Does Dermaplaning Help With Acne?

Dermaplaning is one of the procedures some people who deal with acne consider. But does Dermaplaning help with acne?

It depends.

I know you have a bunch of questions to ask so you don’t waste your money. Because the answer is not straightforward, I will be breaking it down into fragments.

But we can start with a few basics to build a foundation.

What is Dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is a physical exfoliation method where a medical professional uses a specialized blade (scalpel) to scrape off the topmost layer of the skin.

To be frank, it sounds scary. But don’t worry, there’s a whole procedure before Dermaplaning that helps you not feel most of the pain (if any).

As we know it, exfoliation is mostly done to help you keep a young look. But does Dermaplaning help with acne?

Yes and No.

The thing is, people do Dermaplaning for different reasons; people with and without acne.

And if you have acne, you also need to consider the type of acne you have.

How Does Dermaplaning Help With The Different Types of Acne?

There are different types of acne ranked according to their severity and how much discomfort they can cause.

Starting from the less severe type of acne to the more severe type, we have the following:

Mild Acne

Mild acne can be characterized by fewer than 30 total lessons. This could be a combination of whiteheads, blackheads, and a few inflamed bumps. Mild acne is mostly treated using over-the-counter topical treatments.

Because mild acne is usually on the surface, Dermaplaning can do a good job of scraping away the dead cells, dirt, and sedum that clogs your pores. The result is usually clearer and smoother skin.

So if you have mild acne, there’s a high probability that Dermaplaning will help your acne.

Moderate Acne

Moderate acne is characterized by a mix of acne. This includes whiteheads, blackheads, papules, and pustules. The skin is usually bumpy and the acne can be painful.

Dermaplaning can also be helpful for moderate Acne. But it’s ideal to pair it with other effective treatments to get the best results.

Severe Acne

Just like the name implies, severe acne is the most painful and unpleasant type of acne. It is usually characterized by painful cysts and nodules that grow from deep underneath the skin.

You can also find a handful of blackheads, whiteheads, papules, etc. In essence, they all come together to give you a painful terrible experience.

If you have severe acne, Dermaplaning won’t help your acne. However, you would see improvements in skin tone and little surface-level smoothing. But you will still have those hefty painful bumps underneath your skin.

Does Dermaplaning Help With Acne Scars?

Dermaplaning can help acne scars. It doesn’t heal acne scars, instead, it only makes the scar less visible. In some cases, it can also help surface-level acne scars begin to heal, thanks to its exfoliation effects.

On the other hand, deeper acne scars like an ice pick or box scars scars wouldn’t benefit from dermaplaning. This is because dermaplanning is only a surface-level treatment.

You would need to look at more potent options like laser resurfacing, microneedling, or TCA CROSS if you have deep acne scars.

Does Dermaplaning Help With Hyperpigmentation?

Dermaplaning can also help with superficial Hyperpigmentation because it is an exfoliation procedure.

But on the downside, it is a physical and surface-level exfoliation procedure. This means that it won’t be able to help clear off discolorations that go past the surface level of your skin.

You can look into potent treatment options like retinol, laser resurfacing, and chemical peels, to effectively treat hyperpigmentation.

Will Dermaplaning Make My Acne Worse?

Dermaplaning will make your acne worse if you have active inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne is usually painful and grows bigger if they are troubled (touched, squeezed, or picked at).

If you have moderate to severe acne, you must be dealing with Inflammatory acne. It is advisable to let all Inflammatory acne HEAL COMPLETELY before having a dermaplaning procedure.

If you don’t let all Inflammatory acne heal completely, your acne will only get worse after the procedure.

Benefits of Dermaplaning

Dermaplaning holds some benefits for the skin you should consider. The benefits of Dermaplaning include:

Smoother skin
Removes dead skin and debris
Unclog skin pores
Help skincare products penetrate better
Gives skin a glowing and brighter complexion
Reduce the appearance of acne scars

What is The Dermaplaning Procedure Like?

The Dermaplaning procedure is not as time-consuming and complicated as a surgical procedure. It takes about 45 minutes to be done.

The dermatologist or esthetician would start by cleansing your face and then apply a numbing cream. The numbing cream is left to sit for some minutes to take effect.

The next stage involves the dermatologist or esthetician wearing gloves and preparing the scalpel or any other surgical blade.

The blade is used to carefully scrape off dead skin cells and hair from the face. The professional will make gentle short strokes and may make about 2 – 4 passes over a spot.

The procedure is not a painful one. You are expected to feel a slight tingling (if the numbing cream is effective). In the end, your skin will be soothed with a serum or a calming gel.

You should see results almost instantly or better in a day. The result should last about 3 weeks before new skin fully grows and is faced with the stress of life.

How To Take Care of Your Skin After Dermaplaning

After Dermaplaning, your skin becomes tender and sensitive. Here are a few ways to take care of your skin after Dermaplaning:

Use SPF and other sun protection clothing or accessory
Avoid retinoids, vitamin C, Glycolic and Salicylic acid, and other active elements for about 3 to 5 days as they might irritate your skin.
Don’t pick at the skin
Use a clean face towel
Avoid pools, hot tubs, and saunas.
Use calming gels like Aloe Vera or moisturizers daily

Conclusion

So, does Dermaplaning help with acne? Yes and No. It all boils down to what type of acne you have. If you have mild to moderate acne; yes, Dermaplaning should be helpful. But if you have severe acne; no, Dermaplaning won’t be helpful.

That also applies to acne scars and hyperpigmentation too. Deep acne scars and hyperpigmentation do not benefit from dermaplaning, only less deep or surface-level scars hyperpigmentation do.

Sometimes, you’ll need to undergo more than one Dermaplaning procedure to have a more noticeable improvement. And if you want to keep the results, you would have to do dermaplaning, at least, once in two months.

Have you had dermaplanning before? Or is it something you’re contemplating? Or do you have questions and contributions to pour out? Tell me about it in the comments below.

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