Brow Lamination: What Is It, Before & After and Cost

When it comes to beauty trends, eyebrow lamination has become one of the most popular treatments to get thicker brows. Brow lamination is the process of straightening and lifting your eyebrow hairs using a chemical solution to create a fuller look and beautiful shape. As a microblading alternative, laminated brows involve a non-invasive procedure that is affordable, easy to get and long-lasting, giving you a smooth, shiny and defined finish that will last for 6 to 8 weeks. While the price for an eyebrow lamination can range from $50 to $150, the before and after results make the investment worth the money.

If you’re struggling with thinning, overplucked or unruly brows, laminating your eyebrows can make all the difference for a cute and fluffy style. With so many factors to consider, it can be a challenge choosing to get tall and fuller-looking brows.

To help you, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide on brow lamination. From before and after pictures to cost and tips on making the treatment last, explore how laminated eyebrows can elevate your look.

What Is Brow Lamination?

Eyebrow lamination is a brow enhancement process that works to shape and lift your eyebrows while creating a shiny and smooth style. Laminated brows are relaxed, straightened and lifted to offer a longer, fuller look, creating a beautiful shape and style. This beauty technique requires a keratin-based chemical solution that relaxes the hairs, giving your aesthetician the flexibility to lift your brows and create tall, straight hairs.

After your natural brow hairs are styled to your desired shape, a setting lotion is used to maintain the look, resulting in fuller-looking eyebrows. To enhance color and further define your shape, ask your professional makeup artist for a brow lamination and tint.

Eyebrow lamination is sometimes called an “eyebrow perm” since the procedure can make your brows look brushed up, lifted and gelled for about six weeks. Although microblading and eyebrow tattoos use dye strokes to create lines and depth, the brow lamination process is simple, pain-free and doesn’t require needles or dye.

Benefits of Brow Lamination

The main benefits of brow lamination are natural, fuller-looking brows and reduced patchiness. If you’re struggling with thinning hair, gaps from overplucking or unruly eyebrows that grow in different directions, laminated brows can help you create an even shape that looks effortlessly chic without makeup.

Laminating your brows is easy, affordable and long-lasting, offering a beautiful and shapely style that can take your look to the next level. Eyebrow lamination takes less than an hour or less to complete, meaning you can skip your tweezing routine each morning and save money on waxing in the future. All you need is a brow brush to tame any strays.

Eyebrow Lamination Before and After

When it comes to proof, brow lamination before and after pictures offer impressive results that will convince you this procedure actually works. While redness around the area is normal, your eyebrows will look thicker and smoother in appearance, creating a clean and beautiful look.

To get the best transformation possible, you’ll need to avoid exfoliants, retinoids and acids for a week before your treatment. You should also refrain from excessive plucking, waxing or threading before your appointment to avoid skin irritation and give your therapist enough hair to work with. Ideally, you’ll want to grow out your eyebrows so the straightening and lifting process fills in gaps. Your aesthetician will cut, thread and tweeze any unnecessary hairs.

Who Should Get A Brow Lamination?

The brow lamination is good for anyone who wants to make thinner eyebrows look fuller and more fluffy in under an hour. The procedure can be great for those who struggle with gaps or unruly hair, have little time for makeup in the morning and want to enhance their brows for a clean, smooth look. Lamination transforms thin brows, giving them depth, dimension and a pronounced arch without being invasive.

For thicker-haired women, the process creates fluffy, feathered brows that always look on-trend and fashionable. If you’re not ready to take the plunge with microblading or other semi-permanent grooming methods, lamination is an excellent alternative.

How Much Does Brow Lamination Cost?

The cost of a brow lamination can range between $50 and $150 per session. The average price in the United States is around $85, but the amount you will pay depends on your location, the salon and your aesthetician. If you have fine hair and want a fuller look, laminated eyebrows are an affordable and trendy style to consider. When shopping around, you should value quality over cost to ensure a safe procedure without issues.

How Long Does Brow Lamination Last?

