Dermaplaning Guide

What Is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is a gentle, painless exfoliation treatment that uses a sterile surgical blade to remove the top layer of dead skin cells along with the fine vellus hair (peach fuzz) on your face. It takes about 30 minutes, has no downtime, and leaves skin instantly smoother, brighter, and significantly more receptive to the products you're already using.

At Luxe Forté in Cherry Creek, Denver, dermaplaning is performed by our licensed estheticians, Brooke and Tasha. It's the single most underrated treatment on our menu — and one of our most popular with clients who want visible results without committing to lasers, injectables, or chemical peels.

Let's Get the Myths Out of the Way First

Every first-time dermaplaning client asks the same two questions:

1. "Will my hair grow back thicker and darker?" No. This is a persistent myth, and it's wrong. Vellus hair (peach fuzz) and terminal hair (eyebrow, scalp, and body hair) are biologically distinct. Dermaplaning can only remove vellus hair, and vellus hair regrows at exactly the same fine, soft texture every time. No thicker. No darker. No coarser. If you have vellus hair on your face today, it will still be vellus hair after 100 dermaplaning sessions.
2. "Isn't this just shaving my face?" Not really. The blade, the angle, and the technique are different. A razor's job is to cut hair at the surface of the skin. A dermaplaning scalpel's job is to lift off the entire top layer of the stratum corneum along with the hair. That physical exfoliation — which a razor doesn't achieve — is why skin looks visibly smoother and brighter after a single treatment.

Dermaplaning vs. Microdermabrasion vs. Chemical Peels

All three are exfoliation treatments, but mechanically they're quite different:

• Dermaplaning — mechanical exfoliation with a blade. Removes dead skin + vellus hair. No acids, no heat, no peeling. Instant result, zero downtime.
• Microdermabrasion — mechanical exfoliation with a crystal- or diamond-tipped wand. Removes dead skin only (doesn't address peach fuzz). Some clients find it more abrasive than dermaplaning.
• Chemical peels (like our VI Peel) — use acids to dissolve the bond between dead skin cells, causing the top layer to shed over 3 to 7 days. Stronger result but requires visible downtime.

Dermaplaning is the lightest-touch option of the three — ideal when you want smoother skin today with no downtime, no peeling, and nothing to "hide" afterward.

What Dermaplaning Actually Does for Your Skin

The mechanism is physical, not chemical. By removing the outermost layer of dead skin cells and the fine hair that sits on top of them, you get four measurable benefits:

• Instant brightness. Dead skin scatters light off the surface of the face. Remove it and skin looks more luminous immediately.
• Smoother makeup application. Foundation lays flatter and more evenly on skin without peach fuzz. Many clients book dermaplaning specifically before weddings, photo shoots, or major events.
• Better skincare absorption. Serums and moisturizers penetrate deeper without dead skin blocking them. The week after a dermaplaning session is when your at-home products work hardest.
• Softer texture. Hair and dead skin together create a subtle coarseness you feel more than see. After dermaplaning, your skin feels noticeably softer.

What Happens During Your Appointment

Plan on about 30 minutes. Here's the flow:

• Cleansing. Your esthetician removes makeup and cleanses your skin thoroughly.
• The blade pass. Brooke or Tasha holds a sterile, single-use surgical blade at a 45-degree angle and moves in short, feather-light strokes across your face. The eyelids, nose, and lips are avoided.
• Finish. We apply a hydrating serum and SPF.

There is no numbing, no pain, and no peeling. You can apply makeup immediately after, though we recommend giving your skin the rest of the day to absorb the serums we leave on.

Who Is a Good Candidate (and Who Isn't)

Dermaplaning works for most skin types, but it isn't right for every skin on every day.

Good candidates:

• Anyone with dull texture, peach fuzz, or makeup that isn't laying smooth
• Clients preparing for an event or photo shoot
• Anyone wanting a gentle monthly maintenance exfoliation with no downtime

Come back another day (or choose a different treatment) if you have:

• Active acne breakouts. The blade can spread bacteria and worsen breakouts. Wait until your skin is clear.
• Cystic acne. Same reasoning. Consider cyst injection for acute cystic breakouts first.
• Active cold sores or open cuts in the treatment area.
• Inflamed rosacea flares — physical exfoliation can aggravate active inflammation.
• Certain autoimmune skin conditions — we assess these case by case at consultation.

Should You Dermaplane at Home?

Short answer: no.

At-home "dermaplaning" tools — the ones advertised on TikTok and Instagram — are a different product category. They typically use a plastic razor-style blade with a guard that prevents it from actually lifting off the stratum corneum. You're shaving your face, not dermaplaning it. The peach fuzz comes off; the exfoliation benefit mostly doesn't.

More importantly: at-home use without training increases the risk of micro-cuts, uneven blade pressure, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation on darker skin tones. Non-disposable blades between uses are also a real bacterial risk.

If you like the results of dermaplaning, keep them professional. Sessions run about 30 minutes — at a monthly cadence, the total time investment is small relative to the result.

How Often Should You Dermaplane?

We recommend one session every four weeks. That matches your skin's natural cell turnover cycle — by week four, dead skin has rebuilt and peach fuzz has regrown to baseline. More frequent dermaplaning doesn't add benefit and can irritate your skin's barrier.

Many clients pair dermaplaning with their other treatments. It's ideal prep before a Bela Glow Facial, a chemical peel, or a Biologique Recherche appointment — your actives work harder on freshly exfoliated skin.

Book Dermaplaning at Luxe Forté in Cherry Creek, Denver

If your skin feels dull, if your makeup isn't laying smooth, or if you just want an easy 30 minutes that leaves you visibly glowier, book a dermaplaning appointment at Luxe Forté. Brooke and Tasha will take care of you, and you can walk straight into the rest of your day with nothing to hide.