When We Do NOT Do Brow Lamination
Brow lamination has become the treatment everybody asks for, whatever their hair type. We do it often and we teach it on our course — but we do not do it for everyone. There are situations where the right answer is “we do not recommend it to you”, and below you will find exactly which ones and why.
What brow lamination does, and what it cannot do
Brow lamination, which we also call biofixation, sets the hairs in one tidy direction and keeps them disciplined for 4–6 weeks, with tinting or without, as you prefer. It shortens your morning routine: the hairs stay where you left them, with no gel applied three times a day.
What it does not do: it does not add hairs, it does not fill gaps, it does not change the shape of the brow and it does not turn one hair type into another. Shape comes from brow shaping, visual density comes from colour. Lamination works only with direction.
It is worth saying too that lamination does not replace shape correction. Tidily set hairs make the outline stand out, so an unsuitable shape is more visible after lamination, not less. That is why, in the same visit, we work on the architecture first and only then on the direction of the hairs.
Curly hairs: the contraindication nobody mentions
There is a belief that if your hairs are wavy, lamination is the solution. It is exactly the other way round. On curly hair, lamination does not give the expected result, and we do not recommend it.
A wavy hair has its own structure, and the treatment does not cancel it; it straightens it partially, and then the hair drifts back towards its own shape. The result is a brow that looks uneven after a few days — neither smooth, nor in its natural state.
Hairs growing downwards, and the 45–60 degree limit
The second clear situation: hairs that grow downwards. Here a technical limit comes into play, one that any well-trained artist knows.
We can change the direction of the hair by a maximum of 45–60 degrees. If we change it more, the hairs will go back anyway.
From the studio’s experience
In other words, the treatment corrects an angle, it does not reverse one. If your hairs start off pointing downwards, the angle needed goes beyond what the chemistry can do — and insisting does not give a better result, only a more tired hair.
Once every three months, no more often
Our rule here is firm: brow lamination is done once every three months, so that the brow has time for a complete renewal. It is not a booking policy, it is a protective measure.
If you laminate the same hairs twice, dehydration sets in, because the treatment is a fairly aggressive one. The hairs break, and gaps appear in the brow. A gap, unlike an unlaminated hair, is visible for months.
For the same reason we do not recommend at-home lamination kits: the formulas contain chemicals, and the risk is not only that you fail to get the result you want, but that you harm the skin of your face and your brows.
A question we get often: “but what if my hairs grow very fast?” Growth speed does not change the rule, because the problem is not the length of the hair but the fact that the same hairs go through the same chemical process twice before they are replaced. Between two laminations you can come in at any time for shaping and tinting — those have their own rhythm, of three to four weeks.
The medical contraindications
We postpone the treatment in the following situations:
- irritation, broken skin, eczema or sunburn around the brows;
- a recent chemical peel or retinoid treatment on the forehead;
- a known allergy to lamination components, to tint or to henna — when needed we do a patch test 24–48 hours beforehand;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding: we talk it through with your artist first, then decide;
- brows whose hairs are already fragile after previous aggressive treatments.
The short consultation at the start of every visit is there for exactly this. Tell us what you have put on your face over the past few weeks, even if it seems unrelated.
The alternatives: shaping, thinning and a good gel
When the hairs are long and curly, we do not glue them down to the skin and we do not go for the laminated look, because it does not look harmonious on that type of brow. We choose thinning, shaping and the styling that suits your hair, plus a setting gel in the morning and a nourishing oil in the evening, at home.
It is a position Lesea repeats often: do not ask of your brows what they cannot give you. Shaping with thinning starts at 300 MDL and takes 30 minutes — the details are on the brows page and in the price list.
What a well-executed lamination looks like
On the right hair type, the result is a defined, tidy brow, with hairs that sit in the direction given to them yet stay soft and flexible. Precisely because they stay flexible, in the first period do not sleep face down in the pillow: the hairs are traumatised mechanically, weaken at the base and gaps can appear.
For the first 24 hours avoid water, steam and touching the area, then apply a nourishing oil daily. Brow lamination with tint starts at 600 MDL and the version without tint at 500 MDL, with the touch-up included in both. If you want to understand the treatment in detail, read what brow lamination is; the technique, with and without tint, is taught on day four of the beginner brow course.
FAQ
Can I have lamination more often if my hairs grow quickly?
No. The three-month interval exists so that the brow can renew completely. Laminating the same hairs twice leads to dehydration, broken hairs and gaps in the brow.
Does lamination thin the hair?
The treatment is a fairly aggressive one chemically, which is why we limit how often it is done and do not do it on hairs that are already fragile. Keeping to the three-month interval and to your home care, the hair stays in good condition.
Can I have lamination without tinting?
Yes, you choose with or without tint, depending on what you want. The version without tint starts at 500 MDL and takes around 40 minutes, with the touch-up included.
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