Is Lamination Making Your Brows Worse? What No One Talks About

By Ira Bale – Cosmetic Tattoo Artist, Melbourne, South Yarra & Toorak Village

Because fluffy brows shouldn’t come at the cost of healthy ones.

The Side of Lamination No One Shows on Instagram

Brow lamination exploded on social media for one reason: the instant “brushed up” look. And when it’s done correctly, it can create symmetry, lift, and fullness. But here’s the part no one talks about — lamination is essentially a controlled chemical burn. It works by breaking down the natural disulfide bonds in your brow hairs so they can be reshaped.

Too strong, too long, or too frequent, and you’re left with hair that feels like straw. It might look fluffy in photos, but in reality, it’s fragile, frizzed, and heading towards breakage.

Transform your brows with the Brow Lamination package by Ira Bale Brows. Experience seamless elegance at South Yarra and Toorak Village locations.

The Biology of Brow Damage

Unlike scalp hair, brow hairs are finer, shorter, and cycle more slowly. Overprocess them, and they won’t bounce back as quickly. In fact, many laminated brows start thinning within months if not done with caution.

• Cuticle stripping: The outer layer of hair becomes porous and loses shine.

• Protein loss: The structural keratin weakens, leading to snapping or shedding.

• Skin barrier damage: Harsh solutions sitting too close to the skin can cause irritation, redness, or flaking.

A 2021 trichology review showed repeated exposure to chemical relaxers increased cumulative hair fragility — and brows, being smaller in diameter, are even more susceptible.

When DIY Kits Make It Worse

DIY lamination kits are marketed as “gentle” and “easy.” The reality? They often contain industrial-strength formulas with no professional timing guidance. I’ve seen clients walk in after “just trying it once” with:

• Singed ends that look white or crinkled.

• Patchy texture where sections of hair broke off.

• Skin burns from product applied too close to the base.

One Toorak client told me she bought a $29 kit online and ended up spending months trying to regrow her brows with serums. “I just wanted them brushed up — now I’m pencilling them in every day,” she sighed.

How We Protect Brows at Ira Bale Brows

At Ira Bale Brows in South Yarra and Toorak Village, we don’t treat lamination as a one-size-fits-all service. Every set of brows is assessed first for:

• Density & strength — fine or sparse brows may need shorter processing.

• Growth cycle — if your brows are mid-regrowth, we’ll hold off.

• Skin type — sensitive or compromised skin requires barrier protection.

We also use keratin-infused formulas that rebuild as they reshape, and we always apply barrier creams strategically to protect the skin. For many clients, we space laminations at 8–10 weeks, not the aggressive 4-week cycles pushed online.

Alternatives for Those at Risk

If your brows are too fragile for lamination, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck. Options like hybrid tint, brow shaping, or ombre tattooing can give you the fullness and structure you want without compromising the hairs you do have.

The Bold Truth

Lamination is not inherently bad — but careless lamination is. Chasing the “fluffy” trend without respect for biology is how brows get destroyed. If your salon isn’t assessing your hair condition, adjusting processing times, or building recovery breaks into your plan, they’re not protecting you.

At Ira Bale Brows, Melbourne, we don’t do brows for Instagram. We do them for life. Which means your brows should look good now and still be healthy years from now. And if you’ve ever worried lamination might be doing more harm than good, it’s time to sit in a chair where your brow health comes first.