It seems like every day there is a new brow service. From microblading to ombre brows, anyone can find the service that suits them best. Brow lamination is one of the latest brow treatments that has gained immense popularity over the last year.
This non-permanent brow treatment helps anyone achieve full and defined brows. In addition, this service goes hand in hand with a brow tint to offer definition and dimension.
Unfortunately, this service is riding a pretty recent trend of fluffy brows, and there’s no way to tell how long it will last. Eyebrow lamination isn’t for everyone and you may end up going for it only to realize it really doesn’t suit your face after all.
So, what can you do if you hate your brow lamination? Thankfully, brow laminations are a semi-permanent service, so they won’t last forever. However, if you absolutely can’t wait to grow out your brow lamination, there are some tips and tricks to help!
However, brow services are not one-size-fits-all. Just like microblading won’t be for everyone, neither will brow laminations. Brow laminations are intriguing, but sometimes you think you will love a service more than you actually do. So let’s talk about how you can fix it.
What Is A Brow Lamination?
Brow laminations are a semi-permanent service that share some similarities with lash lifts. You’re basically perming your eyebrows, but instead of curling, you’re straightening and lifting them with a perming solution and setting them with a neutralizer.
A brow lamination involves straightening your brows and lifting them upwards, leaving you with full and defined brows.
Like most perming services, a brow lamination incorporates the use of a perm solution and a neutralizer. The perm solution will break the bonds of your brow hair so you can set them in your desired shape, usually flat, straight, and upwards.
The neutralizer will work to repair the broken bonds and set your desired brow shape into place. Finally, nourishing oil is used to hydrate your brow hairs and surrounding skin, which also helps prevent dryness.
However, these chemicals can alter the feel of your brows.
A brow lamination can take around an hour to complete, but it can also depend on adding extra services. For example, brow tints, waxing, and tweezing can be combined with your brow lamination to create your ideal brows.
However, not everyone has had happy results. Those with thicker brows have found it strangely unnatural to have extremely straight brows, as if they were ironed. Some people have seen the results of brow lamination to be too intense.
How Long Does A Brow Lamination Last?
Brows usually go through a complete growth cycle in three months. One average brow lamination can last from as little as 4 weeks to as many as 8 weeks. Everyones’ hair can grow at different speeds, so consider this before you drop money on a service like this.
Like most perms, it’s advised to avoid wetting your eyebrows for at least 48 hours. During these 48 hours, the neutralizer will have time to set your brows into place fully. Allowing time for your neutralizer to set is crucial to your brow lamination lasting.
In addition, there are other guidelines to follow to ensure your brow lamination stands the test of time. However, if you aren’t a fan of your brow lamination, you can potentially go against these guidelines so your brows can return back to normal.
Risks Of A Brow Lamination
Like all semi-permanent brow services, they all have risks and potential side effects. These risks are something to consider before receiving a brow lamination, but you should also consider these side effects if you plan on removing your brow lamination.
1. Overprocessing
Overprocessing can lead to your brow hairs curling upwards or in opposite directions. In addition, it can leave your brows with a frizzy or chemically burned effect. As a result, your brows are more at risk of falling out or becoming brittle and snapping.
2. Skin Irritation
Perm solutions aren’t the most natural products, and many people can even be allergic to their formulations. Also, when misused, a perm solution and neutralizer can destroy the integrity of your brow hairs.
Not only are your brow hairs at risk, but so is your skin. The skin around your brow area can become red, irritated, itchy, flaky, and can even swell up due to an allergic reaction or if your skin is particularly sensitive.
What To Do If You Hate Your Brow Lamination
Thankfully, there are some things you can do to remove or at least dilute your brow lamination. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that you have been working with potent chemical products that can be difficult to remove from your strands.
The best way to remove a brow lamination will be to wait and grow it out. This can take up to 3-4 months, depending on how fast your eyebrow hair grows. Perm solution is irreversible, and the only way to fully get rid of it is to grow it out.
In addition, a perm solution can change the texture of your brow hairs. You may notice that they feel more like straw or very brittle. If you try to alter permed brow hairs, you can end up doing more harm than good.
For example, you risk your brows breaking or curling up in all different directions. So, if you have patience, waiting for your lamination to grow out will be the healthiest method to remove this brow service.
In addition, you’ll keep the integrity of your brow hairs. However, if you can wait the next 3-4 months, there are a limited number of things you can do to lessen the intensity of your brow lamination.
With each method, it’s crucial to proceed with a certain level of caution because you can put your brows through extra trauma and risk more adverse side effects.
1. Book A Correction
See if you can book a correction with your eyebrow stylist. This is another safe way to ensure your brows remain healthy while also reducing the intensity of your brow lamination. In addition, you know you’ll be in the hands of a professional.
You’ll also benefit from asking the same brow artist who performed your brow lamination to fix the issue. Going to the same artist is excellent because they will know your brow’s state before the lamination and help you return to it.
So, if possible, book a correction. In addition, most corrections shouldn’t cost as much as the lamination itself. However, you’ll want to check with your brow artist for details.
2. Wash Your Brows
If it’s been less than 24-48 hours since your brow service and you’re set on the fact that you hate your results, you can wet your brows. Instantly wetting your brows after your brow lamination will disrupt the neutralizer from fully setting in place.
However, proceed with caution. Your brows can still be in a sensitive, swelled, and in a fragile state due to the perm solution, and wetting your brows can add more harm.
On the other hand, your lamination won’t set in place, and your brows can return to normal, or at least slightly.
3. Use Exfoliants
Chances are that your brow artist gave you a list of guidelines for proper aftercare following your brow lamination. That list recommends avoiding chemical exfoliants like AHAs and BHAs, which can disrupt your lamination results.
You don’t have to use them directly on your brows to avoid extra irritation, but instead, use them around the brow area. Over time, your brows should naturally fall with the increased use of chemical skincare exfoliants.
4. Brush Through Your Brows
Contrary to popular belief, your brows aren’t stuck in the laminated position forever. Your brow artist may also recommend brushing through your brows daily to maintain your laminated shape. However, you can brush them into a more desirable shape too.
With a spoolie or clean mascara wand, gently brush through your brows until you reach a shape you are satisfied with. In addition, the more fresh your lamination is, the less your hair can be flexible, but everyone will have a different experience.
You can also opt to use this sturdy brow and lash shaper. Since it’s multifunctional, you’ll still get tons of use out of it long after you’re back to loving your brows.
Over time, as your brows grow, the lamination will diminish, and you’ll have more control over how much you can brush through your eyebrow hairs.
5. Condition Your Brows
Finally, you’ll want to condition your brows with an eyebrow conditioner or a household ingredient like coconut oil. Chances are your eyebrows won’t feel as soft as before the brow lamination, and adding moisture can replenish your brows.
Implementing a moisturizing component will prevent your brows from feeling brittle, dry, or stiff. In addition, you can promote healthier re-growth if you choose to grow out your brow lamination.
Overall, topically adding a moisturizing element will make your brows feel like they didn’t undergo intense chemical treatment.
The Takeaway
While brow laminations offer a beautiful soap-brow and fluffy-like finish, it’s not for everyone. So, if you find that you hate your brow lamination, it won’t be the end of the world. Thankfully, brow lamination is a semi-permanent service that won’t last forever.
The best way to fix your brow lamination is to grow it out for three or four months or book a correction with your brow artist. Both these methods will help maintain the integrity of your eyebrows.
However, if you aren’t patient, you can choose to wet your brows, comb through them, use exfoliants, or condition your brows. Proceed with caution, and your brows will return to normal in no time.
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