Dermaplaning
Men have been shaving their faces since Egyptian times, and although men occasionally prefer the look of beards, many men say a shaved face feels more comfortable. Could women possibly take a hint from this typically “male” beauty habit?
If you haven’t noticed, men rarely have advanced signs of aging in the areas they shave. It begs the question, “Could men show signs of aging more slowly from their daily shaving habit?” Science has yet to prove this one way or the other, but some key factors seem to point in that direction.
What we know is that shaving is a terrific way to exfoliate. Daily exfoliation helps lift away dead skin to reveal brighter, younger skin while stimulating the skin’s natural renewal process. This creates a younger looking complexion. Without proper exfoliation, the active ingredients in beauty products have less chance of penetrating the skin and being absorbed well due to dead skin cell build-up. So why are women not using this age-reversing, skin brightening, exfoliation technique and reaping the rewards of shaving?
A Major Misconception
One reason it is considered to be a faux paus to bring up the concept of shaving a woman’s face is largely due to a major misconception that their facial hair will grow back thicker. Unfortunately, this misconception is completely misconstrued.
Women’s facial hair is called “vellus hair.” It grows back just as soft and fine as it originally was prior to shaving. Men, however, have what is called “barbarous hair.” It is naturally coarse and thicker in texture and grows back quickly—think 5 o’ clock shadow. Women don’t experience this, but men do.
Besides, hair is created from inside the hair follicle not from anything done to the surface of the skin. Women may be concerned with hair changes due to hormonal fluctuations when they see a few darker and coarse hairs pop up here or there, but it is not in the female DNA to have a barbarous hair type overall, and shaving will not change your hair type.
Enter Dermaplaning
Women may be concerned about cutting their faces while shaving. It may be difficult for them to see to shave, they might not be able to get the right angle with a razor, or they might be confused at the proper direction to use the razor on their face.
Dermaplaning is done with a #10 blade at a 45-degree angle on dry skin. The blade is gently scraped over the surface of the cleansed and moisture-free skin in the opposite direction of hair growth. Dull, dead skin and vellus hair is gently and quickly removed, revealing brighter, more even-toned skin.
You may have heard or read about this service on a med spa menu and never truly understood its origin or purpose.
Many don’t realize dermaplaning is popular in other cultures. Its origin comes from facilities in Japan known as kao sori (“shaved face”) that offers a face shaving facial. Japanese women have been known to desire silky smooth, porcelain skin, which make skin-perfecting therapies a priority. In addition, Japanese women believe that facial fuzz is an unwanted feature of the face. Some Japanese women even go to the extent of shaving their entire bodies including their eyebrows. So, you can imagine the demand for face shaving services is not a faux paus for Japanese men or women.
Yes, Japanese women are blessed to have beautiful skin, but could facial shaving be a contributing factor to their beauty? They may have a good diet and genes as well as diligently shielding themselves from the sun.
Many women admire Hollywood actresses for their beauty and often try their skin care secrets. It has been said that face shaving was the best kept secret of Hollywood leading ladies such as Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor.
Benefits
Dermaplaning is one of the most invaluable techniques I have learned in my esthetic career, and it has great payoff for every client that tries it. I love its control, as I can adjust
pressure and the pattern I choose based on the client’s facial features and the skin’s condition. It allows me to see clearly the exfoliation and cell type that is removed from the client’s skin versus other popular exfoliation methods.
Here are 10 strong benefits to explain why women should try a dermaplaning service.
1. It is less irritating. As women age, they experience more hair on their upper lip or chin. Dermaplaning can be a nice hair removal choice for those sensitive to waxing or prone for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
2. It amps-up products. It allows deeper penetration for active ingredients in home care products and facial services that can more effectively target skin concerns.
3. It can prep lasers. Physicians like dermaplaning as a prep prior to procedures such as lasers to remove unwanted dead skin for a more even laser treatment.
4. It treats a host of conditions. The gradual skin smoothing of dermaplaning can be the best treatment for rough, dry skin, superficial hyperpigmentation, mild acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles.
5. It is gentle exfoliation. It is an exfoliation option for pregnant, breast feeding or sensitive skin clients.
6. Facial hair can impact skin care. Some women genetically have more vellus hair than others. Excess hair can also cause a buildup of dirt and oils in the follicles as well as dead skin buildup.
7. It improves makeup. Makeup goes on much smoother and with more ease while also increasing the makeup’s staying power due to the elimination of dead skin and vellus hair.
8. Clients are instantly gratified. It is an instant gratification facial treatment.
9. There is no downtime. Dermaplaning can be done as often as every two weeks.
10. It makes skin younger. Dermaplaning will trigger increased cell turnover and the cellular repair process that makes skin behave younger.