Dermaplaning in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, SC

Reviewed by Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP  |  A4M Board Certified  |  Updated October 4, 2026

A sterile blade, a smoother surface, and no hype. What dermaplaning removes, what it cannot change, and how to prepare your skin for it.

It is a form of mechanical exfoliation, the same family as scrubs and brushes, done with a blade and a trained hand.[1] It will not make your hair grow back thicker.[4] It also has not been shown to build collagen, erase wrinkles, or fade acne scars, even though those promises are common in marketing. If smoother, brighter-feeling skin is your goal, it is a good fit. If you want to change scars or deep lines, we will point you to treatments built for that, such as microneedling or a chemical peel.

• Dermaplaning uses a sterile, single-use blade to remove the outer layer of dead skin and fine facial hair. It is a type of mechanical exfoliation.[1][3]
• Shaving off fine hair does not make it grow back thicker, darker, or faster. Regrowth can look coarser for a while because the tip is blunt, not because the hair changed.[4][5]
• A systematic review found the evidence for dermaplaning scarce and mostly anecdotal, so treat claims about collagen, wrinkles, and scars with doubt.[2]
• It is not for skin with an active acne breakout, open cuts, or a sunburn, and recent retinoid use calls for a pause first.[1][6]
• People with darker skin, or skin that leaves dark marks after a bug bite or pimple, need a lighter touch, because harsh exfoliation can cause dark spots.[1]
• Daily sunscreen matters more than any facial for how your skin ages, since sun exposure is the single biggest factor.[7]

What happens during a dermaplaning visit

Your visit starts with clean, dry skin. Our aesthetician holds a sterile surgical blade at a low angle, close to 45 degrees, and works across your face in short, light strokes. The blade is opened fresh for you and thrown away after your visit. There is no needle and no numbing cream. You feel light scraping, and you can stop us at any point if a spot feels tender.

What comes off is mostly the stratum corneum, the outermost sheet of flattened, dead skin cells, plus the soft vellus hair that grows across most faces. In a lab study on skin samples, researchers who looked under the microscope saw dermaplaning remove that outer layer and, in places, a little of the living skin beneath it.[3] So the skin is briefly more exposed than “just dead cells” suggests, which is why we keep strokes gentle and aftercare simple.

Hair follicles, the living roots that make hair, sit deeper, in the middle layer of skin called the dermis.[7] The blade works on the surface, above them. That explains most of its limits: it changes how the surface looks and feels, and it does not reach the deeper structures behind hair growth, scarring, or firmness.

Many people book before an event because makeup goes on more smoothly over skin without peach fuzz. That is a fair reason to come in, but it is a cosmetic preference, not something trials have measured.

Will the hair grow back thicker or darker?

No, and this has been tested. A clinical trial back in 1928 found that shaving had no effect on hair growth, and later studies agree that shaving does not change how thick hair is or how fast it grows.[4] MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, says the same thing: shaving does not cause more hair to grow, although it may make hair look thicker.[5]

Why the look changes for a bit: a hair that has never been cut tapers to a fine point. A cut hair ends in a flat, blunt tip, so the new growth can feel stubbly and look a little coarser until it grows out. New hair can also look darker simply because the sun has not lightened it yet.[4] The blade only removes the part of the hair above the skin. The living root below the surface is untouched, so its growth does not change.[4][7]

There is one exception worth pausing on. Most women have fine, light hair on the upper lip, chin, and cheeks, and that is normal.[5] Coarse, dark hair in those spots is different. It is called hirsutism, and a common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can come with acne or irregular periods.[5] MedlinePlus advises contacting a provider if the hair grows quickly or comes with changes such as a deepening voice.[5]

If that sounds like you, dermaplaning can still keep your skin smooth, but it will not address why the hair is there. Ashley can look at the hormone side through a gynecology and fertility visit or menstrual cycle mapping, so the real cause gets checked rather than shaved away every few weeks.

Separating the real benefits from the marketing

When three plastic surgeons reviewed the published research on dermaplaning, oxygen facials, and light therapy, they found 42 peer-reviewed papers and judged the scientific support for these methods scarce, anecdotal, and not well documented.[2] Their advice was to give patients realistic expectations.[2] Here is how the most common claims hold up.

The product absorption point deserves a closer look, because it gets repeated as a selling point. The lab study that measured it found that dermaplaning weakened the skin's barrier, so test drugs passed through more easily, and results varied depending on who held the blade.[3] That was skin in a dish, not people, and a weaker barrier also lets irritating ingredients in. That is the reason we ask you to hold off on retinoids and acids for a few days afterward, not load them on.

Collagen and elastin are the support and stretch fibers in your skin.[7] Claims that a surface blade stimulates them have no solid research behind them.[2] If firmer skin or softer lines are your goal, skin tightening and microneedling are designed for that and have their own evidence to discuss at your visit.

Not sure dermaplaning is the right fit for what you want to change? Call 843-981-0870. Tell us your goal, and we will say plainly whether a blade facial can get you there or whether a different treatment suits it better.

When to wait, and when to skip dermaplaning

Some skin should not meet a blade on a given day. We will reschedule if you have an active acne breakout. The American Academy of Dermatology advises people with acne to avoid exfoliants and scrubbing tools, which can irritate skin and make acne look worse.[6] Picking or opening blemishes raises the risk of scars and dark spots.[6] Our acne treatment visits are the right first step, and dermaplaning can come later, once the skin calms down.

We also wait if you have open cuts, a healing wound, or a sunburn, since dermatologists advise never exfoliating skin in that state.[1] Prescription retinoid creams, retinol, and benzoyl peroxide can make skin more sensitive and prone to peeling, so we ask about every product you use before we start.[1] Dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin can find mechanical exfoliation too irritating.[1]

Skin that darkens easily needs a careful plan. The AAD notes that people with darker skin tones, or anyone who gets dark marks after bug bites, burns, or breakouts, should avoid strong mechanical exfoliation, because aggressive exfoliation can lead to increased pigmentation.[1] That does not rule dermaplaning out. It means fewer passes, lighter pressure, and more time between visits. If dark spots are already your main concern, our hyperpigmentation care targets them directly.

Last, if you have a mole or spot that is new, growing, bleeding, or changing, point it out. We work around it, and Ashley will want to examine it before any cosmetic treatment touches that area.

Before and after your appointment

These are our standing instructions. They are simple, and they lower the chance of irritation.

• Seven days before: no waxing, bleaching, or tweezing on your face, so the skin is not already stressed.
• Three days before: pause retinoids, retinol, and products with AHAs or BHAs (glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acid), since these make skin more sensitive.[1]
• For about 72 hours after: use only a gentle cleanser and a plain moisturizer. Exfoliating can dry the skin, and moisturizer helps.[1]
• For the same stretch: skip scrubs, saunas, hot yoga, and chlorinated pools, and keep out of strong sun.
• Every day, for good: wear broad-spectrum sunscreen. Sun exposure is the greatest single factor in how skin ages.[7]

How often should you come back? There is no research-based interval for dermaplaning. The AAD's general rule is that the more aggressive the exfoliation, the less often it should be done, and that overdoing it leaves skin red and irritated.[1] We set your spacing by how your skin responds, and we may pair a visit with a facial or a home routine planned through our skin care service rather than add more blade sessions.

We offer dermaplaning at both of our offices: in Mount Pleasant at 496 Bramson Ct, Suite 120, and in downtown Charleston inside The Longevity Club at 163 Rutledge Ave, Suite 202. Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, who holds board certification in anti-aging and functional medicine, is the clinician to see about anything on your skin that looks medical rather than cosmetic.