Dermaplaning Explained: What It Is, Who It Suits and What to Expect

Dermaplaning has a slightly alarming description and a very gentle reality. A sterile surgical blade is drawn across the skin at a shallow angle, removing the outermost layer of dead cells along with the fine vellus hair — peach fuzz — that sits on most faces. It takes about twenty minutes, it does not hurt, and the difference in how skin feels is immediate.

It is also the treatment people ask me the most nervous questions about, so this is the long answer.

What it actually does

Two things, and it is worth separating them.

It exfoliates. The blade lifts off the layer of dead cells that makes skin look dull and feel rough. This is physical exfoliation, so unlike an acid it does not need time to work or need neutralising — the effect is there the moment you sit up.

It removes vellus hair. This is a side effect that a lot of people book for deliberately. Fine facial hair traps a little light and a lot of foundation, and removing it is why skin looks so noticeably smoother in photographs afterwards.

The knock-on benefit is absorption. With that dead layer gone, whatever goes on next — a serum, a mask, your own moisturiser that evening — gets further into the skin rather than sitting on top of a barrier of dead cells.

Who it suits

Dermaplaning is one of the more universally tolerated treatments. It generally suits you if you have:

• Dull, tired-looking skin that does not respond much to your usual exfoliant
• Uneven texture or a rough feel across the cheeks and forehead
• Noticeable facial fuzz, particularly along the jaw and upper cheek
• Makeup that has started to cling or look patchy
• Sensitive skin that cannot tolerate acids — this is a real advantage of dermaplaning

Who should give it a miss

Honesty matters more than a booking here. Dermaplaning is not appropriate if you have:

• Active inflammatory acne, particularly pustules or cysts. Drawing a blade across them risks spreading bacteria and worsening things.
• Active cold sores, impetigo or any skin infection. Wait until it has fully cleared.
• A flare of eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis on the area.
• Terminal hair — the coarse, dark, deeply rooted hair that sometimes grows on the chin or upper lip. Dermaplaning is for fine vellus hair. Cutting coarse hair at the surface leaves a blunt end that genuinely does feel stubbly.
• Taking oral isotretinoin, or within about six months of finishing it. Skin is too fragile.

You also need to be 18 or over.

If you are unsure which category you are in, that is exactly what the free consultation is for — and it is genuinely free, with no obligation to go ahead on the day.

No, the hair does not grow back thicker

This is the question, every single time.

Vellus hair grows from a follicle that determines its thickness, colour and depth. Cutting it at the surface does not change the follicle, so it grows back exactly as it was, at the same rate. What changes is the feel on the way back: hair that tapers to a natural point has been cut flat, so for a few days it can feel very slightly blunter as it returns. It is not thicker, darker or more plentiful, and it settles.

The myth persists because shaving coarse body hair produces the same blunt-end sensation, and people reasonably generalise.

What the appointment is like

1. Double cleanse. Thorough preparation, so the blade glides cleanly and nothing is dragged across the skin.
2. Dermaplaning. Skin is held taut and the blade is worked across in short upward strokes. It feels like a soft scraping — most people describe it as oddly relaxing. Around twenty minutes.
3. Targeted serum. Applied to freshly exfoliated skin, where it absorbs properly.
4. Moisturise and protect. A hydrating moisturiser and SPF to finish.

Because Dermatique is mobile, all of this happens at your kitchen table or in your lounge — I bring the couch, the lighting, the sterile consumables and the products. You need about the space of a dining table and a plug socket. There is no drive home afterwards, which matters more than you would think when your skin is freshly exfoliated and you would rather not sit in traffic.

Aftercare

Straightforward, and worth doing properly:

• No makeup for 24 hours if you can manage it. Freshly exfoliated skin wants to be left alone.
• SPF, without fail. You have just removed your outermost layer, so you are more photosensitive than usual for a few days.
• Skip actives for 48 hours — no retinoid, no acids, no strong vitamin C.
• No heat for 24 hours — sauna, steam room, hot yoga, sunbeds.
• Keep it simple. A gentle cleanser and your moisturiser is all the skin wants.

Mild redness that settles within an hour or two is normal. Anything persistent, painful or spreading is not, and should be looked at by a GP.

How often, and what it costs

Every four to six weeks suits most people, which lines up with the natural cycle of skin cell turnover. More often than that and you are exfoliating skin that has not finished renewing.

At Dermatique the current prices are £28 for the face and £33 for face and neck, and there is no travel charge anywhere within about ten miles of Northampton. The full price guide has everything, including the combination bookings.

Is it worth combining with anything?

Dermaplaning plus microneedling is the most popular pairing I do, at £55 for the two together. The logic is sound: dermaplaning clears the surface, then microneedling works into properly prepared skin. If you are considering it, the microneedling guide explains what that side of it involves.

Dermaplaning before a peel is also common, though it depends on your skin — that is a consultation conversation, not a rule.

Common questions

Does it hurt?

No. There is no numbing needed and no recovery. Most people find the sensation pleasant, somewhere between a soft brush and a very light scrape.

Can I have it done before an event?

Yes, and it is one of the best pre-event treatments there is. Book it two or three days before rather than the same morning, which gives any faint flush time to settle and makes makeup sit beautifully.

Is it safe for sensitive skin?

Usually yes, and often better than the alternatives. Because there is no acid and no heat, dermaplaning suits a lot of people who react to chemical exfoliants. Sensitive is not the same as reactive or broken, though, so it still needs a proper look first.

Will it help with acne scarring?

Not meaningfully. Dermaplaning works at the surface; scarring sits deeper. Microneedling is the treatment for that, usually as a course of three.

Can I do it myself with a face razor?

You can exfoliate lightly, yes, and plenty of people do. What you cannot replicate at home is the blade grade, the angle, the sterile single-use handling and the ability to see what you are doing across the whole face. If you do use one at home, use it on clean dry skin, never on active breakouts, and never reuse a blade.

How soon can I have another one?

Four weeks at the earliest. If your skin still feels smooth, wait longer — there is nothing to gain from exfoliating a surface that has not rebuilt yet.