There exists, on the internet, a subset of beauty influencers who are committed to convincing women that they need to be shaving, or “dermaplaning,” their faces, so as to better facilitate the application of skin care and makeup.

Dermaplaning involves using a very small razor designed specifically for removing the peach fuzz from your face; a regular razor would wreak havoc and defeat the entire purpose of the exercise, which is driven by the belief that removing the fine hairs on your face constitute a form of exfoliation.

@nicolefromnebraska SCARY but IMPRESSIVE and man my face feels Amazing! Not a single hair gets left behind! This hair identifying spray was Worth every penny! @SKNBODY #dermaplaning #dermaplane #dermaplaningathome #dermaplaningfacial #skincare #skincaretips #momtok #womenempoweringwomen #tiktokshopfinds #tiktokmademebuyit #beautyhacks #beautytips #sknbody #hairidentifierspray #hairidentifier ♬ Pretty (Sped Up) - MEYY

A number of recent viral TikTok shows women using “hair identifying spray” on their faces prior to dermaplaning. The spray turns white everywhere on their faces that hair could be found, allowing them to shave it all off. The fact that they need spray to identify the hair suggests the hair wasn’t particularly noticeable or inconvenient in the first place, but I digress.

@cicihaskill Why was thus so satisfying at home dermaplane glass skin #dermaplaning #dermaplaningfacial #dermaplane #glassskinroutine #peachfuzz #smoothskin ♬ original sound - cici haskill

Whether dermaplaning is actually useful depends on the individual, but a lot of it seems to be hype, with people hopping on the trend because it gives the illusion of smooth skin, and thus, makes people feel like they’ve achieved something. There are risks associated with the practice, however. It’s not recommended for oily skin at all, for example, and Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist, told former beauty editor Jessica DeFino that the act of dermaplaning removes the surface layer of your skin and “literally pokes holes in your skin barrier.”

@rachelmadisoncarlisle Most satisfying/disturbing beauty product i’ve ever bought lol #dermaplaning #shaving #bestbeautyproducts #tiktokshop ♬ original sound - Rachel Carlisle

The incredibly fine baby hairs every human has on their face aren’t significant enough to be materially affecting how skin-care products are absorbed into your skin, and while removing them may help makeup sit nicely on the surface of your skin, who wants to spend the rest of their life irritating their skin with yet another time-consuming beauty procedure?