Dermaplaning in Alpharetta
Dermaplaning uses a sterile blade to remove dead surface skin and vellus hair. It makes skin feel smooth immediately, makes makeup sit better, and lets products penetrate more effectively for a week or so. It is a maintenance treatment, not a corrective one, and anyone telling you it does more than that is overselling a fifteen-minute service.
What it is
A sterile surgical blade is drawn across taut skin at a shallow angle, shaving off the accumulated layer of dead corneocytes along with the fine vellus hair growing through it. Nothing penetrates and nothing is injured; it is precise mechanical exfoliation of a layer that was going to shed anyway, done all at once instead of gradually.
The visible benefit comes from the surface becoming optically even. Light reflects rather than scatters, so skin looks brighter immediately, and topical products meet less of a barrier for the following week. Both effects are real and both are temporary — the layer rebuilds over three to four weeks, which is the natural interval for repeating it.
What it feels like
A light scraping and a faint tugging, and almost nobody finds it uncomfortable. Most people find it oddly relaxing. Fifteen to twenty-five minutes, often added to the end of a facial.
Downtime
None. Skin may be faintly pink for an hour. Sun protection matters more than usual for the following few days because the surface layer that was providing some scatter has been removed.
How long it lasts
Three to four weeks, which is how long the removed layer takes to rebuild. It is a maintenance rhythm rather than a course with an endpoint.
Who it’s for — and who it isn’t
A good fit
- Dull, rough surface texture where the change wanted is immediate and modest.
- Anyone who wants makeup to sit better before an event — and unlike most things here, it can be done the day before.
- Skin that does not tolerate acids well, since this is mechanical rather than chemical.
Not a fit
- Active inflammatory acne or pustules. Drawing a blade across them spreads the contents and inflames the area further.
- Anyone hoping it will address scarring, laxity or pigment. It will not, and we would rather book you for the treatment that does.
- Skin with a currently compromised barrier.
Who performs it here
Nia Ellison
LE, CLT
Lead Medical Aesthetician
Cosmetic laser services are delegated by, and performed under the supervision of, Anita Rao, MD, in accordance with Georgia Composite Medical Board requirements.
Bree Salazar
LE
Medical Aesthetician
Performs delegated treatments under the medical direction and standing orders of Anita Rao, MD.
What it costs
The least expensive treatment on our menu and the one most often included in a membership, because it suits a monthly rhythm. We quote it plainly at the consultation and we will tell you when it is not the treatment your skin actually needs.
Questions about dermaplaning
Will the hair grow back thicker or darker?
No. Cutting fine vellus hair at the surface gives it a blunt end that can feel coarser for a few days, and it does not change the follicle, the growth rate, or the diameter of the hair. It is the most persistent myth attached to any treatment we offer.
How often can I have it done?
Every three to four weeks, which is roughly how long the surface layer takes to rebuild. More often than that is exfoliating skin that has not finished replacing itself.
Can I have it done before an event?
Yes — it is one of the very few treatments here that is genuinely fine the day before, and makeup sits noticeably better afterwards.