Generally, brow lamination lasts between six and eight weeks. If you take care of your brows and follow aftercare instructions, your laminated eyebrows will last two months. Your hair type can play a role since finer brows require longer gaps between appointments to avoid damage to the follicles while anyone with thicker hair may need a touch-up before the 6 week time period.

Your brow hairs need to be strong enough to tolerate the powerful neutralizing chemicals without falling out. Any good consultant should test your hair strength before proceeding. The entire process is designed to help your brow hairs grow in the direction you want. As a result, you should be able to leave more time between treatments if you laminate your brows regularly.

How Long Does Brow Lamination Take?

The brow lamination process doesn’t take long and can be completed in 30 to 45 minutes. If you want to get your brows tinted or waxed, the procedure may take between 45 and 60 minutes so make sure to schedule extra time for your appointment. Some places may schedule a patch test to ensure your skin isn’t too sensitive. This test typically takes place 48 hours before your procedure. Once you have received the go-ahead, you can book your brow lamination.

Brow Lamination Process

If you’re curious about what to expect, the brow lamination process is easy, quick and painless. When you arrive at your appointment, you will be guided to a reclining chair or beauty bed. Most beauty professionals follow a similar process:

1. The lamination starts with an assessment. Your professional will mark the shape of your brows and establish the proper styling to create a beautiful look. Be sure to discuss your ideal outcome with your aesthetician to make sure you are on the same page.
2. You’ll want to arrive with a clean and washed face, but make sure to moisturize your skin with a high-quality and organic skincare product. Before treatment, you may be asked to wash off all cosmetics. This enables the chemical solution to penetrate deeply and work properly, giving your therapist a full view of your natural brows.
3. Your aesthetician may thread or cut your brows to remove unruly stray hairs that are out of place.
4. The professional will then apply a brow lift cream containing keratin. The chemical solution will be gently brushed onto your brows with a spoolie brush to break down the bonds in your hair and help your therapist manipulate the brows into your desired shape.
5. When styling, your brow will be brushed up and straightened to create long hairs.
6. Next, the hairs will be covered with cling film. You will be asked to relax for 5 to 10 minutes as the solution takes hold.
7. A neutralizer will then be applied to seal your brows in place and maintain the new shape.
8. A restorative nourishing oil will be applied to the skin and hair around your brow area. The chemicals can be quite drying, and the oil helps prevent irritation or redness after the treatment process. A quality moisturizing product is an important part of hydrating your skin.

At the end, you should be left with sleek and polished brows that are locked in place. After 24, the wet look will disappear and you will have fluffy and full eyebrows.

Brow Lamination Aftercare

Brow lamination aftercare is simple and should be followed closely for the results to last. For the best care after, you’ll want to avoid getting your eyebrows wet for the first 24 hours. You will also want to avoid direct sunlight, sunbeds, saunas, steam rooms and exercise with sweating. When possible, we recommend you don’t touch the treated area or apply makeup since the skin will be sensitive and prone to burning or irritation.

To care for your brows, you’ll want to stop using any BHA and AHA exfoliants for three days after your treatment. These products can be too harsh for freshly laminated brows and may cause chemical burns. The keratin formula used during the process is also drying so apply an all-natural nourishing oil on the area daily to prevent flaking.

To keep your brows looking stylish, brush them through each morning with a spoolie. If you want a glossy look for special occasions, consider adding a light gel for an elegant shiny finish.

Potential Side Effects and Risks

While not as invasive as microblading or microshading, brow lamination may have potential side effects and risks worth knowing about. Any chemical procedure has the potential to cause adverse effects and involves natural risks for people with sensitive skin. If you have skin prone to irritation, you may experience swelling, redness, peeling, itching or bumps around your eyebrows.

A patch test should rule out most serious reactions, but if you feel a painful tingling when the lamination solution is applied to your skin, wash it off immediately and seek medical assistance if it continues to sting. If you have sensitive skin conditions like rosacea, eczema or contact dermatitis, this procedure may not be the right choice for you.

