Dermaplaning vs waxing for your face
These get compared constantly and they are not really alternatives. One is an exfoliation that happens to remove fine hair; the other is hair removal that happens to be on your face. Which you want depends entirely on what kind of hair you are dealing with.
The short version
- Peach fuzz across cheeks, forehead and jaw → dermaplaning. It is fine vellus hair, and dermaplaning removes it along with dead skin in one pass.
- Coarse, dark hair on the upper lip, chin or brows → waxing. Dermaplaning will not properly remove terminal hair, and it is not designed to.
- Dull, flaky, uneven skin texture → dermaplaning, because the exfoliation is the actual point.
Dermaplaning
- What it removes: dead surface skin cells plus vellus hair.
- How it feels: like a light scraping sensation. Painless for almost everyone.
- Result: brighter, smoother skin; makeup sits better; skincare absorbs more.
- Lasts: about three to four weeks, matching skin cell turnover.
- Downtime: none. Possible mild redness for a few hours.
Facial waxing
- What it removes: hair from the root, including coarse terminal hair.
- How it feels: a brief sting, like any wax.
- Result: hair-free for weeks, with no shadow under the skin.
- Lasts: three to five weeks.
- Downtime: pinkness for a few hours; possible small bumps that settle overnight.
Can you do both?
Yes, but not in the same session on the same area. Waxing removes a layer of surface skin along with the hair, so dermaplaning immediately over a freshly waxed patch over-exfoliates it. Space them, or have them done on different areas — waxing an upper lip and dermaplaning the rest of the face is a normal combination.
If you are booking both, mention it when you book so the sequence is planned rather than improvised.
What the Glow Facial includes
The Raenel Luxe Glow Facial ($120) leads with dermaplaning and continues into a deep cleanse, extractions where needed, deep hydration, moisturiser and sunscreen. It is a full facial with dermaplaning as the opening step, not a standalone dermaplaning appointment.
It is not recommended over active, inflamed or cystic acne, eczema, psoriasis or active cold sores, on Accutane or within 12 months of it, or with diabetes, a history of severe bleeding or blood-thinning medication.
Quick answers
Should I dermaplane or wax my face?
Dermaplaning for fine peach fuzz and dull texture across cheeks, forehead and jaw; waxing for coarse dark hair on the upper lip, chin or brows. Dermaplaning is not designed to remove terminal hair.
Can you dermaplane and wax at the same time?
Not on the same area in the same session, because waxing already removes surface skin and dermaplaning on top of that over-exfoliates. Different areas in one appointment is fine — for example waxing an upper lip and dermaplaning the rest of the face.
Does dermaplaning remove upper lip hair?
Not effectively if it is coarse and dark. Dermaplaning is designed for fine vellus hair; terminal hair on the upper lip is better handled with waxing.
Which lasts longer, dermaplaning or facial waxing?
They are similar — dermaplaning about three to four weeks, facial waxing three to five — but they are removing different things, so the comparison is less useful than matching the treatment to the hair type.