With waxing and threading appointments cancelled while salons closed during lockdown, women have been reaching for the razor and shaving their faces during lockdown in an attempt to rid their cheeks of peach fuzz and excess hair.
Dermaplaning, or full-face shaving, is booming in popularity on TikTok and YouTube, with some tutorials quickly gathering 21 million views on the platform.
Fans insist it ‘evens out’ their skin, making it ‘appear flawless’, while famous beauties such as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Cleopatra were all said to shaved their faces as part of their routine.
However Dr Ross Perry of Cosmedics told FEMAIL that the videos ‘give the illusion of perfection without the downsides’, explaining: ‘Having fine hair on the face is absolutely normal and we shouldn’t feel pressurised into shaving the face purely because someone else is doing it.
‘As we have seen with other TikTok trends, we must not start copying TikTok users’ ‘hacks’ – we must always follow professional advice.’
Beauty experts have revealed many women have taken to shaving their faces during lockdown in an attempt to rid their cheeks of peach fuzz and excess hair (pictured left and right, women shaving their cheeks with a Dermaplaning razor)
Dr Ross Perry told FEMAIL those suffering from skin conditions like ‘acne or eczema’ could find shaving their face ‘worsens inflammation, sensitivity and pigmentation’ after shaving
Dr Ross continued: ‘I do not recommend shaving your own face at home. It can grow back worse and what might have been considered mild facial hair can then grow back thicker.
‘Shaving your face can cause acne breakouts or skin reactions.’
Meanwhile he said dermaplaning, a cosmetic procedure that removes the top layers of skin, should always be ‘done by a professional’.
Dr Ross revealed: ‘Dermaplaning is a tried and tested method of removing unwanted hair from the face. It is a painless way of scraping away facial hair whilst at the same time gets rid of any dead skin cells which contribute to making the skin look uneven.
YouTuber Jaclyn Hill has been among those who have promoted full-face shaving to her 5.4 million followers
‘Dermaplaning is an incredibly popular in salon treatment which uses a painless blade and can make skin appear flawless with make-up going on smoother.
‘With salons closed during lockdown, its became apparent due to social media trends women are now attempting to shave their own faces at home.’
However Dr Ross advised against trying out the trend, explaining: ‘There can be major problems for attempting dermaplaning or indeed shaving the face with a razor at home.
‘There are two different types of hair – vellus hair and terminal hair. Vellus hair is the near-invisible peach fuzz that covers much of your face and body and its role is to regulate temperature and evaporate sweat.
‘Terminal hair is darker and thicker. Some women have terminal hair along their upper and lower lips, sideburns, neck, and chin, dermaplaning can be used on both types of hair.
‘Professional dermaplaning uses a specific type of blade, using a razor or just a blade at home can cause scarring to the skin, infections, in growing hairs and sensitivity and is a procedure which one you start will need to be performed every few weeks.’
Meanwhile he said those suffering from skin conditions like ‘acne or eczema’ could find shaving their face ‘worsens inflammation, sensitivity and pigmentation’.
‘You also need to be aware of the dreaded Five o’clockshadow, especially if you have terminal hair type which can also be a problem with ingrowing hairs as they can lead to painful and sore pumps on the skin.
‘Don’t forget if you’re using a razor, you can get cuts to the skin which will be really sensitive and could lead to an infection and possible scarring.’
Meanwhile he also warned that shaving your face could actually cause hair to grow back thicker and faster, adding: ‘Because shaving blunts the edges of hair, just like shaving your legs it can make the hair feel coarse and stubble when it grows through but in actual fact it doesn’t grow any thicker.’
Dr Ross went on to warn that younger women should not be swept into beauty trends online, explaining: ‘Selfies and photo editing will make people aim for perfection, which is not real.
Beauty expert and blogger Chloe Morello revealed in a viral clip last month that she shaves her face once a fortnight in order to get a ‘flawless finish’ with her foundation every time
BEFORE AND AFTER: The 30-year-old expert said face shaving – or ‘dermaplaning’ – is beneficial for removing any unwanted hair from the edges of your face and on your cheeks
Chloe (pictured) said she shaves her face around twice a month and gets a far better result than she does with waxing
‘Influencers get paid to look a certain way, and to promote a certain image or certain products, which just isn’t realistic for the rest of people, which is not only sad but extremely damaging and can lead to poor self-esteem.
‘Like any social media trend it can create the illusion of perfection without really telling us any of the downsides.
