Brow lamination: what you need to know about the procedure?

Brow lamination is an innovative procedure that continues to grow in popularity. It can be used to make your eyebrows look thick and well-groomed. Laminating is great for those who cannot tame unruly eyebrows, as well as for those who are too straight or thin.

We sought advice from experts to learn everything we could about the brow laminating procedure and how to conduct it safely.

What is eyebrow lamination?

The procedure appeared a few years ago and is gaining popularity worldwide, as of 2019. Today, trends still dictate a natural bushy brow line, which can just be corrected with the procedure.

Lamination is a non-invasive temporary chemical perm that changes the direction of the eyebrows, making them more mobile. The eyebrows become more flexible due to the destruction of protein bonds within the hair, which occurs as a result of exposure to thioglycolic acid or its derivatives.

How long does brow lamination last?

The brow lamination procedure itself is quick, taking approximately 15-20 minutes. Some brow lamination procedures require brow tinting and/or waxing before to or after the procedure, which can take up to 30 minutes in a salon.

It’s also critical that your physician moisturizes your brows right after treatment with an oil or lotion. You may use the same product at home to keep your brows looking healthy and free of harm.

The lamination lasts about six weeks on average, and we recommend waiting a week or two before trying it again.

This allows the hair to re-bond and return to its natural state. If you don’t do this, your hair’s integrity may suffer. Disulfide linkages, which connect your hair to cystine amino acids, are broken up by the procedure. Your brows will renew, but your hair will become more brittle and friable if you do back-to-back treatments or don’t properly nourish it.

Depending on your hair, your brows will last for five to eight weeks. If your hair is thick, we recommends getting the treatment every eight weeks, but if your hair is fine, we recommends waiting ten weeks. Before delivering a treatment, we always check the brow hairs to make sure they’re strong enough.

We further mentioned that the procedure aids in coaxing your brow hairs into growing in the direction you desire. The entire procedure is also designed to promote hair growth, so you’ll be able to go longer between treatments in the future.

Brow lamination is a simple procedure. The laminating process takes roughly 15 minutes, however the length of your session will depend on if you have other services such as tinting or waxing. You should be in and out of the salon in under an hour, even if you receive both of these additional procedures.

What type of eyebrows this procedure suits best?

Eyebrow lamination is ideal for those who have hair growing in the wrong direction or who have small gaps between hairs, as well as for those who simply want their eyebrows to look well-groomed. We recommend lamination if you want to add density to your eyebrows or put down unruly hairs. And also if one wants to emphasize the eyebrows and give them a special shape.

The procedure results in bushy, natural fluffy eyebrows. At the same time, it’s important to know that lamination is not a grooming procedure.

Owners of curly and unruly eyebrows will benefit the most from lamination. The procedure will help to fix the thick hairs in place, as a simple styling gel will not be able to provide such a strong fixation. For thin, unruly eyebrows, lamination will give a thicker look.

Laminating the eyebrows will also help to get the desired width of the eyebrows. The procedure will hide old permant, microblading or tattooing, add naturalness and help to get rid of graphic eyebrows.

Those who lack the fullness of hair will have to use a pencil, shadows or gel after lamination to achieve the desired result, but the shape of the eyebrows will be natural. Long eyebrows will be flexible and easy to style. However, owners of short eyebrows are better to refuse the procedure, which deprives them of volume, as a result of which the hairs can tangle.

Laminating is not suitable for everyone. It is necessary to be careful with too thin or, on the contrary, very stiff hair. Also, lamination loses its meaning if the eyebrows lie properly themselves. If the hairs are too stiff, the composition may not take and the procedure will not give results.

It is important to consider the condition of the skin: irritation, dehydration, abundant rashes indicate the undesirability of the procedure. If you made peeling less than two weeks ago, returned after a vacation from hot countries, the skin may react to the composition of the means and get burned.

In addition, during the procedure, the eyebrows become one tone lighter, so there is no need for coloring after lamination.

