How Often Should You Dermaplane? What the Sources Say

For a professional dermaplaning treatment, one clinic source we read says about every three to four weeks. For at-home dermaplaning, the one dermatologist we found who gives a limit says no more than once a week. Neither is a prescription for your skin. If you have a skin condition, or you are unsure, ask your dermatologist before you start.

That is the short answer. The rest of this guide covers where those numbers come from, how to tell you are overdoing it, what the sources say about hair regrowth, and when to put a fresh blade on the handle. This is general information about a cosmetic routine, not medical advice, and our blades and handles are sold as tools, not as medical devices.

How often should you dermaplane? What the sources say

Professional treatments: every three to four weeks

Plastic Surgery Centre of Atlanta, in a post dated July 29, 2024, writes that “on average, it’s best to dermaplane your face every three to four weeks,” and says it typically recommends monthly sessions. It adds that you can repeat the treatment regularly only if your skin tolerates it. Cleveland Clinic’s patient page on dermaplaning (last updated April 6, 2022) gives no fixed interval. It says some people have multiple sessions, that the skin must heal fully in between, and that you should check with your provider first.

At home: no more than once a week, and often less

In a Cleveland Clinic Health article published June 13, 2022, dermatologist Melissa Piliang, MD, says: “I wouldn’t do it more than once a week, just so your skin has time to recover in between.” That is a ceiling, not a target. A skincare brand, Versed (June 2021), suggests dermaplaning at home every one to three weeks and tells readers to consult a dermatologist about in-office treatment. A brand blog is not dermatology guidance, so we treat it as a looser reference point and give the dermatologist’s limit more weight.

Your own interval

Because the sources differ, the practical approach is to start at the long end of the range and shorten it only if your skin is calm after each session. Online guides often give different intervals for oily, dry or acne-prone skin. We did not find a dermatology source we could open that backs those splits, so we do not repeat them as fact.

Why the interval matters

The skin needs time to recover

Dr. Piliang’s reason for the weekly ceiling is recovery time. Her Cleveland Clinic article says irritation for a day or so is common, and Plastic Surgery Centre of Atlanta warns that dermaplaning too often could over-exfoliate the skin and damage the skin barrier. The interval exists to give the skin time to settle, not to hit a calendar target.

Who should wait or ask first

Cleveland Clinic says to skip at-home dermaplaning during a breakout, an eczema flare-up or any other active skin issue. Its patient page lists active acne, cold sores, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, burns, and moles, freckles or skin tags as reasons to talk to your provider first. It names infection, scarring and skin discoloration among the risks.

Sun protection after a session

Dr. Piliang advises that you moisturize and continue to wear sunscreen after dermaplaning. Cleveland Clinic’s page on the in-office procedure advises staying out of the sun in the weeks after treatment.

Signs you are dermaplaning too often

What the sources describe

Plastic Surgery Centre of Atlanta lists skin that becomes irritated, red or inflamed after a session, and warns of barrier damage from over-exfoliation. Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist adds that cuts can lead to infection and that dermaplaning can worsen acne.

What to do

If redness or irritation lasts well beyond a day, or you see a cut that looks infected or a breakout, stop and lengthen the gap. Persistent problems are a reason to see a dermatologist, not to try a different blade.

Does hair grow back thicker?

What Cleveland Clinic says

No. Dr. Piliang calls it a myth, saying that “trimming off the hair above the surface of the skin has no effect on how the hair grows.” A separate Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials article on shaving (January 11, 2023, quoting dermatology resident Taylor Bullock, MD) says regrowth can look thicker and darker because of the variation of the hair shaft along its length, “not because shaving has actually altered the hair follicles.”

Where to read more

The comparison with a razor is covered in our dermaplaning vs shaving guide.

At home vs professional

Different frequencies, different settings

The sources above set two different bars: about every three to four weeks for a provider-led session, and no more than weekly as a ceiling at home. Cleveland Clinic describes the at-home tool as a single blade on a little plastic handle and says to clean it before and after use. A provider can judge your skin in person, which a home routine cannot replace.

If you do it at home

Our step-by-step method lives in the how to dermaplane at home guide. Read the cautions there, and the list above of who should wait, before your first session.

Changing the blade

One blade, one session

This part is our own practice as a blade store, not a dermatology claim. A blade that has been used and stored can dull and pick up debris, so we suggest starting each session with a new one rather than reusing it. Dr. Piliang’s advice to clean the razor before and after use applies to any tool you do keep.

Blades and handles in our shop

For dermaplaning we sell the #10 blade, which has a broad curved edge: sterile #10 blades in packs of ten, the #3 handle they fit, and the #10 set with both. The #10R and the #14 are also common dermaplaning blades, but we do not carry them. You can also browse all our scalpel blades and scalpel handles. Only our 10-packs of blades and our disposable scalpels come sterile; handles do not. Check each product page for what applies.

Frequently asked questions