Generally, you will want to avoid laminating your brows too often. Even if your skin is normal, the keratin formula can make your skin very dry and may damage your eyes if the solution seeps in.

Brow Lamination and Tint

A brow lamination and tint is a process that creates the illusion of thicker brows with minimal effort. While these procedures work well independently, a brow tint after the lamination can help create a puffier and fuller look. Tinting can last between four and six weeks so you’ll maintain the treatment for as long as your brow lamination. To truly transform your look, talk to your aesthetician about laminating and tinting your eyebrows.

Brow Lamination vs Microblading

When it comes to brow lamination and microblading, there are many factors to consider before deciding which brow treatment is right for you. The difference between brow lamination and microblading is that one offers a more invasive, expensive and longer-lasting procedure while the other is quick, affordable and temporary.

Microblading is a type of semi-permanent eyebrow makeup that uses long strokes to enhance your natural shape. The pigment is placed slightly under the epidermis with a needling tool for a highly realistic finish. This invasive cosmetic procedure can last for 18 to 24 months with proper care. You’ll get beautiful and defined natural-looking eyebrows that look fluffy and full.

Although both treatments have similar results, microblading and laminating are very different procedures. The right choice all depends on your needs, budget, health and lifestyle. If you’re comparing brow lamination and microblading, consult your dermatologist or aesthetician to ask questions. You may also want to ask a professional makeup artist to map out your desired brows, allowing you to visualize the outcome.

Eyebrow Lamination Alternatives

Penciling

Penciling is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to keep your brows tidy and filled. Most people don’t require much eyebrow maintenance and just need to fill in gaps, deepen their color or define their shape. For best results, choose a color that’s as close to your natural shade as possible.

The right coloring can help bring definition to your facial features without having the styling look too bold or unnatural. If you’re blonde and struggle to find an ideal match, a light brown or auburn color can typically work well.

Try visiting your local department store for long-wearing options and color matching advice. High-end stores like Nordstrom have quality products and professional assistants who can teach beginners how to apply. This eyebrow maintenance solution is temporary and will be washed away at the end of each day.

Tinting

Eyebrow tinting can be helpful if your main issue is a lack of depth and color. It’s completely non-invasive and uses dye to give you darker brows with more dimension. You can achieve good results at home but you’ll want to consider scheduling an appointment with a professional for the best look.

Tinting is affordable and lasts around six to eight weeks, depending on your average growth cycle. Ask your therapist to focus on the inner core of the brow. This area is naturally less dense and filling it in gives you a well-rounded shape with little effort. As you’re not adding hair to the brows, they won’t necessarily look fuller, but the dye will help frame your face better.

Gel Sculpting

Gel sculpting is an excellent alternative to eyebrow lamination and involves applying a waterproof or colored gel to your brows. It’s one of the easiest methods for taming unruly brows and immediately makes them look groomed, full and glossy. To get the look, brush the brow hairs upwards with a clear gel for everyday polish or use a tinted gel for a more defined style. The results will look like brow lamination but only last for a day or so.

Microshading

Microshading is a semi-permanent procedure that involves using pigmented ink to fill in gaps along the brow. Unlike microblading, which creates the illusion of bigger brows with full strokes, microshading is more subtle and uses pinpoint dots to create a stippled effect. The finished product resembles penciling or a tinted gel, making it a great choice for women who don’t wish to apply makeup each day.

As this process is more invasive, you’ll want to research the treatment and find certified experts. They will need to assess your face shape for an optimal outcome. Microshading can last up to three years before requiring a touch-up, making the initial investment worthwhile.

Eyebrow Tattoo

An eyebrow tattoo immediately adds shape and dimension to your face and is one of the most permanent alternatives to eyebrow lamination. While microshading and microblading use dye, this technique uses ink and a high-speed gun or needle to place ink directly under the skin. Excellent practitioners will use light, individual strokes to make your brows look as natural as possible.

Despite being more permanent than other methods, eyebrow tattoos are becoming less popular as they require a high pain tolerance and often look unnatural. Your chosen color may also fade dramatically or take on an unsightly green tinge over time.