Dermaplaning: What It Is, Benefits, Cost and Risks

Dermaplaning is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that shaves away the uppermost layers of skin with a blade, and Cleveland Clinic lists it among treatments used for dull skin, fine lines, mild acne scars and peach fuzz.

The blade works at the surface, and the lab evidence agrees about what it takes off: a 2023 study on ex vivo human skin found dermaplaning removed the stratum corneum — the skin's outermost layer — and parts of the viable epidermis beneath it.

The same study measured something with practical consequences: dermaplaning significantly increased how much of a test drug permeated through the treated skin, with results varying between operators.

Ask what you are booking: med spa menus can list dermaplaning as a standalone session or fold it into a med spa facial — and what the appointment includes before you pay.

The uses Cleveland Clinic lists are appearance-focused: dull skin, fine lines, mild acne scars and peach fuzz.

For more on each one, see the benefits of dermaplaning.

The list has a floor under it: dermaplaning may not reduce the appearance of deep or raised acne scars, and the clinic notes that more intensive treatments such as laser skin resurfacing may be needed for those.

Cleveland Clinic also advises talking to a provider first if you have active acne, cold sore outbreaks, eczema, psoriasis, moles or skin growths, skin burns or rashes.

That list is a prompt for a conversation, not a diagnosis.

Whether dermaplaning suits your skin is a question for the licensed provider you consult; this page describes what the sources say, not a recommendation for your face.

We could not confirm a national price for dermaplaning, and we would rather say so than print a number.

Our research in October 2026 found no tier-1 or tier-2 national price figure: the American Society of Plastic Surgeons does not report dermaplaning fees in its statistics, and a major consumer price-review site blocked our access.

That makes whatever number you are quoted a provider-specific one, and it is worth unpacking before you pay.

A quote can be structured in different ways — a standalone session, an add-on to a facial, or a series sold as a package — so ask which structure you are being quoted and what the total covers.

When you compare quotes, ask what sits behind each price: the provider's license and experience, the city, the length of the appointment, and whether the treatment is bundled with other steps.

The practical move is to ask two or three providers near you what they charge and what that price includes, then compare like for like.

For a fuller breakdown, see the cost of dermaplaning.

The honest answer on results is that the evidence base is thin.

For more on results, see dermaplaning before and after.

A 2011 systematic review in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery found the scientific data supporting dermaplaning — studied there alongside topical oxygen and light therapy — was "scarce, anecdotal, and not well documented", even though patients reported satisfaction.

We found no controlled trial in the sources we read that reports a success rate for cosmetic dermaplaning, so there is no percentage to put in this section.

On sessions and repeats we also came up empty: no tier-1 or tier-2 source we read states how often dermaplaning should be repeated or how long peach fuzz takes to grow back.

Ask the provider you are considering what schedule they suggest and why — and remember they are also selling the treatment.

What the sources do support: any hair removal from dermaplaning is temporary, because the hair grows back.

For more on facial hair, see dermaplaning for peach fuzz.

Cleveland Clinic's description is matter-of-fact: you might feel a scratching or stinging sensation, but dermaplaning usually isn't painful.

The same source says numbing cream may be used, and that treatment can take from a few minutes to 90 minutes depending on the size of the area.

Downtime is where the public record goes quiet: we found no published recovery guidance for the light blade-exfoliation version med spas sell, so the honest answer is to ask the provider who treats you what to expect afterward and what to avoid.

One finding is worth knowing before you book anything labeled aftercare: because dermaplaning removes part of the skin barrier and increased drug permeation in lab skin, products you put on your face right after a session can get through more easily — one reason a provider may adjust your skincare afterward.

Cleveland Clinic lists dermaplaning's risks as infection, scarring — including keloid or hypertrophic (raised) scars — and skin discoloration.

None of those risks is given a rate in the sources we read, so we won't invent one.

The conditions Cleveland Clinic says to discuss with a provider first are listed in the candidate section above; the shortest version is that active breakouts, cold sores, eczema, psoriasis, moles, burns and rashes all change the conversation.

Freshly blade-exfoliated skin also takes products differently: the 2023 lab study found significantly increased drug permeation after dermaplaning, with results varying between operators, so the aftercare instructions you are given deserve following.

If your skin looks or feels much worse after a session, contact the provider who treated you, and have a licensed medical provider examine skin that is not settling.

Dermaplaning shares ground with several other exfoliating treatments, and the differences are mostly mechanical: what touches the skin, and how deep it goes.

Microdermabrasion is the closest cousin.

Cleveland Clinic describes it as gentle exfoliation of the uppermost skin layer with a crystal spray or a diamond-tipped wand; it needs no anesthetic, it usually isn't painful either, and a session runs about 30 to 40 minutes with skin that may be red, swollen or sensitive for up to 24 hours.

Chemical peels exfoliate with acid rather than a blade, and they are classed by wound depth: superficial peels penetrate the epidermis only, medium-depth peels the full epidermis and papillary dermis, and deep peels down to the mid-reticular dermis.

The American Academy of Dermatology's published healing figure is for the light end: a light "lunchtime" peel takes 1 to 7 days to heal, and the academy notes that 3 to 5 light peels every 2 to 5 weeks may be needed.

Microneedling goes deeper still: numbing cream is applied 30 to 45 minutes beforehand, needle lengths run from about 0.5 mm to 2 mm, and deeper treatment may cause a little bleeding.

Microneedling devices also carry specific FDA authorizations: FDA has authorized them to improve the appearance of facial acne scars, facial wrinkles and abdominal scars in people aged 22 or older.

HydraFacial is the brand-name option: the company says its treatment uses patented disposable tips with different exfoliation levels and a vortex suction design, and describes its top-tier version as seven therapies in one — including targeted booster serums, LED light therapy and a hydration infusion.

For hair specifically, the contrast is laser hair removal: the American Academy of Dermatology says it works best on light skin with dark hair, that most patients need 2 to 6 treatments, and that regrowth tends to be less, finer and lighter — where dermaplaning removes hair only temporarily.

Cleveland Clinic orders the surface treatments by depth: microdermabrasion removes only the top skin layer, chemical peels exfoliate deeper, and microneedling goes deeper still and may work better for problems beneath the surface, such as acne scars.

Which of these fits your skin is a question for the licensed provider you consult; the sources above describe how the treatments differ, not which one to pick.

Our research found no single national rule for who may hold the blade — it is set state by state — and this is the part to verify rather than assume.

Our research verified one state's rule in detail: North Carolina's, where the statutory definition of "esthetics" includes giving facials, and licensed estheticians may use devices such as microcurrent, microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, LED-type esthetic devices and microneedling with a device no deeper than 1 mm — but may not penetrate beyond the epidermis.

That guidance took effect July 25, 2022, when the state's Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners reversed the position it had held since 2020, which had put dermaplaning outside estheticians' and cosmetologists' scope — a reminder that these rules change.

The same ruling bars North Carolina licensees from calling themselves "Medical" or "Master" estheticians, a title worth questioning wherever you see it advertised.

We did not verify equivalent rules for any other state.

Rules reportedly differ by state — depending on where you live, the rule may sit with a cosmetology or esthetician board or with a medical board — and a lead about Ohio barring estheticians from microneedling came from a secondary summary we could not confirm.

So treat North Carolina as one verified example, not a template for other states: ask the med spa who performs the dermaplaning and what license that person holds, then confirm it with your state board before you book.