How Shaving My Clients Is Making Them Glow (Or What Is Dermaplaning?)
If you’ve met (or are) one of my clients you’ve likely seen that they have a distinct characteristic…gorgeous, glowing facial skin. You can visit many a day spa and get this for a day or so but what’s the secret for weeks of this effect? Quite simply, shaving, or professionally known as Dermaplaning. This beauty secret goes way back (some say Cleopatra did it) and even famous beauties like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor did it. Even several of The Real Housewives have been in the news talking about it lately.
What Is Dermaplaning?
Dermaplaning is a process where an esthetician uses a special blade to dry shave your face. On paper it sounds bizarre but it actually feels fantastic. There are special blades that are used for this procedure, Skinceuticals has by far the best tool for doing this. If you’re having it done other than by me, I recommend that you ask what they are using to do it. It should be a #10 blade.
To Dermaplane, the esthetician first washes and dries the skin thoroughly then holds the skin tight with the blade at a 45 degree angle and gently scrapes away dead skin and hair. This process removes peach fuzz (and even dark, coarse hair) and additionally “planes” or removes bumpy texture and unevenness from the skin. The end result is a fantastically smooth, hairless face.
Why Do It?
Dermaplaning has far more benefits than just a smooth face. It is truly like getting a mini-facial by itself. It’s something you can do for a low cost with far-reaching benefits including:
- Better penetration of ALL products during the rest of your facial service
- Better penetration of home care products which improves your skin after you leave too
- Irritation free hair removal
- Smoother makeup application
- Reduces recent acne scarring
- Removes vellus facial hair that traps dirt and oil in your skin
- Reduces fine lines
- Provides immediate results with no downtime
It Sounds Good But You’re Terrified Your Hair Will Grow Back Darker And Thicker
One of the worst Old Wives Tales ever for me in this business is that shaving makes your hair grow darker and thicker. If you do ANY research on this you’ll find that it’s completely untrue. Hair is created from inside the hair follicle not from anything you do on the surface of your skin. Many folks that come in for waxing or dermaplaning are coming in because they’re already seeing an increase of hair on their face. That really comes from hormone changes, not shaving or waxing. The good news is that because we dermaplane at a 45 degree angle you won’t get the blunt edge feeling you might get from shaving at home.
Shaving at home does create a blunt edge for the hair. So when you shave your legs it makes a flat top on the hair instead of the soft tip that grows in naturally. It gives you the sense that the hair is thicker when really you just have a flat top on it. My best example is your lawn, when you go out and mow your grass it immediately looks thicker since you chopped the soft grass tops off but logically your grass didn’t instantly grow more in the hour it took you to mow it – did it?
If these explanations don’t convince you enough, go checkout more from the experts:
http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-removal/shaving_your_legs_makes_your_hair_darker,_right
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hairgrow.asp
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hair-removal/faq-20058427
So if glowing, smooth, hairless skin for weeks is something you seek, it’s time to try out dermaplaning either by itself or with a facial. You’ll be delighted by how you look!
Additional sources:
http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/10/how-shaving-your-face-keeps-you-glowy-dermaplaning.html
http://www.skininc.com/treatments/medicalesthetics/129825918.html