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Dermaplaning: No, It Will Not Grow Back Thicker
The question we get before almost every dermaplaning appointment is the same one: will the hair grow back thicker. It will not. That worry has kept a lot of people away from a treatment that would have suited their skin, so it is worth explaining properly rather than just reassuring you.
Dermaplaning is a $45 addition to any facial at Beauty Room in Liberty Village, Toronto. Here is what the blade actually removes, why the regrowth myth persists, and the specific skin types we will steer away from it.
Why the Regrowth Myth Survives
Everyone has two types of hair. Terminal hair is the thick, pigmented kind that grows on your head, and vellus hair is the fine, soft, translucent kind on your cheeks, jaw and upper lip. Peach fuzz is vellus hair. The two come from different follicles and behave differently, and cutting one has never turned it into the other.
What a blade does is cut the shaft above the skin. It does not reach the follicle, and the follicle is the only thing that determines how thick a hair grows, how fast it grows and what colour it is. This was tested directly in a controlled study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology back in 1970, and the finding has held: shaving changes neither the rate of growth nor the coarseness of the hair.
So why does regrowth feel different to people who have shaved a leg or an arm? Because a hair that has never been cut tapers to a fine point at the tip. Cut it, and you are now feeling the blunt cross section of the shaft instead of that soft taper. The hair is the same width it always was. Your fingertips are simply meeting a different end of it.
WHY CUT HAIR FEELS DIFFERENT WITHOUT BEING THICKER
What You Are Actually Paying For
The hair removal is the part clients notice, but it is not really the point of the treatment. Dermaplaning is an exfoliation. The blade takes off the layer of dead cells sitting on the surface along with the vellus hair, which is why the immediate result is smoothness rather than just hairlessness.
Two practical consequences follow. Makeup sits differently afterwards, because foundation is no longer bridging across fine hairs and flaking cells. And anything you apply next penetrates a surface that is no longer covered in dead cells, which is why we often pair it with a peel or an infusion rather than running it alone.
It can also soften the look of pitted acne scarring. That is a change in appearance from resurfacing the surrounding surface, not a repair of the scar itself, and it works better as part of a plan than as a one off.
When We Will Say No
This is the section most articles skip. Dermaplaning suits nearly every skin type, but there is a real exception and it matters.
We do not dermaplane skin with active acne, a lot of raised bumps, or significantly uneven texture. A blade needs a reasonably flat surface to travel across. Where the skin is raised and inflamed, the blade catches instead of gliding, which risks irritating lesions and spreading bacteria across the face. If that is where your skin is right now, an advanced facial built around decongesting and calming will do more for you, and dermaplaning becomes an option later once things settle.
Worth separating clearly: active acne is the exclusion. Old pitted scarring left behind by acne is not, and is actually one of the things dermaplaning helps the look of.
One of the Few Options That Is Pregnancy Safe
Dermaplaning is safe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and that puts it in a small group. Because it is mechanical rather than chemical, there is nothing being absorbed.
It can also be combined with the gentler exfoliants that remain suitable at this stage, such as lactic acid or our enzyme exfoliants, so a pregnancy facial does not have to mean a facial that does nothing. Every facial on our menu is pregnancy safe apart from the Laser Genesis Facial, and we will build the combination around where you are.
How to Actually Book It
Our facials are booked by time rather than by name, and the modalities are chosen inside that time based on what your skin needs on the day. If you have not had one with us before, what actually happens in the room walks through the appointment start to finish. Dermaplaning is one of those modalities, so how you get it depends on which appointment length you choose.
The 30 Minute Refresh
Dermaplaning is an optional enhancement here at $45 on top of the $99 treatment. This is the combination to book when you want smooth skin and clean makeup application before an event, and you are short on time.
The 60 Minute Signature
At $195 you choose one included add-on, and dermaplaning can be that choice. Neck and shoulder massage is included. This is the version most clients settle into as their regular monthly facial.
The 90 Minute Reset
At $245 you choose two included add-ons, so dermaplaning can be paired with chemical exfoliation, oxygen infusion or LED in the same session. This is where the combination logic pays off, because the exfoliation happens first and everything after it lands on a cleaner surface.
Dermaplaning is also built into the Laser Genesis Facial alongside extractions, LED and a neck and shoulder massage, if you want it as part of a laser session rather than a hands on one.
How Often, and What Happens in Between
Every four to six weeks. That spacing is not arbitrary. It reflects how long the surface takes to renew, and going more often means exfoliating skin that has not finished rebuilding its barrier.
The vellus hair returns on its own schedule, exactly as it was before, and you will notice it before your skin is ready for the next treatment. That gap is normal. If you find yourself wanting to fill it, that is usually a sign to look at your home routine rather than to book sooner.
Sun protection matters more in the days afterwards. You have removed the top layer of dead cells, so what is exposed is newer skin. Daily SPF is the whole of the aftercare, and it is the part people skip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it hurt?
Most clients describe it as a light scraping, similar to a soft brush moving across the skin, and no numbing is used. If your skin is sensitive or reactive you may feel it more than that, so tell your esthetician and the pressure can be adjusted. Some flushing afterwards is normal and settles quickly.
Can I just do this at home with a razor?
The tools sold for home use are not the same instrument and are not held at the same angle, which is where most of the skill sits. The bigger issue is judgement. Deciding whether your skin is calm enough to be dermaplaned at all is the part that protects you, and that is difficult to assess on yourself in a mirror.
Will my makeup really look different?
This is the change clients comment on most. Foundation stops catching on fine hairs and on flaking cells, so it sits flat instead of sitting on texture. It is the main reason dermaplaning gets booked before weddings and events.
I have dark facial hair rather than peach fuzz. Is this for me?
Dermaplaning is designed for fine vellus hair. Coarse pigmented hair is a different problem, and cutting it at the surface will not give you the result you want. Laser hair removal targets the follicle instead, which is where that type of hair needs to be addressed. Come in for a consultation and we will tell you which one your hair actually calls for.
Can I have it done if I am using retinol?
Tell us what you are using and when you last applied it. Retinoids thin the surface layer that dermaplaning also works on, so the two need spacing rather than stacking. This comes up in the skin assessment at the start of every facial, which is why we ask about your routine before we choose modalities.
Where This Happens
Everything described here happens at our Liberty Village studio. You will find us at 17 Atlantic Ave, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M6K 3E7, close to King West, with clients coming from across Downtown Toronto. Call or text 416-889-9948 if you would rather ask a question before booking.
Smoother Skin, Without the Regrowth Worry
Add dermaplaning to any advanced facial at Beauty Room in Liberty Village, Toronto. We will assess your skin first and tell you honestly whether it is the right week for it.