I try: Dermaplaning at FaceWorks, Albany

Dr. Teresa Cattin - who I’d heard about for years before meeting her, and always in rather glowing terms – is in my opinion New Zealand’s best cosmetic physician, and a top-notch woman to boot. A Medical Practitioner (MSc, MBBCh, FRNZCGP, FNZCAM) and a member of the Appearance Medicine Society of Australasia, she is also the owner of FaceWorks Clinic in Albany, Auckland, and creator of the stellar skincare range of the same name.

As well as being president of the New Zealand College of Appearance Medicine, Teresa is a national trainer in Botox Cosmetic and Juvéderm, training other doctors in New Zealand and Australia. Needless to say, she is a clearly a woman who knows who stuff when it comes to skin, needles and anti-ageing, and regularly travels to the likes of India and Paris to share her incredible wealth of knowledge.

Teresa has said that “there is no doubt that the results of any treatment that you chose to have, be it Botox or a Juvéderm will be greatly improved if the skin is healthy and well cared for”, and around 14 years ago she developed the FaceWorks range of skincare products with that in mind. Her clinic also offers non-invasive skin treatments that work together with injectables and good skincare to deliver great skin all day, every day. One of her latest offerings is dermaplaning, a treatment that I have to admit I’d heard little about but was gagging to try after a little research.

Have you heard of dermaplaning? More and more peeps have been asking me about it, so here’s the deal. It’s actually not terribly new. It was quietly introduced in the '90s, and is a technique that exfoliates the skin and removes the ‘peach fuzz’ hair on your face.

During a facial, a professional uses a tool that kind of looks like a scalpel or envelop opener and gently glides the blade along your skin to remove layers of dead cells. If you think about how a waiter at a fancy restaurant uses a tool to scrape the bread crumbs off the tablecloth, that’s kind of like dermaplaning. It doesn’t hurt at all, and the visible results are instant. After a session with Kim at Teresa’s clinic my skin really feels as soft as a baby’s, and most definitely does look brighter now that old the old layers are gone. It didn’t hurt a bit - bonus - and the only discomfort post-treatment for me was a little skin redness and tightness straight afterwards, bit of which were gone in a couple of hours.

It is perfect for those who have a lot of peach fuzz that they want to address, is ideal a couple of days before a bit event (the glow factor was through the roof) or as a regular treatment every 4-6 weeks in the same vein as a facial. It has made makeup application an absolute breeze for me - as in way less base used and blending virtually unnecessary, my skin is that smooth.

I’ll be interested to see how things play out over the next week as the hair begins to creep back, but feel confident after doing my research that the experience will only be a positive one! If you’re keen to try this nifty treatment or meet Teresa yourself, head to the FaceWorks website for contact details and to find out more.