Dermaplaning Aftercare: Essential Tips and Guide

Key Takeaways

Dermaplaning removes dead skin and vellus hair, leaving skin newly exfoliated and temporarily sensitive.

The first 24 hours are critical: avoid heat, exercise, active ingredients, and direct sun exposure.

SPF 30+ is essential for at least two weeks post-treatment to prevent UV damage to freshly exfoliated skin.

Pabau’s digital forms and client portal help practices automate aftercare instructions and track patient compliance with follow-up guidance.

Download your free dermaplaning aftercare instructions

Dermaplaning is one of the most popular aesthetic treatments for removing dead skin cells and vellus hair (peach fuzz), leaving skin smoother and more radiant. Immediately after the procedure, though, the skin barrier is temporarily compromised and needs specific aftercare to heal properly.

This guide provides practices with a comprehensive aftercare documentation template for communicating dermaplaning aftercare instructions to patients.

What is dermaplaning aftercare?

Dermaplaning aftercare refers to the post-treatment protocol patients follow to support skin healing, maintain treatment results, and prevent complications after the procedure. During dermaplaning, a sterile surgical blade is used at a 45-degree angle to gently exfoliate the skin’s surface, removing roughly two weeks’ worth of dead skin cells along with vellus hair.

This creates a freshly exfoliated surface that is temporarily more sensitive to environmental triggers. The first week is critical. Proper aftercare prevents irritation, infection, and sun damage while maximizing the treatment’s glow-enhancing benefits. Documenting aftercare guidance in the patient portal reduces liability and ensures consistent messaging across your team.

Why dermaplaning aftercare matters for your practice

Post-treatment complications can be patient-caused, like overusing active ingredients or skipping sunscreen, or clinician-overlooked, like failing to screen for contraindications. Either way, they create liability and reduce patient satisfaction. A written aftercare template achieves three things:

• Demonstrates your commitment to patient safety
• Reduces your exposure to negligence claims by showing you provided clear guidance
• Improves patient compliance by giving patients a tangible reference

Clinically, dermaplaning aftercare follows general principles of post-exfoliation skin barrier recovery rather than procedure-specific FDA guidance, since dermaplaning itself isn’t FDA-regulated as a medical device when performed by licensed estheticians. Your state’s skincare licensing board and your practice’s infection control protocols, including OSHA standards for sharps handling, set the standard of care you must meet and document.

Immediate aftercare: The first 24 hours

The first 24 hours after dermaplaning are the most critical period for patient compliance. Skin is at its most vulnerable, and common mistakes during this window, like applying makeup immediately, exercising, or using active ingredients, can trigger irritation, redness, or infection. Your aftercare template should emphasize these immediate steps:

• Cleanse gently: Use only a mild, non-stripping cleanser (no exfoliants) and cool water. Pat the skin dry; do not rub.
• Apply hydration: Use a simple hydrating serum or moisturizer while the skin is still slightly damp. This supports barrier recovery.
• Avoid heat: No hot water, steam, saunas, hot tubs, or heated yoga for at least 72 hours. Heat triggers vasodilation and increases sensitivity.
• Skip exercise: Avoid sweating for 72 hours. Sweat contains salt and bacteria that can irritate freshly exfoliated skin.
• No makeup: Many practices recommend waiting 24 hours, though some patients tolerate mineral makeup earlier. Your template should specify your practice’s standard.
• Sunscreen immediately: Apply SPF 30 or higher (broad-spectrum) even indoors. Reapply every two hours if outdoors.
• Hands off: Patients should not touch, pick, or scratch the treated area. The skin barrier is compromised and susceptible to bacterial infection.

Document these steps in your clinical notes or send via your patient communication system to ensure the patient receives the guidance on the same day as their treatment.

Days 2-7: Your post-dermaplaning skincare routine

After the first 24 hours, skin begins to stabilize, but sensitivity persists. During the first week, patients can gradually reintroduce a simplified skincare routine while continuing to avoid harsh actives. A day-by-day or week-by-week breakdown helps patients understand what to expect and when they can resume normal habits:

• Days 2-3: Continue gentle cleansing and hydrating moisturizer. Light makeup is acceptable if the patient shows no signs of irritation. Continue sunscreen religiously.
• Days 4-7: Can gradually reintroduce a hydrating toner or gentle essence. Still avoid all active ingredients (retinol, AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide).
• End of week one: Most skin sensitivity resolves. Patients can resume light exercise, normal showers, and makeup use without restriction.
• Week two onward: Patients can slowly reintroduce their regular skincare, one product at a time, spacing new additions 3-5 days apart to monitor tolerance.

