DERMAPLANING - we tried it out.

Ever had the urge to try a facial skincare treatment involving your skin and a scalpel? Thought not! However Dermaplaning has arrived in the UK, and is gaining momentum as a skin refining/facial hair removal treatment in the UK. It’s igniting debate among make-up artists, dermatologists and beauty editors alike. It’s flooding social media (one vlog by Instagram superstar Huda Kattan has garnered close to three million views). It’s cheap, it’s easy and is said to brighten the skin. It’s also a tiny bit frightening.

Introducing dermaplaning: the world’s weirdest skincare trend. It may sound modern, scientific and intriguing, but in reality it is simply the clinical name for shaving – yes, shaving your face to exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells and increase the efficacy of skincare products. Don’t reach for that Gillette just yet, though. Dermaplaning is usually done with a sterile, super-sharp, single blade held at a 45-degree angle and followed by a skin-soothing oil. It sounds scary because it involves a blade, but it needn’t be as long as it is practiced by a trained professional like Jo Anne from Lipstick and Lashes Dunmurry, Belfast

As anyone who knows me knows, I’m always up for trying new treatments in the search for photoshoot perfect skin, this treatment is ideal for anyone who worries about dull \ dry looking skin or has peach fuzz type facial hair on their face. I have to say I don’t have a huge amount of facial hair apart from the usual man’s beard area, so it’s not a big worry of mine and any outside this area are generally blonde and superfine on my face but this would save waxing for ladies with this problem.

Jo Ann started by preparing my face with a cleansing gel and then a facial oil to make the blade glide easier. I’ve known Jo Ann for seven years so I felt entirely safe and comfortable with her skimming her blade over my face. I regularly us facial exfoliators and was left shocked by the amount of dead skin that came from my face with the use of this special blade. It was then time to move onto the Environ part of my specialist facial. Jo Ann then applied a series of vitamin treatment gels containing antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin A along with hyaluronic acid (an intensive water-based hydrator) to the skin. This part of the treatment addressed specific areas of concern like wrinkles and pigmentation – (oh yeh baby, can I move in for you do this every day for me??) The mask. An experience. A thick, juicy ‘Alginate’ mask was applied with a brush all over my face, literally – including my mouth and eyes, – leaving only my nostrils to breathe from which was a challenge for a chatterbox like me (I’m sure Jo Ann loved the peace and quiet for those 10mins!) It’s very cooling with peppermint, I could feel a tingling sensation when she activated it with a probe that emitted a combination of sound waves and electrical pulses to my skin. Some I could hear like white noise, others I could see flashing, even though my eyes were closed. Once the mask was peeled off, an Environ moisturiser containing vitamin A – like all in the range – was applied to my face.

My skin looked and felt super smooth afterwards, there are obvious skincare benefits too for any exfoliation addicts – (I loved seeing the dead skin removed but then I’m kind of gross like that!).

It leaves the skin glowing and able to absorb your skincare products much better and deeper for better results. Why do this you ask... cause you’re worth it!

It normally costs £79 per session at Lipstick and Lashes but for the next month our readers can get it for £55 if they mention GNI Magazine, go on you know you’re curious and want to give it a try, call them on 07917 606640.

#dermaplaning