How to prepare for eyebrow lamination?

There is no special preparation for eyebrow lamination. It is advisable to refrain from using retinoids for a few nights to prevent further irritation after the procedure.

Experts advise not to touch the eyebrows three weeks before the procedure to achieve the best shape, and two days before going to the salon to apply styling wax to form the shape of severely grown-up eyebrows.

How does the procedure work?

The lamination procedure takes about an hour, the effect is achieved in one session.

First, the specialist prepares the eyebrows to assess their natural appearance, then he and the client discusses the shape and appearance to be achieved.

It is also worth checking the compositions of the products for possible allergic reactions before the start of lamination.

At the beginning of lamination, the eyebrows are lifted with a special tool and the straightening solution is applied to them. The composition of the solution of most brands is practically identical and contains thioglycolic acid. The applied product is fixed with a transparent film, to prevent contact with the air. The main tasks at this stage are to open the hair follicles, straighten the eyebrows and shape them.

All compositions last a few minutes, the exact duration is determined by the master. After the first composition is removed with a dry cotton swab, the second one is applied, which fixes the hairs in the position as they are combed. After the second composition, Botox is applied. Then follows the third composition, which closes the scales of hair. With the help of a brush or cotton swab the remnants of the previous products are combed out of the hairs.

If the eyebrows need to be painted, the dye is applied before the third composition, because if it is applied earlier, the first composition will dissolve the dye, and if later, it will not take. The final step is combing through with keratin mascara.

Mild redness, tingling, and itching may occur during the procedure. There may be mild swelling during or after the procedure, which will subside within a few hours. If you feel any discomfort during the procedure, it is important to tell your specialist.

Procedure of brow lamination

Should use the Refectocil Eyelash Curl or Eyelash Lift Kits’ solutions

a. Use RefectoCil Micellar Eye Make-up Remover to clean your brows. Degrease and remove any residue with the Saline Solution. Before beginning the application, make sure your skin and hair are completely dry.

b. Brush the brows with the rubber spoolie and comb them into the desired shape.

c. Apply Lashperm to your lashes . Begin at the top of the brow and work your way down in the same manner that you combed your brows.

d. Remove any unnecessary product from the skin with a clean cotton swab, paying special attention to the skin around the brows. Allow for 7–8 minutes of resting time.

e. Using a dry cotton swab or pad, remove Lashperm. Brush your hair in the same direction you brushed it. Individual hairs should be corrected if necessary.

f. Using a brush, apply the Neutralizer . Step (c) should be repeated and let to sit for 5 minutes.

g. Using a damp cotton pad, wipe away the Neutralizer. To remove any residue, clean the brow region carefully with the RefectoCil Saline Solution.

h. Use RefectoCil Eyelash & Eyebrow Dye to tint the brows to the appropriate hue if desired. Allow for 3 minutes of resting time.

i. Using the rubber spoolie, shape the brows one more after removing the pigment. If necessary, use eyebrow scissors to clip the hairs.

How to care for your eyebrows after the procedure?

Immediately after the procedure your eyebrows will look very smooth and moist. This effect lasts for 24 hours. During this time it is important to avoid moisture, i.e. not to take hot showers with steam, not to visit the sauna and not to exercise.

Usually the effect of eyebrow lamination lasts from four to six weeks. Depending on the care, it can last up to eight weeks.

The procedure may dry out your eyebrows a bit, so it is worth applying a small amount of oil to them. It can be either castor and agar oil or any other facial oil.

The oil should be applied to a brush (for example, clean from mascara) and spread evenly on the hairs. Owners of oily skin, it is important to cover only the eyebrows, without touching the skin. It is important to apply oils carefully, as they can quickly wash away the entire effect. It is enough to lubricate the eyebrows every other day with a thin layer. The main thing is not to bathe them in oil.

