Written by @dldbrows
Diandra Leigh Dente
Did you know the first step to hair growth is hydration? It’s SO important to nourish and hydrate the brow area like you would your scalp, hair, lips, and skin.
Hydration is extremely important, especially after a treatment that involves chemicals. Yes, we are talking about one of the most popular, non-invasive eyebrow treatments at the moment – brow lamination.
Keep reading to find out what eyebrow lamination can do to your brows and how to treat your brows after brow lamination to make sure you keep them healthy.
How Does Brow Lamination Work?
If you aren’t already familiar, brow lamination is a process where a keratin treatment is placed on the brows to straighten the hairs up in the desired direction to give the appearance of a set, uniform, brushed-up look.
This 3-step process which takes anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour, enables the artist to set and manipulate the structure of the brow hairs into a new shape. With lamination, we as artists can create arches, extend tails, tame unruly brows and create the latest ‘fluffy’ brow. Brows will then stay in place without the need for any additional brow products lasting anywhere from 6-8 weeks.
At DLD, myself and students work with a 6 step process. Not only do we hydrate the brow area after the lamination process, we hydrate the area before, shape the brow area, and finish with RLT to increase product absorption to ensure the brow area receives proper care and remains hydrated.
When laminating as a professional or as a client with an at home kit, remember that brow shaping should always be done AFTER the lifting/perming cream (step 1) and neutralizing/fixing lotion (step 2) has been applied. NEVER wax, thread, or tweeze prior to these two steps.
Why? Because threading is a natural exfoliant and waxing will strip the skin of its natural oils. Lamination is a chemical process so you should not apply chemicals on ‘raw’ or ‘freshly exfoliated skin’. If applied after shaping, it could result in a chemical burn. The keratin/nourishing lotion is always the last step after shaping and what gives the brows that “wet” look.
This is the ultimate brow solution for eyebrows that do not have symmetry and the hairs follow a different pattern. With brow lamination, we as artists can realign the brow hair growth direction and pattern to give our clients the full, sleek, or fluffy brows they desire.
What Does Brow Lamination Do to the Brows?
Brow lamination is a completely safe treatment if done properly and if you know how to take care of your brows after brow lamination. Sometimes, without proper brow care, brow hairs may appear or become brittle, coarse, and even shift in color (brassy orange color).
This is because different chemical solutions are used to keep the brow hairs lifted and enable shaping them. They affect the quality of the brow hairs and that’s why it’s important to make sure the eyebrows are hydrated and nourished afterwards.
What to Do After Brow Lamination?
Lamination looks WET immediately after for a reason. The solution applied is to bring hydration and replenish/nourish the brow area after the chemical process of lamination which is essentially a keratin treatment for your brows.
Everyone talks about lamination, but nobody talks about the aftercare which is super low maintenance, but just as IMPORTANT as that selfie you just uploaded. Give your brows some love post-lamination.
As a client, you will need to brush your brows daily so you don’t have to worry about any straggly hairs sticking out of place and most importantly, MUST keep the brows hydrated daily or weekly depending on your brow’s hair health. This will ensure your brows stay strong and healthy. Lack of hydration can result in the hairs becoming brittle and break.
Not rehydrating the brow area after lamination would be like getting a perm and then not ever using conditioner. WOULD YOU DO THAT?? No… your hair would become extremely brittle and break – just like your brow hairs if you don’t take proper precautions and care after lamination.
What Are the Best Products to Use After Brow Lamination?
Top 3 products or treatments that are DLD approved for clients or students to use after lamination:
- ORGANIC BLACK CASTOR OIL + HEAT
- HYALURONIC ACID
- RLT
Castor oil is already well known for its benefits for brow and lash hydration and growth. It’s also effective at treating the skin in the area – it makes it softer and prevents the appearance of dandruff and acts as a great natural moisturizer for the skin. However, it is most effective for hair growth when applied with heat. The heat helps for the castor oil to be absorbed into the hair follicles vs just sitting on top of the skin.
Hyaluronic acid applied topically also promotes hair growth and it’s very effective at preventing the skin from drying out and promotes thick, moisturized hair.
We already spoke about the benefits of Red Light Therapy after Permanent Makeup, but it’s also very beneficial when used after brow lamination. RLT is known for increasing hair count, hair density, and hair thickness. Pairs well with both castor oil, hyaluronic acid, or your favorite brow serum.
Do I Start Hydrating the Brows Immediately After Brow Lamination Treatment?
The brow artist will apply the standard nourishing solution at the end of the treatment. The brow lamination aftercare means keeping the brows dry in the first 24 hours. That means you should avoid swimming pools, saunas, heat, and sweating. After 24h you are free to continue with your normal routine.
You should start hydrating your eyebrows after the aftercare period is over. Add brow care into your skin care routine and keep doing that even after the effects of the treatment are not visible anymore.
Does Everyone Make a Good Candidate for Brow Lamination?
Even though brow lamination is completely safe, not everyone makes a good candidate for it.
If as an artist you don’t feel the client’s brows will be a good fit for lamination, be courteous enough to make that educated decision to differ the service.
As a client, make sure to browse around and do your research before any brow service. Find a certified brow technician who works in sterile conditions and uses safe and quality products. Otherwise, you risk your brow lamination going wrong.
Conclusion
Brow lamination lives up to the hype. It’s great, but it does require low maintenance aftercare, which will help you to get the best results out of the treatment and save your brows. Make sure you hydrate your brows regularly, because neglecting them means risking ending up with brittle brow hairs…. and you DON’T want that. Make brow care a part of your skincare routine. Your brows will thank me later.
