I can't believe the effect brow lamination had on my semi-sparse brows—consider this your go-to guide

Brow lamination - if you haven't tried it by now, you're probably itching to. Yep, 'brow' and 'lamination' are the two words on every brow enthusiast's lips.

So why is it so popular? The results speak for themselves, delivering fuller-looking brows without the need for your best eyebrow make-up products. Think fluffy, brushed up brows that look natural and require minimal grooming—sounds ideal, right?

Having tried every brow treatment and product under the sun, I decided to put the treatment to the test in the name of beauty journalism and, after scouring several Treatwell listings, booked myself in at Thea Beauty in London.

Keep reading for everything you need to know before you try brow lamination, including my own before and after pictures. While you're here, don't forget to check out our guide on how to get thicker eyebrows, too.

What is brow lamination?

"Brow lamination involves straightening and lifting the hairs using a chemical solution, which allows the hairs to have more flexibility to move them into your desired shape, therefore covering any gaps or stray areas," my therapist Thea explains.

After your natural brow hairs are straightened, a fixing solution is applied to keep the hairs straight, as well as a tint if desired. The result is fuller-looking brows that stay in place when brushed into shape, lasting around six weeks.

Before the treatment, it's imperative that you do your research to ensure you get the results you're after. Social media is your friend here – I chose Thea as the Instagram pictures of her work reflected what I wanted for my brows.

What's the difference between brow lamination and microblading?

While microblading involves your therapist using semi-permanent dye strokes to fill in your brows, brow lamination straightens and lifts your natural hairs to achieve a full and feathered look, with no tattooing involved.

If the first option sounds more like your thing, read our guide to microblading for everything you need to know about costs, aftercare and more.

My brow lamination before and afters

My natural brows (left) aren't as sparse as they could be, but I'd never have guessed that I had enough hair to result in the 'after' shot above. The redness surrounding my brow in the right-hand picture is from having stray hairs tweezed and waxed, and went down very quickly after I left the salon.

Brow lamination aftercare

For the first 24 hours after your treatment, it's important to keep your brows completely dry and avoid touching them. After that, Thea advised me to keep the area moisturised using an oil or cream.

How much does brow lamination cost?

Brow lamination can cost anywhere between £45 and £100. Prices will vary depending on where you're based, who performs the treatment and if they charge extra for any add-ons, like tinting.

I'll definitely be going back for more brow lamination treatments in future to keep my brows looking full and feathered. There's no denying those results!

Products that give that brow lamination look 

If you want to achieve the groomed look ahead of your treatment, these products are known to replicate the after-effects of brow lamination.