‘Of course, if we’re seeing our favourite influencer or celebrity raving about how amazing this is for their skin, then I’m sure it creates women wanting to emulate the same look without really thinking about the long term problems associated it.’
Abbi Ingram, Skin specialist at Blush and Blow London agreed, saying: ‘Women are wanting to feel refreshed after lockdown and things such as derma planning removes not only the hair but also dead skin cells meaning the skin feels smoother and looks brighter.
‘However, shaving the facial hair, like any shaving, will stimulate the hair growth.
‘Although your skin may definitely feel smoother the day after, once the hair starts to grow back it can actually become rougher, not to mention that ingrown hairs could appear.’
Meanwhile Dermaplaning expert and Founder of Hollywood Browzer Beauty, Amy Anzel added: ‘The reason most women turn to dermaplaning is to create a smooth canvas for a flawless makeup application.
‘It is not about not having hair on their face.
‘A painter wouldn’t paint on a canvas with dust and dirt on it, so why would someone apply makeup to their face with hair and dead skin cells on it? A flawless makeup application is the by-product of dermaplaning as is better penetration of skincare and glowing, radiant skin.’
Cosmetic practitioner Amar Suchde of AMS Aesthetics added: ‘With beauty salons and clinics having been closed for months, many women have resorted to shaving their face – a technique known as dermaplaning.
‘Popular for over half a century, dermaplaning has since become the norm for women to hide their facial hair in order to look, as some consider it, ‘more feminine’.
‘This is purely personal choice and viewpoint but certainly, it can give self-conscious women more confidence in their appearance. Dermaplaning not only removes coarser hair and baby hair but also dead skin cells, which can then help to eliminate dark shadows, brighten the skin and give a smoother base for makeup.’
He explained: ‘There are a number of downsides to DIY dermaplaning, however. It is absolutely not advised for women with sensitive or problem skin as it could irritate the skin or even cause infection. These women may instead benefit from laser hair removal but should consult their dermatologist or GP first.’
Sunny Choudhery, Founder of Tweezy.co.uk hair removal tool, said there needed to be ‘more transparency’ on the topic of hair removal, saying: ‘When we say to ‘normalise’ it, we mean to discuss it openly, not necessarily to normalising facial hair by keeping it.
‘That part is about the choice of the individual and we’re just here to meet the supply and demand of the those who do choose to remove it.
‘The many layers of feminist theory aside, many women have had good results with their skin alone, especially women with PCOS, to them this is a blessing.’
Last month beauty expert and blogger Chloe Morello went viral as she revealed she shaves her face twice a month in order to get a ‘flawless finish’ with her foundation.
The 30-year-old expert said face shaving – or ‘dermaplaning’ – is beneficial for removing any unwanted hair from the edges of your face and on your cheeks or chin before applying your skincare and makeup.
‘A great hack to get a really flawless foundation result is to shave off the peach fuzz on your face,’ Chloe said in a TikTok video on the subject.
She explained: ‘I apply an oil and I usually do it after the shower when my skin and hair follicles are softened by the shower.
‘Use a brow razor to gently remove the peach fuzz from your face, and be very careful of course that you don’t shave off your eyebrows.’
Chloe (pictured) added that you should always patch test first to check that the process is going to work for your skin
More than 100,000 people who saw the video were impressed with the results shown in Chloe’s video and said they would love to try it for themselves (Chloe pictured)
Once you have removed all of the hair you want to get rid of from your face, the beauty expert recommends washing your face and applying a ‘gentle’ moisturiser that is suitable for sensitive skin.
‘When you go to apply your foundation, it’s going to look so flawless and smooth,’ Chloe said.
She added that you should always patch test first to check that the process is going to work for your skin, and you can dermaplane as often as twice a month for the best results.
More than 100,000 people who saw the video were impressed with the results shown in Chloe’s video and said they would love to try it for themselves.
Meanwhile Ali Clarke, from Melbourne, launched Bondi Blades in May 2020 after noticing a gap in the Australian market for dermaplaning blades that can be used at home
Dermaplaning is a type of facial treatment that helps exfoliate the skin by using a small but safe medical-grade blade
‘I want to try this because waxing irritates my skin so badly,’ one woman wrote.
‘I love this and I’m going to try it for sure,’ another added.
Others said while they get it done professionally, they are a bit too scared to do it themselves at home.
Others have also jumped on the trend, including Ali Clarke, from Melbourne, who launched Bondi Blades in May 2020.