Dermaplaning Nightmare 😫😫😫

[Shaela816]

So has anyone else ever had a breakout from dermaplaning? I recently did it and the next thing I know I’ve broken out badly. Now I have dry patches and dark spots on my skin from acne scarring, it’s been almost a month and I feel like nothing I do is working. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do? I want my smooth clear skin back 😭😭😭😭

[eshoe]

@Shaela816 Oh no! I am so sorry you are dealing with this right now. I experienced something very similar last year, so I can definitely empathize with you. Hopefully by sharing what I did wrong, can help you figure out what to do right 😄

• Do not use ‘glow’ or aha/bha toners for at least a week post dermaplane.
• Same with serums. No actives. 
• Same with masks/sleeping masks (since so many have actives now)
• Cleanse your skin in the am with only a splash of water unless you feel like your skin really needs a deep cleanse. This has made a tremendous difference for me overall.
• Use an oil or deep-moisturizing cream on your cheeks post dermaplaning. 
• Cica products are your friends! Dr. Jart+ K-Classics Cicapair™ and Ceramidin™ Duo and Dr. Jart+ Cica-Care Experiment Kit or other cica-based skincare help calm your angry skin quickly.

Unfortunately it just takes time for your skin to recover. It took mine close to four months (!!!) to get back to normal. Be gentle on yourself and your skin, it will get better soon☺️

Tagging others whose skincare knowledge base goes much deeper than mine @itsfi @WinglessOne @CC3616 

[CC3616]

@eshoe ive been gone quite a while but my main feed is showing old 2017-2019 posts mostly at quick glance. I think all your info is spot on, plus the mention of sunscreen by @WinglessOne  🙂 likely not helpful to op, but for anyone that stumbles by with a similar situation: at a month out to troubleshoot this I’d consider a hydrating facial and adding in retinol, lactic acid, and vitamin c (slowly! Not all together) for spot healing.

[eshoe]

Thank you for weighing in, @CC3616, and embarrassingly yes, I missed that about how old this thread is 🤦🏻‍♀️ Hope you are well and life is a bit more back to normal!

[WinglessOne]

Thanks for the tag, @eshoe ! I think this thread is actually from 2018, judging by the responses—but it's weird that the OP now shows "posted 3 hours ago" as the thread date. Strange things are afoot at the BIC. 

Anyway, your advice is sound. 🙂 Avoid strong active ingredients, exfoliants (chemical, physical/manual, and enzyme), and overwashing; hydrate and moisturize the heck outta that skin; use gentle skin soothers as needed (centella asiatica's a great one; so are colloidal oats, licorice root, and aloe vera); and be patient.

The only thing I'll add: do not leave home without sunscreen. UV rays can worsen the damage. We should all wear sunscreen (broad spectrum, at least SPF 30) daily anyway, but especially when skin's damaged. Remember to reapply the sunscreen every couple hours throughout the day; more frequently if your face gets wet or you've sweat a lot. 

[eshoe]

Oh good grief, @WinglessOne I see now where the thread is much older than just a few hours 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you for humoring me, and also the bonus advice on sunscreen. 

I wasn’t aware that licorice root is a skin soother, so your time was worthwhile because somebody here learned something. I also don’t think of oats for anything besides chicken pox and mosquito bites generally, so a good reminder there as well 😉

[LilyHung1]

For a minimum of 24 hours after dermaplaning, avoid any extra exfoliants, whether it is a chemical exfoliant or scrub, and also stay clear of rough cleansers with powerful active ingredients. You additionally ought to not place on any make-up for 1 day after dermaplaning and any kind of heavy and oily creams.

[LynzerBug]

This was how bad my face got after dermaplaining myself at home. It’s been over a month now and my skin still isn’t the same. My neck is the worst with acne and I have NEVER had acne anywhere near my neck before

 

[LynzerBug]

 

[Carli3501]

I am so sorry all you ladies have had bad experiences with dermaplaning! I am an esthetician who preforms dermaplaning services often and this is what I can tell you.

