How do you know what beauty and self-care practices to try out? There are so many options that sometimes I feel better just sticking to what I know. It seems that as soon as I adopt something, I’m told it’s actually bad for me or it goes out of style (does anyone actually still use those jade rollers that had us in a chokehold?). Therefore, I was really put out of my comfort zone when, during my graduation photo session, my hair and makeup artist decided to dermaplane me.
For those who don’t know, dermaplaning is when one takes a small blade and lightly scrapes it across the face to get rid of hair and extra dead skin. To me, it’s terrifying. I don’t like having anything sharp near my face, I already scar easily enough. Also, after taking prescribed hair vitamins in high school, I almost became the bearded lady and had to dermaplane…but it didn’t go so well. Let’s just say razor burn is not just something men experience. I promptly stopped both the vitamins and the dermaplaning and haven’t done either since. Until, just a couple of weeks ago.
My HMU artist confidently gave me a bottle of lotion and said, “Here, moisturize yourself, I’m going to dermaplane you.” I was terrified but hesitantly agreed. While he was using the blade, I explained to him my experience in high school, and he told me that my experience was not regular, and to trust him because “I would love how my skin feels.”
I made it out of my dermaplane session scar-free and actually a little embarrassed by how much hair there was if I’m being honest. Then, for the next few hours, I didn’t think much of it until I decided to wash my face.
I did full glam for my senior photos, and I know how my skin looks and feels after having layers and layers of makeup on it; it’s not great. Therefore, imagine my confusion when I was washing my face and my skin felt so smooth and looked so even. For a minute, I thought I was struggling to get the last layer of foundation off when it hit me — it was the dermaplaning! Without the dead skin and hair, my skin looked so fresh and new. Even my roommates noticed a difference. One of them even washed their hands just to touch my cheek because I am not lying when I say in just a matter of hours (hours where I was wearing a full face of makeup), my skin had become baby smooth!
In the following weeks, my skin maintained its smoothness, and I also noticed that my makeup blends more evenly into my skin. I don’t have to put in as much effort to make sure everything absorbs into my skin because the barrier is gone. Skincare products are also absorbed into my skin more easily!
Now absolutely hooked on dermaplaning, I’ve done my research. It’s best to do it once a month, and the closer I get to my one-month mark, the more I notice myself having to put in more effort to make my skin feel smooth. Therefore, my skin will definitely welcome dermaplaning again, but this time, I’m doing it myself. I’m not going to lie, it’s a little nerve-wracking, but I think I found some things that will help me not repeat my high school mistakes.
If you are also interested in dermaplaning, make sure you get an extremely thick moisturizer or gel to apply before you start. Personally, I like aloe vera, but a super thick face cream works too. Also, pull the skin taut before swiping the blade. The tension makes the process more effective and decreases any chances of scarring. Finally, use a mechanical dermaplane tool rather than a powered one. The blades and the speed can be too harsh, and I think that was my lethal mistake in high school.
Overall, dermaplaning has taught me that every beauty trend is at least a try worth because even when the trends fade, if it works for us, it’s worth it to keep doing it. Trial and error can lead to the best natural glow-ups. So, will you give that little face blade a try? I say go for it.