What Should You Not Do After Eyebrow Lamination?

Eyebrow lamination is a trending beauty treatment at the moment. You can transform your eyebrows into whatever shape you desire and keep them there for an extended period.

This is because the treatment breaks down the bonds within your hair, making them super easy to manipulate. 

There are a few things that you must not do after you have had your eyebrows laminated. The first 48 hours post-treatment are the most important for the longevity of the lamination.

With the proper aftercare, you will be able to restyle your eyebrows with just a spoolie brush in the morning. These results can last for up to 8 weeks, making the first 48 hours of effort so worthwhile. 

You should avoid swimming or working out for the first 48 hours after your treatment. You should also not visit a sauna at this time.

All of these scenarios generate excessive moisture around your eyebrows which can lead to the treatment results being ineffective. 

You should avoid sleeping on your front once you have had your eyebrows laminated. Sleeping on your back means that you will not press on them and bend the hairs out of shape.

If you sleep on your side there is a high contact risk between the pillow and your eyebrows. This is particularly important advice for the first night post treatment.

In the morning, you should check on your eyebrows and brush any wayward hairs back into place. 

Can I touch my brows after lamination?

We do not recommend that you touch your eyebrows after you have had them laminated. At a minimum, do not touch or rub them for the first 24 hours.

This is because there are many oils on your fingers that can clog the open pores near your eyebrows. This can cause you to develop pimples. 

If you find your fingers edging towards your eyebrows, try to distract yourself. Start tidying, playing an instrument, or cooking. Engage your hands so you are not tempted to reach for your eyebrows. 

We strongly recommend using a conditioning serum twice per day once you have had your brows laminated. This is a moisturizing product that will help to repair the damage done to the hairs from the lamination treatment.

This will strengthen and condition your hairs, while simultaneously prolonging the effects of the treatment. Good alternatives include coconut oil, castor oil, avocado oil, and argan oil. 

Can I wash my face after eyebrow lamination?

You should not get your eyebrows wet for the first 24 hours at a minimum. Do not go swimming or have a bath during this time. If you can avoid washing your face during this time, we suggest you do.

Ideally, you will not be wearing makeup to your lamination appointment and so can miss one night of skincare. 

It is not recommended to use abrasive products around your eyebrows for the first 3 days post-treatment. This includes facial scrubs, retinol, AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), and BHA products.

It is also advised you do not apply any anti-aging skin care products. 

Can you put makeup on after brow lamination?

To finish off your eyebrow lamination treatment you will likely have some makeup put on by your aesthetician. In the first 24 hours post lamination, you should not apply heavy makeup near your eyebrows. This means no concealer or foundation. 

This is to reduce the risk of your skin breaking out and is particularly important if you are prone to pimples. You are likely to have some hair removed as part of your lamination treatment, to tidy up your eyebrows.

This leaves your hair follicles open for a little while. If any makeup gets into these follicles it can clog your pores and this is how you develop pimples. 

What happens if you get brow lamination wet?

This can cause the treatment to become much less effective. The moisture will prevent the products from working correctly and will not allow the hairs to set in the correct position. This could mean that you lose the shape of the eyebrows. 

Some eyebrow technicians will recommend you do not get your brows wet for the first 48 hours following the treatment. If they do get wet during this time, you will likely need to return to your technician for another treatment. 

Does eyebrow lamination ruin your eyebrows?

Brow lamination is a chemical treatment that involves the application of harsh compounds to your hairs. Similar to bleaching your hair, both processes can cause chemical damage to your hairs if the products are allowed to sit and process for too long. 

It is very important to visit a qualified beauty professional to have this treatment done. They should perform a patch test on you 48 hours prior to your appointment.

This will ensure that you do not have an adverse or allergic reaction to the products that they will be using on your face. 

You should not have an eyebrow lamination treatment if you have inflamed, sore skin, or if you have open wounds on your face. You should also avoid treatment if you are suffering from a contagious skin disorder.

Additionally, scar tissue that is fresher than 6 months should not be treated. It is too sensitive and the chemicals will cause damage to your skin.

How do you maintain laminated brows?

After applying the conditioning serum twice a day, you should use a clean spoolie brush or eyebrow brush to reshape the hairs. Comb the hairs in the direction of growth and they should speedily return to their original shape.

Generally, you want to brush your eyebrow hairs up towards your forehead and then towards your temples. 

If you had some brow tint applied as part of your lamination treatment, you will need to refresh this. The tint will fade in 2-4 weeks, so significantly faster than the lamination process.

This means that you should return for a top-up tint in between brow lamination sessions. 

For daily wear, you can apply a thin coating of a clear brow gel. This gives them a polished look and will help to set the hairs in place. This is a particularly good idea if the look you are after is youthful and dewy. 

Provided you have waited for 24 hours after the lamination treatment, you can apply some normal eyebrow makeup. This will allow you to darken your brows and make them more dominant.

You can take this makeup off using your normal makeup remover without damaging the lamination.

Can you reverse an eyebrow lamination?

While eyebrow lamination is a relatively easy procedure, there is always a slight chance that it could go wrong. Your dream fluffy brows have ended up looking like 2 frizzy caterpillars making their journey across your face. 

The chemical commonly used to laminate your brows is known as thioglycolic acid. This is the same chemical that is used to perm hairs on your scalp, and is incredibly strong.

It works by permeating the outer edge of your hair and breaking down the structure from the inside. This allows your brow technician to manipulate the hair shape and structure to achieve the desired outcome. 

This happens because the thioglycolic acid has an instant impact on the pH of your hair, raising it rapidly. A neutralizing agent is then applied which lowers the pH and allows the structure of the hairs to be manipulated.

This process, understandably, causes damage to the hair fibers and can weaken them. 

The most surefire way to get rid of the effects of a brow lamination treatment is to wait for the treated hairs to grow out. This can take up to 3 months as you must wait for the natural hair growth cycle to complete.

The older hairs will fall out and new hairs will grow in to take their place. In the meantime, you can apply conditioning serums to keep your eyebrow hairs hydrated. 

You could consider undergoing another treatment, such as a keratin brow lamination, that uses cysteine as a perming agent.

Cysteine slowly increases the pH of your eyebrow hairs to allow them to be gently restructured with minimal damage to the hair fibers. Cysteine is activated by heat, so the processing halts as soon as the heat source is removed.

This allows greater control over the processing time and means that there is less chance of damage to the hairs. The keratin contained within the treatment permeates into your eyebrow hairs, hydrating and strengthening them from within. 

Can you laminate your brows at home?

Yes, you can complete this process at home by yourself, but that does not mean that we recommend it. As with any chemical treatment, for the surest chance of success you should always visit a qualified professional technician.

This will be the safest option for you and will minimize the chances of the process going wrong. 

There are many DIY eyebrow lamination kits available online. We recommend doing your research and spending some time reading the reviews for each kit prior to purchase.

You should be well aware of the risks of the process before beginning the lamination. Take the time to read the instructions contained within the kit properly and use appropriate safety protection where possible. 

Not all kits will tell you how to prepare. We strongly advise placing a layer of petroleum jelly around your eyebrows. This will protect your skin from the harsh chemicals that you will be using and prevent chemical burns and breakouts from developing.