1. You may have over exfoliated your skin. It can become irritated and dry. The best thing to do in this situation is to leave your skin alone. Continue to do your daily skin care routines but avoid using aggressive or active products (ie, exfoliants of any kind, serums that make your face tingle or sting slightly). Also increase your use in hydrating products, it may help your skin heal faster. Implement aloe vera into your skincare routine (maybe before your moisturizer or sunscreen) to aid the healing process

2. You might have exposed your skin to bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Not properly sanitizing or working in a dirty area can increase your chances of infection. If this is the case, I would contact your doctor or dermatologist and treat the infection. 

3. Exfoliation can pull out impurities in your skin causing pimples. This is totally normal and will go away in a week or two. It has a similar effect as mud masks. 

Disclaimer: I would not suggest attempting dermaplaning at home since it is a very aggressive exfoliation service. Estheticians like myself are trained to correctly prep the skin, use sharp tools on the face, and keeping everything sanitary. But if you are going to attempt do it this is what I would suggest you do:

1. Decide where you are going to preform this service. Pick a clean area or an area that can be easily cleaned. I do not suggest to pick your bathroom. Clean this area as best you can.

2. Wash your hands first, very well for 20 seconds

3. Double cleanse your face

4. Apply a face oil of your choosing (not coconut oil). My favorite is jojoba oil or argon oil. This will help the blade slide across your skin and avoid irritation

5. Use a disposable blade and throw it away after use! Always! (do not use a scalpel! These are way to sharp if you are not trained correctly and you can damage your skin very easily!)

6. Pull your skin taut and do short strokes in the opposite direction of your hair growth. Do not go over acne, areas that are super dry/sensitive, moles, cuts that are healing, bumps, etc. Do not get too close to the eyes. Do not go over the same area more than once!!! -> you can over exfoliate your skin

7. After you are finished apply a witch hazel toner and finish off your normal skin care routine

8. Afterwards you must wear sunscreen for 2 weeks and you cannot exfoliate in any other way (physical or chemical)

9. Important note: Stop using retinol, chemical or physical exfoliants or any other active product one week prior to your treatment

If you do decide to attempt this, please be super careful!! 

Again, I don't encourage doing this at home but I know some people will do it anyway so here is the safe way to do it!

Feel free to contact me with any specific or clarifying questions! Be careful and safe!

[Teresa69]

I only have one question.  Someone shared with me dermaplaning and helped me with getting all items to use.  I read up on it and i was able to try and to me was successful.  Until today.  It seems I feel a slight stubble and its only been 2 days.  I think back and know that i went with the hair growth instead of against it.  Could that be why i feel stubble?  Should I do it again since i now know I need to to the opposite way or just leave it alone?  Please help.

[Carli3501]

Also forgot to mention, the bumps can also come from improper prep and or friction. Preparing your skin is important with any treatment and not cleaning your area, hands or face can cause issues like this. Also dermaplaning or facial shaving on dry skin is tricky. Trained professionals know how to avoid this kind of irritation but if you are not a trained professional, I would use a facial oil or aloe vera gel to provide a more slippery surface to avoid this. And sometimes your face is not suited for certain treatments which is sad but happens more than you would think.

To the people who got professional treatments and had a reaction, please contact the salon or spa you went to and inform them of this. If you believe they do not follow proper sanitation or cleaning regulations, you can make an official complaint through DORA. DORA is the government agency that oversees salons and spas. 

[Anonymous]

If you used a razor tool for dermaplaning and/or if you are hairy, this tends to happen. Try using an antifungal wash for a few days while the hairs grow out.

[sandybonds]

I’ve been battling with my skin for what the dermatologist says is cystic acne due to birth control so she put me on spironolactone and benzoyl peroxide wash and a tretinoin cream. I had my IUD removed last week to see if that helps but now I am noticing these little bumps along my cheeks  that’s itch a bit. So I’m super confused with what is going on. I’ve been on this medication and wash for about a month and seen no improvements. I usually dermaplane at the place I get my facials and never had these bumps after but since this whole stay at home I decided to do it at home with tinkle razors. I cleaned my skin and also used a toner before starting to dermaplane and now these little bumps appear HELP PLEASE I feel super self conscious about my face and the way I look right now 🥺

