Scrolling through my explore page on Instagram I came across this video here, and I thought: “okay that looks super effective.” I didn’t pay much mind but as you know once Instagram knows you like something it shows you more of the same. So over the next few weeks I saw more before and afters of people who had undergone the dermaplan procedure.
The results looked quite extraordinary so I decided to give it a go.
What is Dermaplaning?
Dermaplaning is a means of manual exfoliation. Exfoliation is the process of getting rid of dead, dry & dull skin cells on the body to reveal the younger looking skin underneath. Our body naturally sheds its own dead skin every 2-4 weeks, exfoliation simply aids the process! Exfoliating your skin, particularly your face, regularly can help keep your pores unclogged and reduce the number of breakouts. So, Dermaplanning is a method of facial exfoliation, whereby a Doctor or Aesthetician uses a surgical blade to gently scrape off dead skin cells and vellus hairs (peach fuzz) off the skin’s surface.
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Why I Chose Dermaplaning
I exfoliate my skin regularly using acid toners (AHAs or BHAs), however the one thing that Dermaplaning achieves, unlike my regular exfoliating methods, is that it also gets rid of of facial hair. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got these fine hairs on my face that can hinder my foundation going on as smoothly as I’d like. Another reason I chose to Dermaplan was because there’s no down time, you get the procedure done and, apart from having to wear sunscreen (which you should do anyway!), you can just get on with your day. The third reason was that Dermaplaning is supposed to reduce the appearance of acne scars. I have recently had a series of breaks-outs and, due to my inability to leave my face alone, I’ve got significant scarring and pigmentation.
Who is Dermaplaning For?
image source: glamourmagazine.co.uk
As with anything, everything isn’t necessarily for everyone. Dermaplaning is not for you if you have thick, dark facial hair or if you have overactive oily acne-prone skin. Also, if your skin is prone to extreme hyperpigmentation it may not be a good procedure for you
My Experience
Identifying a Spa
Since I am based in Abuja, we don’t have as many options as in Lagos. So I looked online and based on the information available decided to go with Flawless Skin by Abby Med Spa
Booking and scheduling
The booking process was quite easy, I called the number provided on the Spa’s website and was able to get the price for the procedure and scheduled my appointment. The receptionist was very polite and knowledge and tried to upsell some additional services (massage and skin test) related to the procedure. When I say upsell, I don’t mean it negatively, it was done very well and if I had the time I would have added the services.
My Appointment
The process started with my skin being cleansed to remove my makeup and a mask to soften my skin. Once it was washed off and my skin dried off the Dermaplaning process began. Starting from my forehead the aesthetician used the surgical blade to gently scrape of the dead skin cells and hair which took a while. She showed me the hairs and skin cells that had been scraped off. She made sure to finish of the process with some additional masks and toners to enhance the results. The whole process from start to finish took about 1 hour 20 minutes. The aesthetician was very knowledgeable and let me know what she was doing with each step, letting me know if any product was going to sting which I found helpful.
Results
Although the process itself is not painful, after the procedure my skin felt a bit raw, so when some of the skin products were applied it stung a little. However my skin looked great. All the fine hairs were gone, my acne scars were not as visible and my skin texture was much better. I was also told to expect some light peeling over the next 2-3 days.
Recovery
Like I mentioned there is no down time from this procedure I was able to go about my normal business the very next day. I must say that my skin felt a bit tender 2-3 days afterwards but it was nothing serious and did not affect my makeup or skincare application. One thing to remember is that immediately after your Dermaplaning treatment, your skin is highly sensitive to sunlight. So you MUST wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to reduce the risk of experiencing additional hyperpigmentation from the sun.
Price
₦42,000
Would I do this again, possibly? However considering the price I would prefer to do chemical peel which will give me more bang for my buck. The Aesthetician recommended a TCA peel which I am likely to try the next time I visit. I would recommend this if you are new to exfoliating want to get your feet wet with something that is not as invasive. It is also a good procedure to try out if you need instant results with absolutely no down time.
What do you think? Would you like to try Dermaplaning ? If you have what has been your experience, share with me in the comments
