Dermaplaning: what it does, and what it does not

No, the hair does not grow back thicker or darker. That myth has survived about forty years longer than it deserved. Here is what the blade is actually doing.

What is being removed

Two things. The first is vellus hair — the fine, soft, colourless down that covers most of the face. The second, and the reason the treatment works, is the stratum corneum: the outermost layer of dead, flattened skin cells.

That layer is what makes skin look grey in photographs, what makes makeup sit badly, and what stops serums from reaching anything living. Removing it is physical exfoliation, done with more control than any scrub or acid gives you.

Why the hair does not change

Hair thickness, colour and growth rate are decided at the follicle, below the skin. A blade passing across the surface does not reach the follicle and cannot instruct it to do anything differently.

What does change is the cut end. A hair that grew to a fine taper now has a blunt tip, which catches the light differently for the first few days and feels less soft to the touch. It grows back to exactly what it was. This is the entire basis of the myth.

What you actually get

• Immediate smoothness. The most noticeable result, and it is tactile as much as visual.
• Makeup that sits properly. Foundation stops clinging to peach fuzz and flaking.
• Better product absorption. For a fortnight afterwards, everything you apply works harder.
• A light-reflecting surface. The glow is real, and it is optics — a smooth surface reflects light evenly.

When it is the wrong choice

Not over active, inflamed acne — dragging a blade across a pustule spreads bacteria and irritates skin that is already angry. Not on skin that is currently reacting, peeling or sunburnt. And not if you are on isotretinoin, or recently were.

If any of those apply we will say so at consultation and suggest something from the Clarity or Restore collections instead.

Fresh skin burns more easily. SPF for the week afterwards is not optional.

How often

Every four weeks suits most people, which matches how long the surface layer takes to rebuild. More often than that and you are removing a barrier faster than your skin can replace it.