Dermaplaning, Honestly: Who It's For and Who It Isn't

What Dermaplaning Actually Does

Dermaplaning uses a sterile blade at a shallow angle to remove the top layer of dead skin cells along with the fine vellus hair sometimes called peach fuzz. The result is an immediately smoother surface, and makeup tends to sit better afterward because there's less texture for it to catch on. It's a manual exfoliation method, not a chemical one, which makes it a good option for people whose skin doesn't tolerate acids well.

Who It Actually Suits

Dermaplaning works well for people with dry or dull-looking skin who want an immediate improvement in texture and light reflection, and for anyone who wants smoother makeup application without downtime. It's also a good fit if you're avoiding stronger chemical exfoliation and want a gentler, manual option instead.

It suits people less well who have active, inflamed acne, since running a blade over active breakouts can spread bacteria and irritate skin that's already compromised. It's also not the right tool for very sensitive or reactive skin, or for anyone hoping it will address deeper texture concerns like scarring, since it only works on the surface layer.

The Regrowth Myth, Addressed Directly

The most common question we get is whether the hair grows back thicker or darker. It doesn't. Vellus hair has a fine, soft structure that's determined by the hair follicle, not by the blade. Shaving or dermaplaning cuts the hair at a blunt angle, which can make regrowth feel coarser to the touch for the first few days, but that's a sensation, not a structural change to the hair itself. Genetics and hormones control hair texture, not a blade near the surface of the skin.

What the Enzyme and Barrier Steps Are Actually For

Our Dermaplane plus Enzyme Facial is $175 for 90 minutes, and the enzyme step isn't decoration. After the blade removes dead surface cells, skin is more receptive to whatever goes on next, which is exactly why we follow it with an enzyme exfoliant rather than stopping at the blade. The enzyme works on a different layer than the blade does, breaking down the bonds holding onto dull, dead cells at a slightly deeper level, so the two steps aren't duplicating each other, they're covering different ground.

The barrier step afterward matters just as much. Freshly dermaplaned skin has lost some of its protective surface layer temporarily, so it's more vulnerable to sun and irritation for a short window. Rebuilding that barrier before you leave the studio is what keeps the treatment feeling calming rather than stripping.

• Blade step removes dead surface cells and fine vellus hair
• Enzyme step works deeper to clear dull, dead cell buildup the blade doesn't reach
• Barrier step rebuilds the skin's protective surface before you leave
• Sunscreen afterward matters more than usual for the next day or two

What to Skip Before a Session

A few days of prep makes a real difference in how comfortable a dermaplaning session feels and how skin responds afterward. Retinoids and strong acids thin the surface layer, which makes it easier to nick or irritate skin during the blade work, so we generally ask clients to pause those for a couple of days beforehand. Coming in with a freshly waxed or heavily sun-exposed face isn't ideal either, since both leave skin more sensitive than usual right when it's about to be worked on.

None of this is complicated, it's mostly about giving skin a calm, stable baseline to start from, the same principle that makes the treatment work well in the first place. If you're not sure whether something in your current routine counts as a strong active, mention it when you book. It takes thirty seconds and saves any guesswork on our end.

How Often, Realistically

This isn't a weekly treatment. Skin needs time to fully regenerate its surface layer between sessions, so spacing dermaplaning out by three to four weeks gives better results than doing it more often. If you're curious whether it's the right fit for what your skin is doing right now, a free 20 minute virtual consultation is the easiest way to find out before booking. We're on Washington Blvd. in the Del Rey and Mar Vista part of Culver City, and Mina and Aki both do this treatment alongside Tomo.