Dermaplaning

Dermaplaning is a skin rejuvenating procedure where the surgeon uses a blade to exfoliate and shave the superficial aspect of the skin. When men shave their beards, there is a fair amount of exfoliation that occurs. Some men who shave everyday seem to have softer skin. Women also experience softer skin after shaving although they do not have the same sort of hairs. Women have vellus hairs which are the finer. In dermaplaning, hair as well as irregularities of the skin become.

Dermaplaning is only a hair and superficial skin removal procedure. If the skin starts to exfoliate, that takes off that layer of skin. Skin is not just one layer of cells. It is actually multiple advancing layers of cells.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

Anyone can be an ideal candidate for dermaplaning. The act of exfoliation helps the quality of the skin. The removal of the vellus hairs for women allows them to put on makeup and have a softer and younger appearance to their skin.

Wrinkles and worry lines are deeper issues. There are other ways of treating those including fillers and Botox. Dermaplaning is not the treatment of choice for wrinkles or the furrows in the brow. It is designed to improve the quality and texture of the skin.

SKIN ABRASION

Dermabrasion is similar to sanding so it is an abrasion of the skin. The doctor can adjust the level of the abrasion or the coarseness of the abrasion but that creates a more vigorous treatment. Microdermabrasion, a form of dermabrasion has no downtime and uses fine and coarse particles to help clean the skin off. It is like dermaplaning but dermaplaning is a lot more physical and mechanical.

However, dermaplaning is better than microdermabrasion. The consistency is better and the depth is deeper. It is a little more physical since the blade takes off the exfoliating skin and fine vellus hairs. It can also be performed on male and female patients.

LIMITATIONS

If patients are looking for the elimination of wrinkles, worry lines, or deep furrows, this is not what they want to use. If they are looking for consistency and skin color, this is not the treatment. If they are looking for improvement in the quality and texture of their skin, they can do consistent dermaplaning.

COMPLICATIONS

As for long or short term complications, dermaplaning does not cause accidental discoloration of the skin. It is not so aggressive that patients get blotchiness or changes in the melanocyte which causes a difference in the color of the skin.

RECOVERY

In terms of downtime or recovery, patients can walk right out and look great. They might have some slight irritation however, a little balm or moisturizer can help with the irritation.

After the treatment, patients are put on a skin care regimen. It is not completely necessary but it can be helpful in minimizing irritation if they have not had used dermaplaning in the past.

RESULTS

In order to achieve and keep the desired results, patients will need to do follow-up procedures on a consistent basis. They can get good initial results but they have to continue the procedure and it varies from patient to patient whether it is weekly, monthly, or more. Patients need follow-up procedures to see consistency in the quality and smoothness of the skin.

Some patients like to have dermaplaning on a regular basis. Every other week works well for people who want to be more aggressive. Other people come in every month or six weeks or couple of months to have it done. The amount of treatments really depends on the patient. It is similar to having a facial. A person does not need to have it every week but having the treatment performed on a regular basis helps to maintain the results.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Dermaplaning is an effective treatment with very few negatives or downsides. While it removes the fine hairs and the sort of peach fuzz, it is completely different from laser hair removal. Laser removal works on the follicle at the deep portion of the skin. Dermaplaning is on the surface and it really exfoliates the skin. It takes the skin and sort of cleans or brushes it off. Think of it as having a beach home with sand on the deck. It is like taking that sand off the deck and cleaning it all up.

Written by Cosmetic Town Editorial Team- MA

Based on an exclusive interview with Dr. Stafford Broumand, MD in New York, NY