What to avoid after dermaplaning

Your template must clearly list prohibited ingredients and activities. These restrictions prevent irritation, secondary inflammation, and compromise to the healing skin barrier. Organize avoidances into two categories for clarity:

Ingredients to avoid for at least 7 days

• Retinol and retinoids: Prescription-strength (tretinoin) and over-the-counter (retinol) increase cell turnover and can cause severe irritation on freshly exfoliated skin.
• AHAs (glycolic acid, lactic acid): These chemical exfoliants compound the exfoliation from dermaplaning and trigger sensitivity.
• BHAs (salicylic acid): Oil-soluble exfoliants that penetrate pores; too aggressive post-dermaplaning.
• Vitamin C serums: While beneficial, vitamin C is acidic and can irritate compromised skin. Wait one week.
• Benzoyl peroxide: Drying and sensitizing to freshly exfoliated skin; can trigger redness.
• Niacinamide (high concentration): Generally gentle, but some patients report sensitivity when combined with dermaplaning, so advise caution.

Activities and treatments to avoid

• Direct sun exposure: UV damage to newly exfoliated skin causes hyperpigmentation and accelerates aging. Sunscreen is non-negotiable.
• Exercise and sweating: Avoid strenuous exercise for 72 hours. Light walking is fine, but avoid anything that causes heavy sweating.
• Heat exposure: Saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga, hot tubs for at least 72 hours.
• Perfume, fake tan, or harsh chemicals: Avoid for 72 hours.
• Excess alcohol and caffeine: Avoid for 48 hours.
• Swimming in chlorinated pools: Chlorine irritates sensitive skin; wait 3-5 days.
• Picking or touching the skin: Risk of bacterial infection and scarring.
• Other facial treatments: No microdermabrasion, chemical peels, laser, or professional facials for at least 2 weeks post-dermaplaning. Further cosmetic treatments like Botox, dermal filler, or collagen-stimulating injections should also wait 2 weeks, or per your practitioner’s advice.
• Waxing or threading: Wait 2 weeks; skin is too sensitive for hair removal.

Recommended products for dermaplaning aftercare

While you should not recommend specific brands in your practice template (to avoid liability and product liability claims), you can guide patients toward product categories that support healing. A helpful template lists product types and key ingredients to look for:

• Gentle cleanser: Cream-based, fragrance-free, pH-balanced (around 5.5). Avoid foaming or gel cleansers that strip the skin barrier.
• Hydrating moisturizer: Look for ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or squalane. These ingredients repair the barrier.
• Broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30+): Mineral (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) or chemical. Reapply every two hours if outdoors.
• Hydrating serum (optional): Hyaluronic acid or glycerin serums boost hydration without active ingredients.
• Soothing mask (optional): Colloidal oatmeal, centella asiatica, or aloe vera masks calm irritation.

Normal reactions vs. signs that need attention

Patients often panic at normal post-treatment responses. A table distinguishing expected reactions from concerning signs reduces unnecessary callbacks to your practice and manages expectations:

Inform patients that mild redness and sensitivity typically resolve within 24 hours, but they should contact the practice immediately if they notice any concerning signs. Document their follow-up communication in your practice management system for continuity of care.

Integrating aftercare instructions into your practice workflow

A written template is only effective if it reaches the patient consistently and is documented in your records, much like a clear appointment cancellation policy sets expectations up front.

Modern aesthetic practices use automated post-care communications to send aftercare instructions via SMS or email immediately after treatment, reducing the burden on your team while ensuring patients have a reference when they need it most.

Store your aftercare template as a reusable form in your practice management software so every clinician sends the same guidance. This standardization protects your practice, improves patient outcomes, and demonstrates quality control during audits or state board inspections.

Key compliance step: Document that aftercare instructions were provided. Your template should include a patient signature or digital acknowledgment confirming they received and understood the guidance. This creates a paper trail showing you followed the standard of care.

Conclusion

Dermaplaning aftercare is simple to follow, but getting it right is critical. The first week post-treatment determines whether patients see optimal results or run into complications.

A clear, written template ensures your entire team delivers consistent guidance and protects your practice from liability. By using Pabau’s automated forms and patient communication tools, you can standardize aftercare delivery, track compliance, and keep your patients safe while they heal.

Continue your research

Want a template that tracks patient consent? Facial consent forms integrate aftercare acknowledgment and create a legal record of patient understanding.

Need to automate aftercare SMS reminders? Pabau’s SMS campaigns feature sends scheduled post-treatment reminders about sunscreen, ingredient avoidance, and follow-up appointments.

Looking for a way to document skin reactions? Client records in Pabau allow clinicians to photograph and note post-treatment reactions for continuity of care.