Dermaplaning has no downtime, but it does have a right way to spend the next few days. Your skin just lost its outer layer of dead cells, which is exactly the point of the treatment, and it means the fresh skin now at the surface is more receptive to everything: your moisturizer, your serums, and unfortunately also the sun and anything harsh. Good aftercare is not complicated. It is mostly about protecting that fresh surface and letting your results run their full three to four weeks.
The First 24 Hours After Dermaplaning
Keep it simple and keep it gentle. Skip makeup for the first 24 hours if you can, so your pores stay clear while the skin settles. Wash with a mild, non-abrasive cleanser and lukewarm water, pat dry rather than rubbing, and follow with a good moisturizer. Your skin drinks in product right now, so this is the moment your hydrating products work hardest.
Hands off is the other rule. Freshly exfoliated skin is more open to bacteria than usual, and touching your face all day is the easiest way to introduce it. If you would not put it on a healing surface, keep it away from your face today.
Skincare to Pause, and When to Restart
Set aside anything active or abrasive for 24 to 48 hours. That means retinoids, exfoliating acids like glycolic, lactic, and salicylic, vitamin C in strong concentrations, and every scrub, brush, and exfoliating cloth you own. Your skin just received a professional exfoliation. Stacking more exfoliation on top does not double the results, it just irritates the fresh surface.
What your skin wants instead is hydration and nourishment: gentle cleanser, hyaluronic or glycerin based serums, and a rich moisturizer. This is also the window where clean, plant based formulas shine, because there is nothing between them and your skin. The organic skincare lines we use and sell at Greentoes are built for exactly this kind of post-treatment care. After two days, ease your actives back in one at a time.
"The day after dermaplaning is when your products finally get a fair chance. There is no wall of dead skin in the way. Feed your skin something clean and watch what it does with it. That is the part of this treatment nobody talks about enough."
Victor Thompson, Owner, Greentoes
As for what to expect from your skin itself over the first week: days one and two are the settling-in period, when your face may feel unusually smooth and slightly more sensitive than normal. By day three, most people forget anything happened at all, except that their skin looks noticeably brighter and their makeup glides on. Days four through seven are peak glow, with products absorbing beautifully and texture at its smoothest. There is nothing to manage during this stretch except enjoying it.
Sun Protection Is Not Optional
New skin is photosensitive skin. For at least a week after your treatment, a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher is part of your morning whether or not you plan to be outside, and reapplying every two hours matters if you are. Skipping sunscreen after dermaplaning is how a glow turns into new dark spots, which is the opposite of what you paid for.
This applies everywhere, and it applies double in strong sun climates. If you live somewhere the UV index runs high most of the year, the way it does here in the desert Southwest, treat the SPF rule as permanent rather than a one week suggestion. A wide brim hat on day one and two is a nice bonus for your results.
Heat, Sweat, and Chlorine
Give your skin 24 to 48 hours away from anything that makes you flush or sweat hard: intense workouts, hot yoga, saunas, steam rooms, and very hot showers. Sweat and heat can sting and irritate freshly exfoliated skin. Pools are on the pause list too, since chlorine is drying and harsh on a new surface. None of this is forever. It is two days of taking it easy so the next four weeks look their best.
Making Results Last Until Your Next Visit
From day three onward, your routine goes back to normal, ideally with the moisturize and SPF habits staying put. Results from dermaplaning typically hold for three to four weeks, which is one full skin cycle, and booking your next appointment on that rhythm keeps your skin continuously smooth instead of cycling between glowing and dull. If you want to level up, ask about pairing your next session with an organic enzyme peel, which uses the freshly cleared surface to work more deeply.
"Aftercare is where clients either lock in their results or leak them away. It is two days of gentleness and a month of sunscreen. Do that, and every treatment builds on the last one."
Victor Thompson, Owner, Greentoes
Common Dermaplaning Aftercare Questions
Q: When can I wash my face after dermaplaning?
A: The same day is fine. Use a gentle cleanser with lukewarm water, avoid anything with exfoliating beads or acids, and pat dry softly. Think of it as washing something new, because you are.
Q: My skin looks slightly pink. Is that normal?
A: A little pinkness for a few hours after treatment is normal and simply reflects increased circulation in the fresh skin. It typically fades the same day. If you ever experience lasting redness or irritation, call us so we can walk you through it.
Q: When can I exfoliate again after dermaplaning?
A: Wait at least a week before any at-home exfoliation, and keep it mild when you restart. Your professional treatment already did the heavy lifting, so home exfoliation between visits should be gentle maintenance at most.
A Simple Dermaplaning Aftercare Routine That Works
Gentle cleanser, rich moisturizer, daily SPF, no actives or heat for two days, and hands off your face. That is the entire program. Follow it and your skin will spend the next month proving the treatment was worth it. When the three to four week mark rolls around and the glow starts to soften, that is your skin telling you it is time to book your next visit to Greentoes.