Derma Planing

A Safe Alternative to Chemical Peels and Manual Exfoliation

Derma Planing, Blading or Leveling the skin. Derma planing removes the outermost layers of dead skin cells leaving the skin immediately smooth, supple and vibrant. Derma planing (blading) is another non-traumatic method of skin rejuvenation.

Is this Treatment Safe?

This treatment, when professionally trained, is extremely safe. There is no more risk to the skin than when a man shaves his face. As long as the practitioner has adequate training, the treatment should be very easy and quick.

If you are 'blading" the skin on the face, won't the hairs on the face grow back thicker?

No. It is physiologically impossible for your vellous hairs to grow back thicker. True, once the hair is cut, it has a blunt edge. But this blunt edge does not mean that the hair structure itself has been physiologically altered.

Sometimes, waxing can make the hair appear to be "thinner" but it is really not thinner at all. Because waxing pulls the hair from it's roots, the new hair grows in with a smooth tip, making it feel softer. But it is actually the same type of hair it was before. It's only when we cut hair (any type of hair) that the hair grows back with a blunt cut at the tip.

Can dermaplaing cause the skin to bleed?

In all honesty, of course it can. You are performing this procedure with a sharp instrument. But the incidence of cutting into the skin is slim. Imagine when you shave your legs. You can draw blood because you are using a blade. But how often does that occur? For some, more often than they'd like, but for most, it doesn't happen that often, if ever, because we have practiced and trained for several years to perfect the art of shaving. It becomes second nature to us.

Blading the skin is identical. It is only performed by someone who has had the proper training and practice. Not all practitioners know how to perform this treatment. That is why training is mandatory!

How often is this procedure performed?

Blading can be performed every 3 - 4 weeks. Blading the skin actually removes about 2-3 weeks worth of dead skin cells. We want the skin to complete its normal skin cycle of approximately 30 days. I would not recommend treating the skin more often than that.

Does the skin actually peel from Derma Planing?

Sometimes the skin does peel after derma planing. If the procedure is done at a 2-week interval, then the skin cycle has not been completed. Thus, you are blading skin that does not really need to be peeled yet and peeling can occur.

Also, if using a chemical peel after, you may experience some superficial peeling. But the idea is not to over-exfoliate the skin. We just want to assist in the skin's natural exfoliation process.

What skin types/conditions can be treated?

All skin types can benefit from derma planing or blading, however, I would not recommend this treatment for those suffering from acne and an over production of the sebaceous gland. The oils from the sebaceous gland need to travel up and connect with the vellous hair. (Vellous hair does not have oil/sebaceous glands) If the hair is removed, then the oils tend to stay below where they are prone to mix with bacterial colonies, ultimately stimulating more acne.