Dermaplaning
A sterile blade is drawn across the skin to shave off fine hair and the dead layer on top. Skin feels smooth and makeup sits better for a week or two. It is a finishing treatment, not a treatment for acne, lines or pigment.
Key facts
Treats
Fine facial hair and surface dullness
Recovery
Usually no downtime
Treatment plan
Optional repeats about every 3–4 weeks
Typical cost
About $75–250 per session
What is it?
It uses a blade.
Dead skin and fine facial hair are scraped away.
Results are temporary.
Surface smoothness improves for a short time.
It is superficial.
It is not dermabrasion or laser resurfacing.
Hair does not grow back thicker.
Cutting the shaft does not change the follicle.
What it treats
Dull Skin
Smooths and brightens.
Unwanted Hair
Removes fine facial hair briefly.
Acne
Can irritate active breakouts.
Hirsutism
Temporary only.
Treatment areas
Dermaplaning
Face; the selected area depends on the concern and treatment plan.
Dermaplaning
Face; the selected area depends on the concern and treatment plan.
Skin tones
Lighter skin
Low risk
Not a pigment-based treatment.
Medium skin
Low risk
Not a pigment-based treatment.
Deeper skin
Low risk
Avoid on razor bumps, which can darken.
How it works
Diagram explanation
A blade skims the surface: A trained provider uses a controlled superficial technique. Fine hairs and outer cells lift away: The treatment removes vellus hair shafts and surface cells. Skin feels smoother temporarily: Hair follicles remain intact, so fine hair grows back.
Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.
Before your treatment
The week before
Postpone if: Sunburn or flare: A sunburn, fresh tan, active cold sore or inflamed acne flare.
3 to 5 days before: Actives: Stop retinoids (tretinoin, adapalene, retinol), benzoyl peroxide and acids.
Hair removal: No waxing, threading or hair removal creams for a week.
Day of treatment
Before you arrive
Clean face: No moisturizer or makeup — the blade needs dry skin.
Arrival & prep
Skin is cleaned and dried.
Treatment
Skin is held taut and the blade drawn in short strokes over forehead, cheeks, jaw, chin and upper lip.
Eyelids are avoided, eyebrows shaped only if you agreed. It takes 20 to 30 minutes and often ends with a mask, moisturizer and sunscreen. It feels like a dry razor that pulls slightly; the sound surprises people more than the feel.
Before you leave
Skin is smooth and brighter, sometimes faintly pink for an hour.
After your treatment
First 24 hours
Days 1 to 3: Skin can feel bare, dry or tight, and products may sting a little.
Weeks 2–4
Week 1 to 2: Fine hair grows back at the same rate and thickness as before, and smoothness fades as the dead layer rebuilds.
Week 3 to 4: Skin is exactly as it was.
Time to results
Immediately
How long results last
1–2 weeks; hair regrows in weeks
Risks
Most people have nothing afterwards. Problems come from the blade, or from treating skin that should have been left alone.
A cut that is not healing
Nicks heal in a few days. One that stays open, weeps or crusts heavily needs looking at.
A dark mark where a nick was
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, a brown mark after irritation. More visible on deeper skin tones, and it fades faster the earlier it is treated.
A breakout afterwards
Usually where an inflamed spot was shaved over. It settles; skip that area next time.
Bumps along the jawline or chin
Ingrown hairs where coarse hair was cut. Those areas should probably be skipped.
A cold sore outbreak
Blading near a cold sore can spread it. Antiviral medicine works best started early.
Cost
Typical cost
About $75–250 per session
Pricing
In the US, dermaplaning runs about $75 to $250 a session, often less as an add-on to a facial or bundled with a light peel.
Insurance
Insurance does not cover it.
Alternatives
Face razors used at home
Single-blade razors sold for the face do the same job in the same way for a few dollars. Less precise and less thorough than a surgical blade in trained hands, and far cheaper for something that lasts two weeks.
Waxing and threading
Pull hair out at the root, so results last three to four weeks rather than one to two. They do not exfoliate, they hurt, and they can lift skin that is on a retinoid.
Laser hair removal
The only option that reduces hair long term, and the sensible choice for coarse dark facial hair. It does very little for fine light fuzz, needs a course, and needs a device suited to your skin tone.
Superficial chemical peel
Aimed at a different problem. It dissolves the dead layer instead of shaving it and does reach clogged pores and brown marks, at the cost of a few days of flaking. It does not remove hair.
Microdermabrasion
Sands the dead layer rather than shaving it, with a similar short-lived polish and no hair removal.
Single-blade face razors sold for the purpose
The at-home version of the same idea, and the sensible default. Used on clean dry skin at a shallow angle, gently, without going over the same area twice. Cheap, and the result is close to the office version.
A fresh disposable razor
Works, though a multi-blade razor is designed to cut below the surface and is more likely to graze facial skin. Use it dry or with a thin layer of gel, and replace it often.
Questions
Does dermaplaning make hair grow back thicker or darker?
No. The blade cuts hair at the surface and never touches the follicle, which sets thickness, color and growth rate. Regrowth feels stubbly for a few days because the cut end is blunt.
How long does it last?
Smoothness lasts one to two weeks and the fine hair is back within three to four. Each session stands alone.
Will it help my acne?
No, and it can make an inflamed breakout worse. Once the skin is calm it is reasonable, purely for smoothness.
Is it safe on deeper skin tones?
Yes. It works only on the dead surface layer and uses no heat, acid or laser, so it does not cause pale patches. Avoid irritation and nicks, which leave a brown mark that shows more on deeper skin tones.
Can I do it at home?
Many people do, with a single-blade face razor on clean dry skin. Lower risk than a surgical blade. Go gently, never twice over the same patch, and never over a mole or an inflamed spot.
Is it worth the money?
Depends what you want. For smooth skin and makeup that sits well for a week or two, it delivers exactly that. As treatment for a skin problem it is doing nothing, and the money goes further on a retinoid and a sunscreen.
Related
Acne
Microdermabrasion
Laser Hair Removal
Dermaplaning vs Laser Hair Removal
Dermaplaning vs Microdermabrasion
Dermaplaning vs Chemical Peel
Dermaplaning vs Electrolysis
Dermaplaning vs Microneedling
Dermaplaning vs Glycolic Acid Peel
Dermaplaning vs Hydrafacial
Dermaplaning vs Nd:YAG Laser
