Dermaplaning Is Not Hair Removal - It’s Exfoliation (And That Difference Matters)
Somewhere along the way, dermaplaning got shoved into the same category as shaving your face, hair removal, and peach fuzz maintenance. If I had a dollar for every time someone sat in my chair and whispered, “So this is basically shaving, right?” I could probably retire early.
No, friend. It is not.
Dermaplaning is first and foremost a form of professional exfoliation. The purpose of the treatment is not to remove hair, even though that is the part everyone becomes obsessed with after seeing their skin glowing like they suddenly drink enough water and sleep eight hours every night. The true intention behind dermaplaning is to remove the buildup of dead skin cells sitting on the surface of the skin that can leave your complexion looking dull, uneven, rough, or textured.
The confusion happens because there is an added bonus to the treatment. Since a professional dermaplaning blade travels across the surface of the skin to remove dead skin buildup, it also removes vellus hair, also known as peach fuzz, in the process. That hair removal is incidental. It is not the goal of the treatment. Think of it like cleaning your kitchen counter and realizing afterward that you also found the earring you thought you lost three months ago. The earring was not the purpose of cleaning, but it was a nice benefit.
Professional dermaplaning uses a sterile surgical blade and a very specific certified protocol to manually exfoliate the skin in a safe and controlled way. Notice I said surgical blade and certified protocol because this is where things tend to go sideways online. Watching someone drag what looks like an eyebrow razor from a drugstore across their face on social media is not the same thing as receiving a professional dermaplaning treatment. It simply is not.
A properly performed dermaplaning treatment requires education, certification, skin assessment, knowledge of contraindications, and understanding exactly how much pressure and blade angle to use. This is why the treatment can leave the skin looking smoother, brighter, and more refined without compromising the barrier when performed correctly.
Now let us address one of the beauty myths that absolutely refuses to die: “Dermaplaning opens your pores.”
I say this with love, but pores do not open.
They also do not close.
Your pores are not tiny doors sitting on your face waiting for permission to swing open every time steam, hot water, or a treatment enters the chat. Pores do not contain muscles. They cannot physically open and close.
What people are actually seeing after dermaplaning is the appearance of smoother, cleaner skin. When surface buildup, compacted dead skin, oil, and debris are removed, pores can appear smaller and more refined because there is less congestion casting shadows or stretching the look of the pore. That is not your pores magically shrinking. That is simply your skin looking cleaner and healthier.
This also brings me to another thing that needs to be talked about more often, and that is what happens after dermaplaning.
For reasons I still cannot fully understand, there seems to be this belief that once the skin has been freshly exfoliated, that is the perfect moment to throw every aggressive active ingredient imaginable at it. Suddenly people are reaching for acids, retinols, scrubs, and enough exfoliation to make your barrier quietly file for divorce.
Please do not do this.
After dermaplaning, your skin has already been exfoliated. It has done enough for the day. This is not the time for aggressive peels, harsh exfoliating products, or strong corrective ingredients unless specifically directed by your skincare professional and intentionally incorporated into a treatment plan.
Freshly exfoliated skin is naturally more receptive, which means products penetrate differently. While that sounds exciting, it can also become a recipe for irritation if you are piling on active ingredients that your skin was never meant to absorb at full speed immediately after treatment. Instead of getting glow, you may end up with inflammation, redness, sensitivity, barrier disruption, and that unfortunate feeling of wondering why your face suddenly feels personally offended.
Post dermaplaning care should focus on calming, hydrating, and supporting the skin. Think barrier loving ingredients, nourishing hydration, and protection. This is also your reminder that sunscreen is non negotiable. If you are investing in exfoliation while simultaneously skipping SPF, we need to have a serious little chat.
The bottom line is this: dermaplaning is not hair removal. It is an advanced exfoliation treatment that just so happens to remove vellus hair as a beautiful little bonus. The glow you love is coming from refined skin, improved texture, and removal of dead surface buildup, not because someone shaved your face.
And when performed professionally with proper certification, sterile tools, and intentional post care, dermaplaning can be one of the most beautiful skin refining treatments available.
The peach fuzz leaving the chat is simply the cherry on top. Or in my world, the peach on top. 🍑