Dermaplaning and shaving both remove vellus hair. Only dermaplaning exfoliates the skin beneath it, and that's what makes results last weeks instead of days.
Facial shaving tools designed for at-home use remove hair at the surface. Professional dermaplaning, performed with a sterile surgical blade at a controlled angle by a licensed esthetician, removes vellus hair and the outermost layer of dead skin cells in a single pass.
The exfoliation component, which a razor cannot replicate, is what drives the improvements in skin texture, product absorption, and makeup application that patients associate with the treatment.
Below, we cover what dermaplaning is, how it compares to shaving, the hair regrowth myth, and why the professional setting matters.
Dermaplaning is a manual exfoliation treatment that removes vellus hair (peach fuzz) and the top layer of dead skin cells using a sterile surgical blade held at a 45-degree angle. The immediate result is smoother skin texture, improved product absorption, and a more even surface for makeup.
The provider makes controlled, feathering strokes across the face, clearing the stratum corneum, the uppermost layer of dead cells that builds up on the skin surface and contributes to dull tone, rough texture, and uneven makeup application. Vellus hair removal is a secondary benefit; the primary mechanism is physical exfoliation at a depth that consumer facial tools are not designed to reach.
At Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine, Dermaplane treatments are performed by licensed estheticians in a single appointment. Skin feels noticeably smoother the same day, and the improvement typically holds for three to four weeks, aligned with the skin's natural cell turnover cycle.
The benefit is twofold: skin texture improves immediately, and that improvement carries through to everything applied afterward.
Patients add dermaplaning to their routine for a few reasons:
Facial shaving removes hair at the surface and stops there. Dermaplaning removes the hair and the layer of dead skin cells beneath.
A razor blade, including consumer-grade facial shavers and small razors marketed for women's peach fuzz, cuts hair at the skin level. It removes the peach fuzz visible above the skin but does not disturb the layer of dead cells beneath it. The face feels smoother after shaving because the hair is gone, not because the skin texture has changed.
The result fades faster: the skin surface is unchanged, and fine facial hair becomes visible again within days.
No. Dermaplaning does not affect the hair follicle, so it cannot change the thickness, color, or growth rate of vellus hair.
Vellus hair is fine and light because of the follicle's structure, not because of how the hair has been managed at the surface. Cutting or removing the hair at the skin level, whether with a dermaplaning blade or a razor, does not reach the follicle. When the hair grows back, it grows back the same.
The perception that shaved hair grows back thicker comes from the visual difference between a blunt-cut hair tip and the naturally tapered tip of uncut peach fuzz. It is a texture difference, not a change in the hair itself.
The main risks of at-home dermaplaning are nicks, uneven exfoliation, and skin irritation. All three come down to the same variables: blade angle, pressure, and how the skin is prepared. Controlling those consistently requires trained hands.
Consumer dermaplaning tools are not surgical blades. They are lighter and often designed with safety guards that limit how close the blade comes to the skin. That guard also limits how much exfoliation occurs; the result is frequently incomplete and uneven, particularly along the jawline, around the nose, and at the brow line.
The provider adjusts blade angle, pressure, and stroke direction based on facial anatomy and skin type. Sensitive zones require technique adjustments that an untrained hand with a consumer tool rarely executes correctly.
Dermaplaning is not recommended for patients currently using retinoids, those with active breakouts, or those whose skin is compromised by recent sun exposure. A patient performing the treatment at home is unlikely to screen for these conditions.
At Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine, all Dermaplane treatments are performed by licensed estheticians. Dr. Anne Therese Stubbs, MD, Founder and Medical Director, oversees all treatment protocols at the practice. Her 14 years in emergency medicine before founding the practice inform how the team screens patients and structures safety protocols across the practice.
Professional dermaplaning performed by a licensed esthetician with a sterile surgical blade is well-tolerated by most skin types, a screened, controlled version of the same basic action as shaving. The expected response is mild redness or sensitivity immediately after the appointment, which typically resolves within a few hours.
The treatment is not recommended for patients with active acne or open lesions, as the blade passes across the skin surface and can spread bacteria. Patients with rosacea in an active flare or highly sensitive skin should discuss their conditions with the provider before scheduling.
