If you told me I would be spending an afternoon having my face shaved I wouldn't have believed you. Don't worry, I didn't grab a bic razor and shaving foam, I was invited to try dermaplaning by Donna Wainwright at Hashtag Lashed, Brows and Beauty based in Jess Taylor Lashes & Beauty in Glasgow's west end.
Dermaplaning is a non-invasive procedure that uses a surgical grade scalpel to exfoliate the surface of the skin and remove fine vellus hair also known as 'peach fuzz'. The treatment has been around for many years and is a firm favourite among celebrities, who dubbed it the red-carpet facial.
After cleansing and toning the face, the Therapist uses a scalpel to gently scrape the top-most layer of your skin. Donna gave me the luxury upgrade of an enzyme peel, hyaluronic mask followed by a head and shoulder massage. For those who enjoy a relaxing experience at salons, I would recommend going for the luxury option because the dermaplaning process itself is quite basic and clinical.
Although the use of a sharp scalpel may sound intimidating, dermaplaning is painless, the treatment removes up to three weeks of dead skin and vellus hair and can be done monthly. I was surprised to see what exactly had been removed from my face, it looked like a sample from inside a hoover.
The market is saturated with salons offering dermaplaning and outlets offering training in it raising concerns in the industry.
Nicola Russell, the owner of Skin Geek, brought dermaplaning to the UK around two years ago and was the first official trainer in the country.
She said "Clients looking for a bargain with dermaplaning won’t usually go in their favour. If someone is using a surgical blade on your face, then shopping around for the cheapest therapist isn’t recommended. Go with reputation and recommendation over price."
Immediately after my treatment my skin looked visibly brighter and felt soft. The next day I noticed a difference in how my make-up went on, it was like looking at my face in high definition.
Donna agrees "I think the treatment is popular because the results are instant. Clients can immediately feel and see how soft and glowing their skin is"
Removing the dead skin cells and hair results in baby-smooth skin that will absorb moisturisers and serums, giving you the full benefit of your chosen products.
Nicola agrees "My favourite benefit from dermaplaning is the absorption of skin care after the treatment, for me, it’s not just an instant results treatment. If the client is using good skin care at home then they can expect an improvement in their skin and the performance of the skincare they use. Most of my clients are returning clients who get this done every month.... some for nearly 3 years now."
If you are thinking about getting dermaplaning, do your research, ask friends and family for recommendations and check reviews. Don't be scared to ask questions, a good therapist will be knowledgeable about the treatment.
And no... your hair will not grow in thicker or darker, that's a myth.
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