Want baby-soft skin? Try shaving your face.
Dermaplaning, a staple treatment in some NYC dermatologist offices, involves grazing a scalpel across the skin’s surface to shave off dead cells and exfoliate. Similar to shaving, most in-office treatments also nix peach fuzz. (And no, those soft hairs won’t grow back thicker or stubbly.)
Sessions can run around $100, though, so I opted for an at-home version, using a just-launched Bright Complexion Facial Dermaplaner by Tweezerman ($30 at Ulta.com). The device looks nothing like the scalpel that derms wield: Pale pink and plastic, with a small, ridged razor blade jutting at a 90-degree angle, it doesn’t look it could slice butter, much less chop up my face.
Still, the process felt like a scene out of “Sweeney Todd.” I ran the blade in short strokes down my forehead, working up the nerve to bring it close to my neck (and arteries). It was a breeze once I did — the blade skimmed the surface of my skin, and when I pulled it away I could see a thin layer of gunk. No nicks — and no razor burn.
After three swipes in each area — any more can leave skin a little raw — I called it quits. The process didn’t have the same masochistic burn as the chemical, acid-based exfoliants I prefer, but my skin felt velvety as I massaged on moisturizer afterward.
While the thought of adding another body part to my things-to-shave list doesn’t exactly thrill me, I’ll happily keep on swiping if a quick once-over keeps my face this smooth.
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