Face and Body

How dermablading can help you get smooth, glowing skin

22 February, 2024 . 0

Dermablading has been around for decades but has only recently entered the skincare mainstream. We ask the experts how shaving your face can transform your skin.

Everyone has “peach fuzz” on their face, but not many of us think of shaving when it comes to removal of these tiny, translucent hairs – also known as vellus hair.

Some believe shaving makes hair grow back thicker, but that common misconception appears to be changing with the resurgence of dermablading, the old-school practice of removing fine facial hair.

What is dermablading?

Otherwise known as dermaplaning or epiblading, the non-invasive practice involves the use of a specially designed blade to gently scrape away any unwanted facial hair and dead skin.

“Dermablading isn’t just a technique for dead skin and peach fuzz removal – it can also be used to shape your eyebrows for a more polished look,” Bondi Blades founder Ali Clarke says.

Is dermablading different from shaving?

Dermal therapist Danielle Renee says dermablading is very different from shaving the face at home.

“If you compare the blades we use professionally to those used at home, the latter can impact the barrier of your skin, causing more trauma and potential scarring,” the founder of Bobbie Charles Skin & Cosmetic Clinic says.

The technique used is also a big point of difference between a regular face shave and a proper dermablading exfoliation, skin therapist Tegan Macdonald adds.

“With a regular shave, you go against the hair but with dermaplaning, the blade is moved either across or with the hair,” Tegan says.

“This helps the hair to grow back softer and provides (an) added safety measure as you’re keeping the blade away from the eyes.”

How does dermablading work?

“When I do professional dermaplaning services, I use a surgical stainless steel blade to carefully lift dead skin, with the level of exfoliation depending on the pressure used and how many passes we do over the skin,” Tegan explains.

“What makes it a skin treatment rather than just hair removal is that it physically exfoliates the top layer of the skin.”

Tegan says dermablading can also be used for pre-event preparation to create a smooth, hair-free base for make-up to be applied on.

Is dermablading good for your skin?

Danielle says when done professionally, dermablading is safe during pregnancy, and great for brightening and evening out the complexion, reducing the look of enlarged pores and reducing the appearance of fine lines.

“This treatment immediately rejuvenates the skin, stimulating the renewal of healthier skin,” she says.

“It increases collagen and elastin production which, in turn, gives your skin its framework, giving you plumper, firmer and tighter skin.”

Can you dermablade at home?

“When using a blade on the skin, there is always the risk of cuts,” Tegan says.

“Using the blade at the wrong angle or incorrect pressure can result in irritation, dry patches and abrasions on the skin.”

Danielle advises to leave dermablading in the hands of the professionals.

“If you want to try it at home, don’t blade dry skin and use a nice oil for slip to avoid cutting the skin or causing grazing,” Danielle says.

While you can, in theory, dermablade at home, Danielle says it doesn’t mean you should.

How do you dermablade safely?

Choose the right tools for the treatment

“A sterile surgical blade, and not a razor, is used when in a professional treatment to carefully glide over the entire face and neck, leaving the skin smooth, glowing and supple,” Danielle says.

“The skin’s integrity is then maintained and nourished with our specialised serums, both during and after the treatment, to reduce the chance of any unwanted inflammation or irritation.”

Don’t use the same tool twice!

“In a professional clinic, dermablading tools are for one-time use only, making it the safest option for infection control,” Danielle says.

“The at-home devices are re-usable, but we highly advise against it.”

How often should you dermablade?

How often you dermablade depends on why you do it, according to Tegan.

“If a client gets the service for hair removal, I recommend treatments every three to four weeks,” Tegan says.

“If a client is using the treatment primarily for exfoliation, then four to six weeks apart would be sufficient.”

But, Tegan warns, dermablade too often and “you run the risk of impairing your skin’s protective barrier, causing rough texture and excessive dryness”.

More on achieving healthy, radiant skin:

Originally written by Charlotte Brundrett, September 29, 2021. Updated by Melissa Hong, February 2024.