Hit your 40s and wondering what's happening to your skin? Don't worry, you're definitely not alone.
If your skin feels different lately, if you're noticing more peach fuzz, if your foundation doesn't sit the way it used to, if products that worked for years suddenly feel less effective, you're not imagining it.
Perimenopause is the hormonal transition before menopause that slows skin cell turnover and increases fine facial hair, and dermaplaning is a mechanical exfoliation method that addresses both by removing dead skin and vellus hair at the surface without affecting the hair follicle.
Perimenopause changes your skin in ways most beauty content doesn't explain. The hormonal shifts that begin years before your last period affect everything from skin texture and hydration to the amount and visibility of facial hair.
These changes are normal, but it's important to understand why they're happening and to know your options should you choose to make changes that support your body through this new chapter.
What Is Perimenopause, and When Does It Start?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause — typically beginning in the early to mid-forties, though for some women it starts in their late thirties.
During this time, oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate irregularly before eventually declining. The transition can last anywhere from a few years to more than a decade. Symptoms vary widely, but skin and hair changes are among the most common, and the least talked about.
How Perimenopause Changes Your Skin
Slower skin cell turnover
Oestrogen plays a significant role in skin cell turnover — the process by which dead skin cells shed and fresh ones surface.
As oestrogen levels decline, this process slows. Dead skin cells accumulate on the surface more easily, leaving skin looking dull, uneven, and flat. The products you've relied on for years may feel like they've stopped working. Not because the formula changed, but because the surface they're working on has.
Reduced collagen and hydration
Oestrogen stimulates collagen production and helps skin retain moisture. As levels drop, skin can feel drier, thinner, and less elastic. Skincare that once absorbed quickly may sit on the surface rather than penetrate properly.
This is the change most women find hardest to talk about.
During perimenopause, oestrogen declines more sharply than androgens; the hormones, including testosterone, that are naturally present in smaller amounts in women.
This creates what is known as a relative androgen excess. Androgens stimulate hair follicle activity. The result is that vellus hair, the fine, soft peach fuzz on your face, can become more noticeable. Some women also begin to experience terminal hair growth, which is darker and coarser, particularly on the chin and upper lip.
It's not personal. It's hormonal biology.
Why Common Removal Methods Can Be Harsh on Perimenopausal Skin
Waxing, threading, and depilatory creams are the options most women reach for first. But perimenopausal skin is often more sensitive and reactive than it used to be — thinner, drier, and less resilient to physical trauma or chemical irritation.
Waxing pulls at the skin. Threading causes mechanical stress. Depilatory creams rely on chemicals that can disrupt a compromised skin barrier.
For skin that is already navigating hormonal disruption, these methods can cause redness, irritation, and inflammation. They address the hair but can leave the skin worse off.
Why Dermaplaning Is Particularly Well-Suited to Perimenopausal Skin
Dermaplaning removes both vellus hair and the layer of dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface — gently, precisely, and without chemicals or heat.
The blade works at the surface level only. It does not penetrate the skin, affect the hair follicle, or alter the structure, colour, or thickness of hair as it grows back. Peach fuzz will not return darker or coarser.
For perimenopausal skin specifically, dermaplaning addresses two of the most common concerns simultaneously:
- It clears the dead skin buildup that accumulates as cell turnover slows — revealing smoother, brighter-looking skin immediately.
- It removes the peach fuzz and fine facial hair that becomes more noticeable as androgen levels shift.
The result is skin that looks clearer, feels softer, and is ready to absorb the skincare you apply afterwards. Serums, oils, and moisturisers penetrate more effectively when there is no dead skin buildup blocking them.
The Role of Facial Oil in Your Dermaplaning Ritual
For safer results, dermaplaning should be done with a protective barrier between the blade and your skin. A lightweight facial oil applied before dermaplaning protects the skin, supports a smooth glide, and deeply hydrates, something perimenopausal skin particularly benefits from.
