Please understand that following a Dermaplaning Glow Facial Treatment, you may experience purging. Purging occurs when deep exfoliation treatments have been performed. During facials, impurities have been brought to the surface.
A proper skincare routine will help to even the skin out as it settles. As with facials, you may experience a purge effect where the skin settles itself back out resulting in blemishes.
Due to this, skin purging will visually consist of red bumps and breakouts dotted along where you've applied the chemical exfoliant or retinoid product to your skin.
Purging is a sign that the product is working and you should continue with the treatment as prescribed. After a few weeks of purging, your skin and acne will have noticeably improved. Breaking out is when your skin is reacting because it is sensitive to something in the new product.
If anything in skin care embodies the phrase “it gets worse before it gets better” it's skin purging. But once you arrive at that “better” stage, it is the absolute best. Although it may not feel like it now, skin purging is a sign of fantastic things to come—namely, stunning long-term skin health.
For the average adult, it takes about 28 days for skin cells to turnover, although this rate slows down as we age. Purging can last around 4-6 weeks but is different for everyone—some skin might not experience it at all. If skin isn't clearing up after that period, we recommend consulting with a dermatologist.
As skin purging occurs, you might experience breakouts, blackheads, red bumps or pimples as your skin purges and unclogs your pores underneath. Plus, dryness, redness and irritation are other common side effects of the purging process.
Purging pimples do not leave marks or blemishes on your skin. It actually heals the skin to form fresher skin cells. Breakouts don't benefit the skin; they leave marks and blemishes when they go. The cell turnover is faster to remove dead cells.
Purging: Located predominantly in a defined area where you already have frequent breakouts. Skin purging also clears up much faster than a pimple or reaction. Reaction-based breakout: You're getting breakouts in new areas where you don't often get pimples.
While it differs from person to person, skin purging typically subsided within 4-6 weeks, which is about how long it takes for the skin to re-normalize. Medically diagnosed acne breakouts last much longer and need appropriate treatment.
Additionally, do not use physical scrubs and as always, wear sunscreen, especially on newly exfoliated skin. So, with the right ingredients and precautions, you can remove those vellus hair without causing irritation or breakouts. We'd recommend a NON exfoliating sheet mask unless you know your skin can handle it!
Dermaplaning temporarily removes the entire layer of facial hair known as vellus hair — dermaplaning does not permanently remove hair. Over time, facial hair grows back after dermaplaning.
Your facial hair should grow back looking like it did before the treatment, whether you shave or use dermaplaning equipment. Because dermaplaning cuts it straight across during your treatment, your hair may feel slightly different as it returns, which will take around a week.
Dermaplaning Regret #2: Your Breakouts Worsen
In time, this can even cause more breakouts and agitate existing acne. We always recommend avoiding dermaplaning if you're living with acne, active breakouts or using acne treatments like Accutane or Isotretinoin.
“It is important not to be aggressive when you see purging, and understand it can be part and parcel of getting the best results for your skin. When it occurs treat the skin gently – don't try and pick or exfoliate away the papules because that could actually make things worse.
Once your skin is done purging, there will be no sign left of the breakout - no marks or scars.
Skin purging may cause a flare-up of several types of acne, including (Sutaria, 2021): Whiteheads or closed comedones. Blackheads or open comedones. Papules that have small amounts of inflammation.
While skin purging is an indication that your product is dutifully doing its work, it's also a sign that your skin barrier is compromised. Using hydrating products with hyaluronic acid and ceramides can effectively address this issue by locking moisture into the skin.
"Some purging can occur a day or two after a facial as the pore does its own self-cleaning." So, in some cases, a post-facial breakout makes perfect sense and can even be considered a good sign.
The purging process is working with the skin's cycle and is a phase that should clear up within 4-6 weeks of starting the new routine but can take up to 3 months - anything longer could be more of a reaction.
Some common causes of skin purging include retinoids and salicylic acid. 21 Products with those ingredients help speed up cell turnover. Often, quick cell turnover brings hidden dead skin cells, dirt, and oils to the surface of your skin. That buildup is what clogs your pores and causes acne.