[Anonymous]

I’ve had pretty great skin all my life until I started dermaplaning! I thought I should jump on the bandwagon and start exfoliating “the new way” I was thrilled the first time I did it, my skin was glowing it was amazing! Unfortunately the second and third time around I opted to buy a pack of dermablades from Marshall’s thinking they’re all the same. Definitely not! I broke out sooo bad! Especially around my mouth and chin…pimples and peeling everywhere for over 2 weeks! I thought at first it was from wearing a mask while it was hot outside and becoming sweaty…although that could definitely have contributed, I really believe it had to do with the quality of the razors…they just weren’t sharp enough. I remember thinking while I was using them it felt like I was scratching my face, but ignored it and continued on. I totally feel your pain and sympathize with your situation. Here’s what I did to get my skin back on track…obviously I ditched the blades and discontinued dermaplaning all together…next I figured I shouldn’t put anything that wasn’t completely natural on my face and so after extensive research, I went to Stop n Shop and got myself a big old Aloe leaf. They’re in the vegetable section. I cut a piece off and skinned it as if I was peeling an apple, next I rubbed the inner gooey side of the leaf all over my face and neck. You can use the aloe in the middle of the leaf of course but the best part of it is against the peel. I did this too many times a day to count lol 😂 I cannot tell you it literally worked wonders! Within 2 days I noticed the peeling and flaking had stopped and by day 3 no more redness or breakouts. I still have some dark spots that I may have caused myself by squeezing pimples, but they’re slowly fading. I’m planning on doing a peel after I feel like enough time has passed and the spots are as light as they’re going to get on their own. Good luck with your skin, I hope everything works out for you ☺️

[sandybonds]

[captaainleese]

I had a similar type of reaction! For me, all I know is that time is the best thing that can happen for you. While I don't have any pictures, I got bumps in late July-August and they've all mostly disappeared now. I did realize that I kept trying to fight the problem and eventually was doing more harm than good (I tried too many things!). Your skin knows what to do to, even though it doesn't want to do it on our time schedule. The best advice I can tell anyone is to leave your skin be if you can, don't over-tone but do moisturize! Aloe Vera was also really good for me, especially if you can leave it on long or overnight (if you can stand the itch when it dries, sometimes if you put too much). I also switched my toner to a Clarins toner with chamomile (the yellow bottle) for the time being and it did help with how red/inflamed everything was. Hope that kind of helps! 

[BrendaDeex]

I had the same experience happen to me just in one spot on my forehead. I woke up with my forehead itching and many bumps like cystic acne. I do believe that I dermaplained too hard and applied too much pressure on that area. It is better today on day two but definitely can still see them.

[Anonymous]

Did you ever find a resolution for your skin breakouts post dermaplane? I am having the same issues (but worse) and cannot get my skin back under control. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

I’m literally having the SAME problem. My face has been hairy since I was kid, and it’s never bothered me. I was convinced that something was wrong with it, and got a dermaplaning facial. All the areas on my face where there was hair has broken out so bad, especially along my cheeks and jawline. They’re almost like heat bumps. But my cheek has bigger bumps. My face has NEVER been this bad! I’ve been trying my hardest to figure out how to get my skin to calm down 😩

My skin from the start of this year. And it’s been this pretty much the same all year up until my dermaplaning.

Two months after my dermaplaning.

Skin is extremely irritated

[Msladiij]

This is me right now. 2nd time trying and wont try it again 😞 it's not for my skin and it's getting worse every day *I want to cry* 

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@Anonymous wrote:

I’m literally having the SAME problem. My face has been hairy since I was kid, and it’s never bothered me. I was convinced that something was wrong with it, and got a dermaplaning facial. All the areas on my face where there was hair has broken out so bad, especially along my cheeks and jawline. They’re almost like heat bumps. But my cheek has bigger bumps. My face has NEVER been this bad! I’ve been trying my hardest to figure out how to get my skin to calm down 😩

My skin from the start of this year. And it’s been this pretty much the same all year up until my dermaplaning.

Two months after my dermaplaning.

Skin is extremely irritated

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