Lamination will straighten the eyebrows and make them grow in one direction, but you still have to comb them. After the procedure, you definitely need to use fixatives.

Experts advise to do lamination no more than once every 1.5 months.

Indications and contraindications for eyebrow lamination

Pros

• A painless procedure that does not require a recovery period.
• Makes hair thicker, more flexible and softer.
• It is a great alternative to microblading, which can be painful and affect the skin rather than the hair.
• With the procedure, it is possible to enlarge the eyebrows by a third.
• Laminating instantly accentuates the eyebrows.
• Laminating will help to hide the effects of a failed tattoo.

Cons

• Brow lamination has a temporary effect. To keep the new shape, the procedure must be repeated.
• The procedure is not suitable for those who have little hair in the eyebrow area or have pronounced gaps.
• Eyebrows will not lie as beautifully as immediately after the procedure for the whole month.
• Laminating solutions vary in effectiveness and can damage eyebrows if applied for a longer period of time contrary to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• On thick, stiff hairs, the procedure may not take.
• After lamination, your eyebrows may look flat. This effect can last for 24 hours. Afterwards, it is enough to comb them, giving them the desired shape.
• If lamination fails, the hair structure can be damaged. In this case, the eyebrows will look as if they have been set on fire. This cannot be corrected, you will have to give up lamination for a month and a half or two months until the hair is renewed.

Contraindications

• The procedure can cause eczema, which is characterized by redness, dryness, itching and inflammation of the skin.
• Laminating should not be done if there is acne on the skin near the eyebrows, as a chemical composition is applied to this area. You should also be careful with sensitive skin.
• It is better to refuse the procedure after taking antibiotics.
• Laminating eyebrows is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.

Alternatives to eyebrow lamination

There are several eyebrow treatments in the arsenal of specialists.

Microblading

This is a professional procedure for eyebrows. Several small incisions are made on the skin under the eyebrows with the help of needles. As with tattooing, pigments are applied into the incisions to create the desired effect. The result lasts 12 to 18 months, but then the color will begin to fade.

Microshading

This procedure is similar to microblading. Pigments are injected into the skin through small dots along the entire length of the eyebrows. The result lasts for several months, then the procedure must be repeated.

Permanent tattoo

Painful procedure that gives more permanent color effects compared to microblading and microshading. The color can fade after a few years. The procedure has side effects because the needle pierces the skin and penetrates deep into the skin.

Tinting

Eyebrow tinting with dye. The effect lasts for several weeks.

Laminating eyebrows at home

Despite the sale of home kits for eyebrow lamination, experts do not advise doing the procedure at home because of the chemicals present in the composition.

It is not recommended that you try this treatment on yourself or anybody else at home without first receiving professional instruction. It’s a treatment that should only be done by a skilled beauty therapist because of the chemicals involved.

At-home brow lamination requires the use of a kit containing the identical kits and bonders, and I can assure you that it is simple and quick. It’s unquestionably a more cost-effective option, as well as a viable option if you have to stay at home. If the directions and proper practices are followed, and the at-home user does an allergy patch test beforehand, DIY brow laminating can be safe.

There are a variety of brow laminating kits available, but we warn individuals not to use them unless they have had proper instruction. In fact, some of these products come with their own warnings stating that they should only be used by professionals.

We’ve seen that now that professional goods can be purchased online, women are becoming more adventurous. They’d want to give it a shot… This is a professional procedure that should be carried out by a professional. It’s best if you go to a seasoned expert.

Conclusion

Brow lamination, or an eyebrow perm, is super popular in the beauty world today. In fact, I’m sure it’s one of the most requested treatments in salons these past few years next to a lash lift. Not nearly as invasive (or painful) as microblading, lamination offers you the look of fuller brows with minimal effort and cost comparatively.

The lamination process simply takes the hair you already have and gives it more volume and structure to appear fuller while simultaneously covering any gaps where hair doesn’t grow. The results are natural-looking and relatively easy to maintain.