I enjoy seeing a man jut out his chin and confidently slide a razor up his face -- and I'm jealous that that shaving helps keep his skin smooth. But surely there must be a less savage way for women to achieve a perfect exfoliation? Maybe not. So I put on a brave face and visit Donna Messenger, at Dr. Robert Guida's office, for "dermaplaning." "Won't this stimulate hair growth?" I ask. "That's an old wives' tale," she says. "Japanese women have shaved for years." After applying acetone (akin to nail-polish remover) to get rid of oil, Messenger goes at my neck and face with a scalpel. "The skin comes right off like dust," she marvels, amid rapid strokes. "Hold very still," she warns, edging up to my eye. After fifteen minutes, my face feels clean as a dolphin's. Dermaplaning has its risks, of course. "If you move, you could wind up with a problem," admits dermatologist Howard Sobel. "I once saw someone who needed sutures."

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• Archive: “Gotham”
• Articles by Beth Landman
• Table of Contents: November 11, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!