I’m Claire Acfield, I’m 44 years old and I am the counsellor at The Female Health Clinic, based at the Hartley Wintney branch.
When I’m not working my two daughters aged 8 and 10 keep me very busy, and it can be hard to fit in “me time” with the hustle and bustle of daily life. I am the first to admit that I don’t usually prioritise my skin care routine; by the end of the day I’m so tired that the last thing I want to do is stand at the bathroom mirror for hours! But I had been thinking for a while that I could do with a treatment on my face to give it some brightness and rejuvenation.
I had noticed a lot of peach fuzz on my cheeks which made me feel self conscious, and also made it harder to apply my makeup. It seemed quite “cakey” when I applied it, which was frustrating. I didn’t want people to be able to see that I was wearing makeup, I wanted to look natural.
I would describe my skin type as normal, with some oily patches on my T-zone. I had a skin consultation with Rachel, one of our aesthetic practitioners, which was really useful because she could make suggestions for treatments based on my skin type. Rachel is incredibly knowledgeable but she is also very good at explaining things clearly, to someone like me who didn’t really know where to start!
I appreciated the fact that she listened carefully and gave good recommendations based on what I had told her about my skincare routine and what I was looking to achieve. Rachel suggested Dermaplaning as it removes the peach fuzz and leaves your face incredibly smooth, and therefore make up is much easier to apply. She explained that not only is the hair removed, but all the dead skin cells are too, helping to eradicate the dullness these cause on your face.
The face is exfoliated and the Dermaplaning also leaves your pores open which means they will absorb the creams applied in your skin care regime more effectively. It was my first time having this type of treatment and I was a little nervous at first when I saw that she would be using a blade, but Rachel put me at ease straight away. She removed all my makeup before she started, and the whole process was completely painless and only lasted around 30 minutes.
I would compare it to shaving your legs – you can feel it but it is in no way painful. The blade only gently grazed my skin and I barely felt it. I had previously bought a “DIY” tool which looked similar to use at home, but the results were nowhere near as good as the blade wasn’t as sharp, and I didn’t feel my face was smoother afterwards, compared to the results when I had the treatment at the clinic.
Rachel explained that it may seem tempting to buy a cheaper version to use at home, but you will never be able to achieve professional results. And it’s definitely not a good idea to use a blade on your face when you aren’t professionally trained! You really do get what you pay for.
It was surprising (and slightly depressing!) to see how much hair the blade removed. Rachel told me to try not to touch my face afterwards, however tempted I was to feel its smoothness! This was to reduce the risk of transferring germs and to help avoid spots. She also reminded me that it was even more important to remember to apply my sun protection factor in the days after Dermaplaning, as my skin would be more susceptible to sun damage with the top layer of cells removed.
Watch Claire undergo her dermplaning – click the link to view the treatment in action
The first time I applied my foundation after the dermaplaning treatment I was amazed at the results – it just glided on which felt really lovely. My skin was incredibly smooth and looked much brighter afterwards, and the results lasted for around 3 weeks.
I would recommend Dermaplaning to anyone who is looking for a treatment to brighten their skin without it being invasive. It is suitable for almost all skin types and there were no negative after-effects. My face was slightly tingly and red afterwards but this faded within an hour. I was also worried that the hair may grow back darker and thicker but that didn’t happen. The hair does grow back but it looks just as it did before. I would definitely have a Dermaplaning treatment again, in fact I have a friend’s wedding coming up next month so I will book in again to have another treatment before that.
About the dermaplane treatment
Dermaplane is a lovely exfoliation treatment that safely uses a medical-grade scalpel to skim dead skin cells and remove vellus hair (often called peach fuzz) to leave the skin smooth, radiant, and glowy.
Removing facial peach fuzz and dead skin cells creates a smooth canvas for applying makeup, helping it to glide on and blend beautifully with your skin. You will also find that moisturiser and active products, such as Vitamin C, will be better absorbed into the skin.
It can also be used in combination with other treatments such as BB Glow to help enhance the benefits of both treatments.
Skincare consultations are complimentary and a great way to discover more about treatments and products and which ones will work best for you.
To make a consultation or for more information, you can contact us on 01262 915333 or by email to info@thefemalehealthclinic.co.uk
