I got to thinking… one of the questions we get asked a lot at the salon is “What do you think about dermaplaning?”
Well, to be honest, I try not to think about it! But I do appreciate that many people love the instant result of silky, smooth skin, but at what cost?
I’m of the opinion that health and wellness comes from the inside out and as such, we need to nurture and protect what we have, not shave it off hoping it will grow back better!
We see clients regularly who have developed problematic blemishes, rough, dry skin, uneven pigmentation and more prominent fine lines after having a dermaplaning treatment. Is it coincidence or could there be a reason for it? I’ll explain why I’m not a fan and prefer a more holistic approach to obtaining a radiant, glowing complexion.
Let’s start with some facts: Dermaplaning is NOT a cute exfoliation treatment.
It involves shaving your face with a blade to remove hairs, fluff, dead skin cells, your skin’s natural defence system – the acid mantle. Once this has all been scraped off, your skin is left vulnerable as its protective layer has been compromised.
We need to remember that the skin is the body’s largest organ and it has many functions; protection being high up there on the list of priorities.
The skin has an outer layer called the epidermis.
The epidermis is made up of 5 layers, with the stratum corneum being the outermost layer and the one therapists work with.
The stratum corneum is an intelligent living barrier structure that helps to protect us from environmental aggressors including moisture loss, bacterial invasion and more.
The stratum corneum helps to maintain hydration, prevents excessive water loss, controls the pH of our skin, houses immune cells, hosts microbiome, signals wound healing and basically acts as your first line of defence.
Dermaplaning scrapes that all off, removing your skin’s natural defence army. Not “fluff” and dead skin, but your living protective layer designed to keep moisture in and damaging pathogens out!
Dermaplaning
- Removes resident bacteria that help to keep pathogens at bay
- Increases susceptibility to blemish-causing bacteria and fungal overgrowth
- Disrupts the acid mantle and pH, reducing the effectiveness of the barrier
- Creates a sterile, exposed environment with no defence mechanisms left.
This can result in increased redness, sensitivity, breakouts, dermatitis flare-ups and impaired wound healing.
It’s not a glow facial it’s skin damage!
So why would you consider dermaplaning in the first place?
Usually to reduce the fluffy hairs, right? That’s vellus hair and it’s there for a reason. People will tell you the hairs don’t grow back stronger, but I can assure you they do! As someone who’s offered electrolysis for almost 40 years, I do know about the hair growth cycle and how it’s stimulated and dermaplaning definitely stimulates it.
What’s wrong with the fine vellus hair anyway?
Fine facial, vellus hair is actually there for a reason and when you remove it, you interfere with the function of your skin, again upsetting the natural cycle of events in place to protect you.
What’s it there for?
- It helps to regulate body temperature and supports microcirculation
- It wicks sebum (the skin’s natural oil) along the shaft (of the hair) to keep skin lubricated
- It acts as a sensory organ.
What happens when you scrape (shave – because that’s what it is) it off?
- You disrupt the flow of sebum
- You alter the skin’s micro-environment
- You remove biological sensors and alter how ingredients penetrate
- You affect hydration and the skin’s moisture loss
So really, that fine vellus hair needs to be there for the skin to do its job properly. It’s not ugly, it’s not a flaw, it’s supposed to be there!
Dermaplaning creates micro-wounds, but people don’t talk about that either. When you drag a blade over skin, there’s a strong likelihood of causing damage. It’s inevitable. No matter how careful or well-trained the therapist is, no-one is perfect and trauma to the skin is probable.
These micro-abrasions can lead to irritation, inflammation, uneven pigmentation, accelerated wound healing and accelerated ageing of the skin.
So, while a dermaplaning treatment might make you feel a million dollars initially, prolonged dermaplaning treatments can lead to barrier thinning, collagen breakdown, chronic redness, loss of resilience, impaired desquamation (skin naturally shedding itself) resulting in long term moisture loss and “crepey” looking skin.
This is why clients often end up with the same issues they’re trying to resolve!
- Sensitivity and redness
- Fine lines
- Rough patches or skin texture
- Breakouts
- Barrier damage
Once you’ve removed that essential barrier, everything you apply to the skin goes deeper. Is it any wonder then that the skin reacts violently to certain products?
Things like alcohol-based toners, fragrances, acids and retinoids, essential oils, sunscreens and make-ups that were never a problem before, suddenly all become irritating to the skin.
Clients can end up with contact dermatitis, increased likelihood of allergic reactions, increased photosensitivity, rosacea flares, reactive skin types for life.
Dermaplaning is popular because it creates instant smoothness causing make-up to sit smoothly for 24 hours. Skin feels silky smooth and looks amazing, but it offers instant benefit with a long-term cost. It is skin damage packaged as a beauty treatment.
Your skin needs its “fluff” and stratum corneum to function properly. Rather than scrape the fluff and stratum corneum off, look at ways to strengthen and enhance it so that it can function more effectively. Damaging the skin to improve its appearance is never going to work long-term.
With our ethos of working holistically to enhance the body and complexion, we look at ways of nurturing the skin through natural ingredients and practices.
With the incredible research into science-based ingredients and their effectiveness in helping deliver outstanding results, the evidence is there. We don’t need to damage the skin to improve it; we need to listen to it; find out why it’s upset and then find away to re-balance and calm it without the trauma and long-term damage associated with dermaplaning.
Do you really want to be shaving your face?
That’s dermaplaning.