You’ve probably seen the videos. Someone takes a tiny, sharp scalpel to their dry skin and suddenly, a small mountain of white "snow" and fuzzy hair piles up on the blade. It's oddly satisfying. It makes your foundation look like a literal filter. But then the panic sets in: did I just take off too much? Is my skin going to freak out tomorrow? Most importantly, how often should you dermaplane your face before you actually start doing more harm than good?
The answer isn't a one-size-fits-all calendar invite.
Skin is a living organ, not a piece of wood you’re trying to sand down to a smooth finish. If you do it too much, you’ll wreck your moisture barrier. If you don't do it enough, you're just living with dullness. Honestly, most people are doing it way too frequently because they’re chasing that "glass skin" high, but your skin cells need time to actually, well, exist.
The Magic Number for Most Skin Types
For the average person with "normal" or combination skin, you should be looking at once every four to six weeks.
Why that specific window? It’s all about the biological clock of your epidermis. Your skin cells have a turnover cycle that typically lasts about 28 to 30 days. When you dermaplane, you are performing a deep physical exfoliation that removes the topmost layer of dead skin (the stratum corneum) along with the vellus hair, which we all affectionately call peach fuzz.
If you go in with a blade every week, you’re hitting "raw" skin that hasn't had the chance to fully mature. That’s how you end up with redness, stinging when you apply moisturizer, and a shiny (not dewy, but shiny) forehead that indicates your barrier is compromised. Dr. Melissa Doft, a plastic surgeon who was one of the early vocal proponents of professional dermaplaning, often points out that the goal is to trigger a rejuvenation process, not to leave the skin vulnerable.
Think of it like mowing the lawn. If you mow every single day, you’ll eventually just have dirt.
Why your hair growth matters
A huge part of the "how often" question depends on why you’re doing it. If you’re mostly focused on the hair removal aspect, you might feel the itch to reach for the tool sooner. Vellus hair grows back at different rates for everyone. However, even if you feel a little stubble at day 14, you should probably wait. Dermaplaning is an exfoliation treatment first and a hair removal treatment second.
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When to Speed Up or Slow Down
Not everyone fits the once-a-month mold.
If you have oily skin, your cell turnover might feel "stickier." Dead skin cells tend to hang out longer, mixing with sebum and causing clogs. In this case, you might find that every three weeks works perfectly. It keeps the pathways clear and prevents those tiny congestion bumps.
On the flip side, if you have sensitive skin or suffer from conditions like rosacea, four weeks might be way too soon. You might be a "once every two months" person. Or, honestly, you might be a "never" person. If your face stays red for more than a couple of hours after a session, your skin is screaming at you to back off.
The Acne Caveat
Never, ever dermaplane over active cystic acne.
Basically, if you have a breakout, you’re just asking to spread bacteria across your entire face. You also risk slicing the top off a blemish, which leads to permanent scarring. If you’re prone to regular breakouts, your "how often" schedule is dictated entirely by your clear-skin windows. If you've got three active whiteheads today, the answer to "how often should you dermaplane your face" is "not today."
The Professional vs. At-Home Dilemma
There is a massive difference between the 10-gauge surgical blades used by an aesthetician and the plastic-guarded "tinkle" razors you buy in bulk online.
- Professional sessions: These are much deeper. The blade is sharper, the angle is steeper, and the technician is trained to get every single microscopic flake. Because this is so intense, you really shouldn't do this more than once every six weeks.
- At-home maintenance: Those little guarded razors are much more forgiving. They don't exfoliate nearly as deeply. If you are just using them to touch up the hair around your sideburns or upper lip, you can get away with doing it every two weeks—but only on those specific areas.
Don't treat your whole face like a DIY project every weekend. Even with a duller blade, you're still scraping away protection.
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What Happens if You Overdo It?
I’ve seen people who get addicted to the smoothness. They start dermaplaning every ten days. At first, it’s great. Then, the "orange peel" texture starts.
When you over-exfoliate, your skin enters a state of chronic inflammation. It might start to look thicker and more porous as a defense mechanism. Or, it goes the other way and becomes paper-thin and translucent. You’ll start noticing that products which never used to bother you—like your favorite Vitamin C serum—suddenly burn like crazy.
This is your skin telling you the barrier is gone. If this happens, you need to bench the blade for at least two months and focus on ceramides and hydration.
Maximizing the Time Between Sessions
If you want to stretch out the time between your dermaplaning sessions so you aren't constantly irritating your skin, you've got to play the long game with your routine.
- Oil Cleansing: Using an oil cleanser before your regular wash helps keep the vellus hair soft. When the hair is soft, it lays flatter and is less noticeable as it grows back in.
- Enzyme Peels: In between your dermaplaning dates, use gentle fruit enzymes (like papaya or pineapple). These "eat" the dead skin cells without the mechanical scraping of a blade. It keeps the glow alive without the trauma.
- Hydration, Hydration, Hydration: Dehydrated skin looks duller. When your skin is plumped with moisture, the "fuzz" is less apparent, and you won't feel the need to shave it off as often.
Real-World Timing Examples
Let's look at a few scenarios.
Imagine you have a big event—say, a wedding—on Saturday. You shouldn't dermaplane on Saturday morning. You should do it on Tuesday or Wednesday. This gives the skin a few days to settle down, for any minor redness to fade, and for your natural oils to replenish slightly. This "sweet spot" ensures your makeup sits perfectly on the day.
What about summer? Heat and sweat can make skin more sensitive. You might find that in July, you need to wait five weeks instead of four because the sun exposure is already taxing your skin. In the winter, when skin gets flaky and "crusty," a strict four-week schedule might be the only thing keeping your moisturizer from just sitting on top of a layer of dead cells.
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Common Myths That Mess Up Your Schedule
One reason people ask "how often should you dermaplane your face" is the fear that the hair will grow back thicker. We’ve all heard it. "Don't shave your face, you'll get a beard!"
It is physiologically impossible for dermaplaning to change the number of hair follicles you have or the thickness of the hair. You aren't touching the bulb of the hair under the skin. You’re just cutting it at the surface. The "blunt end" of the hair might feel a little different for a second as it pokes through, but it’s the same hair.
Don't let the fear of a "beard" make you do it more often than necessary, and don't let it stop you from doing it at all. It’s just hair.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Routine
If you’re ready to start or refine your habit, here is the move:
- Audit your current skin state. If you have any active stinging, redness, or peeling, wait two weeks before even thinking about a blade.
- Mark your calendar. Don't wing it. If you dermaplaned today, set a reminder for 30 days from now.
- Prep the canvas. Always dermaplane on clean, bone-dry skin (unless you are using a specific oil-planing technique, which is a whole different ballgame).
- The 48-hour rule. For two days after your session, no retinoids, no glycolic acid, and no harsh scrubs. Your skin is "open." Feed it with hyaluronic acid and a solid, basic moisturizer.
- Sunscreen is non-negotiable. You just removed your skin's physical sunshade (the hair and the dead skin). You are significantly more prone to sun damage in the 72 hours following a treatment. If you aren't going to wear SPF 30+, don't dermaplane. Period.
The "how often" isn't about following a rigid rule. It's about listening. If your skin looks dull and your makeup is pilling, it’s probably time. If your face feels tight and sensitive, put the tool away. Moderation is what leads to that actual, sustainable glow.
For most of us, that means seeing the blade once a month and not a day sooner.