Hi everyone, I'm Picky Expert Dr. Elli Reyes, an aesthetic doctor from the Philippines.
So picky is a skin care app that is also a skin loving community that is focused on providing you
with the science behind skincare, so that you can find and discover what's best for your skin.
So in today's video, I'll be answering some of Picky community's burning questions.
We received hundreds of questions, but today we will begin with the most upvoted one,
which was from Picky user daisy sunny. So she asked, "I saw some people on social media
shave their facial hair. It's not beards or mustaches but the fine hairs on our face.
It's really confusing. Is it really necessary? What are the pros and cons of face shaving?
So in order for us to be able to answer this question, we will be talking about dermaplaning.
So what is dermaplaning? Dermaplaning is a cosmetic procedure done in clinics and medical
spas that includes or involves scraping the skin with a surgical scalpel to remove the dead skin
cells and fine hairs on the topmost layer of the skin. Do know that there are different sizes and
shapes for the blades and the blade that is used for dermal cleaning is very specific so they use
10r 14 and 10. Rhe reason for the specific size and shape is so that you do not cut your skin.
So what are the benefits of dermaplaning? The number one reason why people do this is
because they want to get rid of the fine hairs or the vellus hairs on their face
the internet refers to this as the peach fuzz. For some, this peach fuzz is very fine or very thin,
but it's almost not visible to the naked eye, but there are those who suffer or who are
very bothered by their vellus hairs that it's so thick and it's aesthetically bothersome for them,
so they feel the need to have it removed. Well this is all okay, but do know that vellus hairs
are actually there to protect us and to keep us warm. There are those who ask that if we do
dermaplaning, will it make your hair thicker or will shaving make it thicker? The answer to that
is no, shaving does not thicken it does not make it darker, nor does it affect the hair growth.
It's just really the tip of the hair after shaving it becomes blunt so it looks thicker.
So the number two reason why people do this is because they want to get rid of the superficial
layer of dead skin so by doing this, their skin looks brighter they're able to make the skin care
products penetrate better and they're able to put on makeup easier or it's easier to blend in
some makeup. So you can do this once monthly so that it gives your hair adequate time to grow.
So what are the contraindications? So dermaplaning is not for everyone. If you have acne breakouts,
it would be best to postpone first because dermaplaning can cause cuts in your pimples
that can delay the healing of your skin. Number two is if you have cold sores, it would
be best to treat your cold sores first because dermaplaning can create micro tears in your skin
and spread the virus. And number three is not really a contraindication but more of
the expectations might not be met so when you have Hirsutism or when your follicles
are hormone sensitive, your vellus hairs can change the terminal hairs,
so they can be thicker than usual so it would be best if you could see your ob gyn first
or your endocrinologist to identify if you really have Hirsutism or to address Hirsutism first.
So what can you expect after the procedure? So you can expect redness and itchiness especially
if your skin is very reactive or sensitive, which is why it's best for you to wear a moisturizer
on the first day it is it will relieve the redness and itchiness and it will
also keep your skin hydrated. You might also want to wear some sunblock every morning
because dermaplaning can make your skin more photo sensitive. So yes, dermaplaning is great
if you want your skin to look brighter or if you want the skin care products to be absorbed better
however if you have problems that you really want to address like your skin texture
or the imperfections or your clogged pores, chemical exfoliation is still the holy grail.
So what are the chemical exfoliators? So the more popular ones are your alpha
hydroxy acids (AHAs) and your beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). Your alpha hydroxy acids are water soluble
and they are limited to the upper layer of your skin. So they work by reducing the phosphate and
the sulfate groups on the surface of your skin, decreasing the cohesion of your skin cells,
which we call exfoliation. So the most popular hydroxy acid or alpha hydroxy acid that we know
is the glycolic acid. It has the smallest molecular weight,
meaning it can penetrate your skin faster, so which is why it's very important that you choose
the concentration and the medium. So if you have sensitive skin or if you have rosacea you might
want to go for the gel based ones because the delivery of your glycolic acid is slowed down
and if you have normal to dry skin, you might want to go for the cream or lotion formulations
because it has added moisture. And here it is if you need a stronger dose of your glycolic acid,
you might want to go for the liquid formulations because the delivery of the ingredient is faster.
So the other kinds of alpha hydroxy acids are your lactic, which comes from sour milk.
It has very good hydrating properties so it's very good for those who have dry skin. Another is your
mandelic acid which has the largest molecular weight so it's very good for those who have
sensitive skin types because the delivery of the ingredients is lower compared to the other hydroxy
acids. Another is your azaleic acid which has both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties,
making it a good treatment for inflammatory acne. So your other hydroxy acids that are usually
combined with other actives are your citric, tartaric, and malic. So on the other hand,
your beta hydroxy acids can penetrate deeper compared to your alpha hydroxy acids. They are
oil soluble, meaning they can cut through oil, which is why they are a very good adjunct when
it comes to treating acne and for reducing the appearance of your blackheads. So the most
popular one is your salicylic acid so if you want to begin with your chemical exfoliators, just make
sure that if you have moderate to severe acne, it's still best for you to see your dermatologist
because she would know the administration of your chemical exfoliator and she would know how to
combine it with your other prescription medicine otherwise you can start one to two times a week
like treat it as a mini facial and then once your skin gets used to it for two to three weeks,
then maybe you can increase it gradually to two to three times a week. Just make sure that if
you have outer activity, make sure that you just discontinue it first two to three days prior to
the activity so as not to burn your skin. So that's all for today guys. Let me know in the
comments down below if you have other questions for me and we might make a future video on it. So
if you want to learn more about the science behind skin care don't forget to download the Picky app
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