The Make My Shave Dermaplaning Facial Oil is Australian-made with squalane, jojoba, and ceramides; ingredients chosen for their compatibility with the skin barrier and their ability to nourish without disrupting it.
Oil first. Dermaplaner second. Ten minutes. Results from the first use.
What to Expect: Results and Aftercare
Immediately after dermaplaning
- Skin will feel noticeably softer and look brighter.
- Makeup applies more smoothly.
- Skincare absorbs more deeply.
- These results are visible from the first session.
What to put on your face after dermaplaning
Apply a hydrating serum or moisturiser immediately after — the skin is primed for absorption. Avoid retinoids, AHAs, and BHAs for 24 to 48 hours, as the skin surface will be more sensitive directly after treatment. SPF is essential if you're going outside.
How long after dermaplaning can you wear makeup?
You can apply makeup immediately after dermaplaning. We recommend applying your skincare first and allowing it a few minutes to absorb before applying makeup. Many women find foundation glides on more evenly and lasts longer on freshly dermaplaned skin.
How often should perimenopausal skin be dermaplaned?
Every 2-4 weeks is generally recommended. This aligns with the skin's natural regeneration cycle, allowing optimal removal of dead skin cells and vellus hair (peach fuzz) without compromising the skin barrier. Let your skin guide the frequency.
Does dermaplaning cause more hair growth?
No. Dermaplaning works only at the surface of the skin and does not affect the hair follicle. Vellus hair will grow back at the same rate, thickness, and colour as before. The follicle, which determines hair growth, is completely untouched by the process.
Does dermaplaning cause stubble?
The regrowth can feel slightly different to the touch in the first few weeks as the blunt-cut ends come through. This is not stubble in the traditional sense — it is the same fine vellus hair. Within two to three weeks, the texture returns to normal as growth continues.
Is dermaplaning good for your skin?
Yes, when done correctly with the right tools and aftercare. It physically removes dead skin buildup, improves skin texture, and significantly improves the skin's ability to absorb the products applied afterwards. For perimenopausal skin in particular, it directly addresses both the increased facial hair and the slower cell turnover that hormonal changes cause.
Is dermaplaning bad for your skin?
Dermaplaning is not bad for your skin when done correctly. It is not recommended for active cystic acne, open wounds, or severe rosacea without professional guidance. For most perimenopausal skin, experiencing dryness, dullness, and increased facial hair rather than active breakouts, it is gentle and well-tolerated. Using a dedicated facial oil to protect the skin barrier can make the process gentler and safer for skin.
Will dermaplaning make hormonal facial hair worse?
No. Because dermaplaning works at the surface and does not touch the follicle, it cannot stimulate new or increased hair growth. Facial hair that is driven by hormonal changes will continue to be determined by your hormone levels, not by how you remove it.
Is dermaplaning safe for sensitive perimenopausal skin?
Yes, dermaplaning is often better tolerated by perimenopausal skin than waxing or chemical methods, precisely because it is mechanical rather than chemical. It uses no heat, no adhesives, and no irritating chemicals. A protective facial oil applied before the blade further reduces any potential for sensitivity.
Perimenopause and Facial Hair: The Bigger Picture
Perimenopause is a significant transition, and it deserves honest, practical conversation. The changes to your skin are real. They are hormonal. They are normal.
Dermaplaning does not change your hormones. What it does is give you a gentle, effective ritual for managing the way those hormonal changes show up on your face.
Smoother texture. Less visible facial hair. Skincare that finally absorbs the way it should. A complexion that looks more like the one you recognise. Ten minutes. At home. On your schedule.
Shop the Make My Shave Dermaplaner + Facial Oil Kit →
The hormonal information in this article reflects established medical and dermatological understanding of perimenopause and its effects on skin. We recommend speaking with your GP or dermatologist if you have specific concerns about hormonal changes or skin conditions.
Useful sources: Menopause Australia, American Academy of Dermatology or peer-reviewed dermatology source, How Menopause Affects Your Skin And Hair