is similar to shaving in that both use a blade to remove unwanted facial hair, but the similarities stop there. While the dermaplaning treatment rids the skin of the fine vellus hair (peach fuzz), it also encourages skin cell renewal and leaves the face looking refreshed and more youthful. This wonder treatment works in a number of different ways to improve the health and beauty of the face, and it does it all with no downtime. And contrary to popular belief, a close shave does not cause the facial hair to grow back thicker or darker.

This non-invasive skin treatment scrapes away dead skin cells from the face, allowing new ones to rise to the surface leading the skin to actively rejuvenate itself. Shaving, on the other hand, effectively removes unwanted facial hair, but it doesn’t go nearly as far in terms of exfoliating and renewing the face.

After your dermaplaning treatment, your at-home skincare routine will also become more effective. This is because your skin will be free of dead skin and fine hairs allowing your face to drink up the serums and moisturizers you apply. For this reason, the days after your treatment are not the time to skimp on your at-home routine. Instead, this is when you should use your highest quality products.

Most of us are accustomed to safely and easily shaving our legs or even our faces with a manual razor at home. But performing a dermaplaning treatment on your face with a surgical blade is a whole new ballgame and a much more precise process and shouldn’t be tried at home.

If you still have questions, we’ve answered some of the most common questions we receive about dermaplaning below.

What is the treatment like?

Cleanse

First, we will prep the skin by cleansing the face to remove make-up, dirt, and oil. This step is important and provides a clean canvas for your aesthetician to do the treatment and deliver the best results.

Dermaplane Treatment

One of our aestheticians will use an ultra-fine, sterile blade to gently exfoliate the skin. This will be done in an upward motion in small sections until the entire area has been exfoliated. There is minimal discomfort associated with the process, and the sensation is comparable to the feeling of a cat licking your skin!

Mask, Moisturizer & SPF!

If doing as a stand-alone treatment and not in combination with another facial treatment, a soothing and restorative mask will be applied to help hydrate your fresh, exfoliated skin. Last but not least, we will moisturize and apply an SPF leaving your skin ultra-hydrated, smooth and protected!

Note: If using the dermaplaning treatment as a boost to another facial service, your moisturizer and/or SPF will be applied at the very end depending on the treatment.

Who is an ideal candidate?

Dermaplaning is generally well-tolerated by patients of all skin types. It has minimal risks for patients with sensitive skin and can be a great option for pregnant women looking for skin exfoliation. However, it is not a good solution for patients with cystic acne, inflamed acne, rosacea, or eczema on the face.

Note: A few breakouts are ok but you shouldn’t have severely inflamed skin in the treatment area(s).

Does it hurt?

It is a surface-level treatment and should not be painful. Many liken the feeling to that of a scratchy cat tongue licking you.

Is there any downtime?

The skin revealed after the exfoliation process is new to the world, so you could experience some slight sensitivity and redness following the treatment. For this reason, the days after your treatment are not the time to skimp on your at-home routine. Instead, this is when you should use your highest quality products, especially your SPF!

Can this be paired with other facial treatments?

ABSOLUTELY! We might even say it’s better combined with another facial treatment such as DiamondGlow, Chemical Peels, or another one of our facial treatments. Since this treatment preps your skin so well, adding a facial treatment boosts your results leaving you with next level smoothness and glow! We will help you explore additional treatment options that will work best for you and your skin so that you can reap the most benefits possible from every appointment.

How often should you dermaplane?

How often you get this treatment depends on your natural rate of skin cell turn over. For most people, we recommend once a month or in combination with your scheduled facial treatments. One of our skincare experts will help you determine the right amount of time you should have between appointments.