Like other internet trends, dermaplaning has emerged as a harmless "skin shaving" technique. Although the procedure is done in clinics with a scalpel, it is possible to find versions with less sharp blades so that the process can be done at home in an amateur way. However, the procedure is not as simple as it seems.

"The skin is our first layer of protection, so when it is peeled off in an intact way, we increase the chances of injury, blemishes and contamination," explains biomedical post-graduate in Aesthetic Health, Ana Clara Brathwaite.

The specialist explains that the procedure that won the internet for its "before and after" images, removes the stratum corneum from the skin, that is, the first layer that is composed of cells that are about to die and will naturally detach from the skin. In this way, some treatments accelerate this detachment and these cells are abruptly removed.

Danger of dermaplaning

If the professional does not have a good command of the technique and hand control, he/she can deepen the blade and transform the superficial peeling into a deep peeling, causing a much larger lesion. According to Ana Clara, even in ablative procedures (such as fractional CO2 laser or micro-needling) it is not indicated to remove the entire stratum corneum at once. Because this increases the chances of contamination andSuch as hypertrophic scars or even keloids, depending on the patient's history.

"Even in chemical peels, for example, the peeling of the skin is controlled and is not done all at once. Thus, we keep intact regions of the skin together with injured regions, which gives greater protection to the body. The big problem is that the technique is being widely used, including at home, without any training, which greatly increases the risk of injury," explains the biomedical.

Another factor that the specialist considers critical, is that dermaplaning does not have sufficient scientific basis. "When we search for this name in scientific databases, only seven scientific articles appear. This is very little and some of them do not even talk directly about the procedure. Therefore, I consider it a precarious technique of scientific basis, risky and dangerous. It is obvious that it has theclinical result, but if we don't have studies in the area, we have no way of saying that that technique is safe or effective", Ana Clara alerts.

Sun Care

Besides all the risks already mentioned, the arrival of summer requires redoubled care for those who have undergone any aesthetic procedure that injures the skin.

"By removing the stratum corneum from the skin, we remove the keratinocyte, the first protective cell. Through chemical mediation, it sends a message warning that the skin is unprotected and who responds as a defense cell is the melanocyte, which produces melanin. As protection against ultraviolet radiation, our skin pigments more and stains more because it reacts more aggressively to us.This causes melasma, those brown spots that have no cure.

Read more on: Sunscreen: what is the right amount to apply on the skin?

Source: Ana Clara Brathwaite, biomedical post-graduate in Aesthetic Health. .