Here’s What No One Told Me Before Having My Brows Laminated
Amy Clark is Adore Beauty's former Senior Editor and co-host of Skincare School the podcast (and self-appointed beauty road-tester!). Amy's worked as a journalist, beauty editor and podcaster for several years, previously writing and talking about all things beauty at Mamamia and You Beauty. When she's not writing honest, no BS product reviews and taking selfies 'for work', you'll find Amy eating halloumi in a hair towel turban and... taking more selfies.
If someone had told me in 2012 I'd be having my eyebrows laminated, I would've ignored them and continued *not* doing my uni assignments.
But alas, brow lamination continues to be one of the biggest brow trends in the world.
The thick, fluffy, bold brow look is about as far as you can get from the over-plucked tadpole brows of the 90s.
But what is brow lamination and should you get it done (or attempt your own brow lamination at home)?
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about what brow lamination actually is, and the things no one told me before I had my eyebrows chemically straightened.
What Is Brow Lamination?
Brow lamination is like a lash lift, but for your brows.
Only, rather than using perming and setting solutions to create a lifted curl, they're applied to set your brow hairs upwards into a bushy, fluffy shape.
You can learn more about all things eyebrows, (including eyebrow lamination) in this episode of the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast below!
Brow Lamination vs Brow Tattooing.
As Kim Evans from Lux Brows and Lashes told the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast, brow lamination and brow tattooing or microblading are very different.
"Brow lamination is a brow trend, but brow tattooing or feathering is a brow tattooing technique," she said.
"The feathering technique can be done manually with a blade (microblading) or an electronic pen that creates a series of [cuts into the skin]."
Pigment is then rubbed into these very small cuts to give the permanent effect of a powdered brow, or brow hairs, depending on the look you're after.
How Does Brow Lamination Work?
First, the bonds in your brow hairs are broken with a lifting solution applied onto clean eyebrows.
This allows the technician to brush and straighten the hairs up into the desired shape using tweezers and a spoolie (a naked mascara wand).
This solution is processed under some glad wrap and how long this takes depends on how thick your brows are to start with.
Then, a setting solution is applied to reset the bonds in your brow hairs into their new, restructured shape.
This is also processed under glad wrap before the technician will clean the brows and do any final shaping and tinting.
This whole process takes around an hour.
Brow Lamination Before and After.
Here are my before and after photos showing my freshly laminated brows.
OK, now for the things no one tells you about having your brows laminated...
- The end result can be very straight - my brows looked like I'd straightened them with my hair straightener.
- Brow lamination will make your brows sit upwards, but it won't fill them in. If you have sparse brows, you'll still need to fill them in using an eyebrow product.
- Your brow hairs will fall down as you sleep, so you have to brush them up in the morning using a spoolie. But once you have, they won't move.
- Brow lamination makes your brow hairs feel like straw. It doesn't change the way they look, but it feels... weird.
- If not done correctly, you may find some of your brow hairs stick out at funny angles like mine are in this lovely photo below.
How Long Does Brow Lamination Last?
How long your laminated brows will last for depends on your hair cycle.
Like your eyelashes, your brow hairs have a hair renewal cycle during which old hairs fall out and new hairs come through.
Most people will have a growth cycle of around 30 days, so your brow lamination can last anywhere from three to eight weeks
I had my brows laminated in early November. Through December, the shape continued to hold on its own (after brushing the hairs into place), but by mid-late January, I found I needed a lick of clear brow gel to keep them in shape.
Funnily enough, I actually preferred how they looked about a month or two after having them laminated.
Is Brow Lamination Bad for Your Brows?
If done correctly, a brow lamination isn't bad for your eyebrows. Correctly being the operative word.
Evans added, "If you overtreat or overstretch the brows, you will damage your hairs. You will fry them."
The brow lamination process will dry out your brow hairs either way, so it's important to apply an oil to them regularly.
Brow Lamination Review.
When I first had my brows laminated, everyone told me they looked amazing.
In hindsight, I know they were lying.
As I have really long brow hairs, I found the lamination gave me a very thick, bold brow that looks incredible on Instagram or in styled editorials, but kinda ridiculous in real life.
Add on a too-dark brow tint for my skin tone and BAM. It was a lot.
That said, I have seen some incredible brow laminations, and it can be really great for people who have shorter brows that just won't stay up, even after using a heavy duty eyebrow hold product.
It's also a time-saver if you're going travelling and don't want to have to do your brows every day.
I went to Singapore a month after my brow lamination and it made getting ready each morning super quick and easy (I also had a lash lift, game-changer).
If you're thinking about having a brow lamination or trying at-home brow lamination, test out the look first by using a brow soap and spoolie to push your eyebrow hairs all the way up.
Would I have my brows laminated again? Probably not.
You live and you learn, eh?
Want to learn more? Here's the transcript of our Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast episode on all things brows.
Want more beauty road tests? Check out these helpful stories from our Adore Beauty staff below!