Apart from those contraindications, the risks associated with professional dermaplaning are the ones described above: manageable when a trained provider assesses the patient's skin before the blade is used, and screens out anyone with an active contraindication. The risks associated with at-home dermaplaning, including nicks and uneven exfoliation, are directly tied to the absence of that clinical assessment and technique control.
A Dermaplane appointment at Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine includes a skin assessment before any treatment begins, a step a razor at home skips entirely.
There is no downtime. Mild redness or sensitivity may be present immediately after the appointment and typically resolves within a few hours. Makeup can be applied the same day.
Dermaplaning is appropriate for most skin types, including dry, combination, and mature skin.
Good candidates are typically patients who want to address dull or rough texture, improve the performance of their skincare products, remove peach fuzz, or prepare their skin before an event; in other words, anyone whose goal is a skin change a razor can't produce. The provider confirms suitability at the consultation, the screening step that separates professional dermaplaning from picking up a consumer tool at home.
It is not recommended for patients with active acne or highly sensitive skin until the skin has cleared.
Patients currently using retinol, retinoids, or prescription exfoliants should pause those products before the appointment; the provider specifies the stopping point at the consultation.
Yes. The mechanism is physical: a sterile blade removes dead skin cells and vellus hair in a single pass. Because the result comes from what's physically removed rather than an ingredient reacting with skin, most patients across dry, combination, and mature skin types see a similar immediate smoothing effect, something shaving alone can't replicate, since a razor never touches the dead cell layer that dermaplaning removes.
Results last three to four weeks, at which point the skin's natural cell turnover cycle has replaced the removed layer and vellus hair has regrown, though this varies by individual. Scheduling at that interval maintains the benefit continuously.
Yes. Patients leave with smoother texture, better product absorption, and a more even canvas for makeup, all from a single appointment.
The improvement comes from what is physically removed, not from a formula that may or may not respond to an individual's skin. Results are visible from the same appointment, require no downtime, and carry through to the performance of the skincare routine that follows.
Patients who incorporate dermaplaning into a regular skincare rotation also tend to see cumulative benefit. Consistent removal of the dead cell layer allows the skin's renewal process to show through without the buildup that dulls tone between treatments.
For patients whose primary concern is vellus hair removal, dermaplaning addresses that. The exfoliation component is what distinguishes the result from at-home shaving.
The difference between at-home shaving and professional dermaplaning comes down to what actually happens to the skin. A consumer tool removes hair. A licensed esthetician with a sterile surgical blade removes hair and the layer of dead skin beneath it, after assessing whether the skin is ready for treatment that day.
Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine Dermaplane treatments are performed by licensed estheticians, under the medical oversight of Dr. Anne Therese Stubbs, MD, Founder and Medical Director.
The approach at Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine is consistent: assess first, treat the patient's skin, and send them out with a clear picture of what to expect in the days that follow. Book your Dermaplane appointment at your nearest Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine location.
Dermaplaning produces longer-lasting results and improves skin texture in a way that facial shaving does not. Shaving removes peach fuzz at the skin level but leaves the layer of dead skin cells intact, so the improvement in smoothness fades within days as hair regrows. For patients whose goal is smoother skin rather than hair removal alone, dermaplaning is the more effective option.
No. Dermaplaning removes the outermost layer of dead skin cells, which does not accelerate aging. The treatment temporarily increases UV sensitivity, which is why SPF is applied before leaving the office and recommended consistently afterward. Patients who skip sun protection after any exfoliation treatment risk photoaging, but that is a risk of sun exposure, not dermaplaning itself.
Dermaplaning is generally well-tolerated on most skin types, but patients with highly reactive or compromised skin should disclose their full skincare history at the consultation. The provider adjusts the technique to the patient's skin type and may recommend waiting until the skin has improved before proceeding.
Yes. Dermaplaning is often paired with treatments that benefit from a freshly exfoliated surface. At Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine, patients commonly combine it with a Hydrafacial, which infuses serums into the skin through vacuum suction, because the absence of the dead cell layer after dermaplaning allows those serums to penetrate more effectively.
