Brow Lamination Aftercare: The First 24 Hours and After

Keep your brows completely dry and leave them alone for the first 24 hours after a lamination: no water, steam, sweat, makeup or skincare on them. After that, brush them into place each morning and condition them at night. That is most of what it takes to make the result last.

Why do the first 24 hours matter so much?

Brow lamination works in two steps. The first solution loosens the bonds inside each hair so it can be brushed into a new direction. The second sets the hair in that position. The hairs keep settling for about a day afterward, and moisture, heat or pressure in that window can relax them or leave them bent the wrong way.

Timing can vary with the products used, so follow the instructions you are given at your appointment over anything you read online, this post included.

What should you avoid in the first 24 hours?

• Water on the brows. Clean your face with a damp cloth and work around them. In the shower, keep your face out of the spray.
• Steam and sweat. Skip the long hot shower, the sauna, the hot tub, the pool and the hard workout.
• Makeup and skincare on the brow area. No brow pencil, gel or powder, and keep cleanser, moisturizer and serums off the brows themselves.
• Touching and rubbing. March is the start of allergy season in central Illinois, and itchy eyes make this harder than it sounds. Try to keep your hands below the brow line.
• Pressure while you sleep. Sleep on your back for the first night if you can, so your brows are not pressed into the pillow.

How do you take care of laminated brows after the first day?

Once the first day has passed, you can wash your face, wear makeup and work out as usual. Three small habits keep the brows looking good.

Brush them every morning

Laminated brows stay where you put them, which is the point, but they need to be put there. Use a clean spoolie to brush the hairs up and out after you wash your face. If they dried in an odd direction overnight, dampen them, brush them into place and let them dry.

Condition them at night

Lamination is a chemical process, and like any chemical process on hair it can leave the hairs drier than before. A small amount of a brow conditioner or a plain nourishing oil at night keeps them soft and flexible. A drop is enough.

Be gentle with what goes near them

Keep retinol, exfoliating acids and scrubs away from the brow area for the first several days, since the skin under the brows has been through a treatment too. If you also had a tint, oil-based cleansers, exfoliants, chlorine and a lot of sun will fade the color faster. There is more on that in how long a brow tint lasts.

Is it normal for brows to look too bold at first?

Yes. Freshly laminated brows often look straighter, flatter and more dramatic than you expected for the first day or two. Once you can wash and brush them yourself, they soften into a more natural shape. A tint also looks its darkest in the first few days and then fades to a softer shade.

What is not normal is skin that stays red, itchy or swollen beyond the first day. If that happens, check with a doctor, and let Ashley know before your next appointment.

How long does brow lamination last, and when can you redo it?

A lamination lasts for several weeks. It does not stop suddenly. Brow hairs shed and regrow on their own cycle, and the new hairs grow in with their natural direction, so the effect fades gradually.

It is tempting to redo it the moment a few hairs start to wander. Give it time. Processing the same hairs again too soon is what makes brows dry and brittle, and waiting until the last lamination has mostly grown out keeps them healthy. If you are not sure whether yours are ready, ask at your appointment.

What if you have an event coming up?

With prom and wedding season ahead, plan a lamination at least a week before the day, and earlier if it is your first one. That leaves time for the bold first days to pass, and for you to learn how to style them. If you are still deciding whether the treatment is right for you, start with what brow lamination is and how long it lasts.

At Spathetics in Effingham, Ashley offers Brow Lamination on its own, or as the full Brow Lamination + Tint + Wax appointment, which is the brow service clients book most. Current prices are on each service page, and you can book online when you are ready.