Pregnancy, Brow Lamination & Lash Lifts

What’s Safe, What’s Not — and Why Professionals Take a Precautionary Approach

Pregnancy brings incredible changes to the body — hormonal, physiological, and immunological. While many beauty treatments remain perfectly safe during pregnancy, chemical restructuring services, such as brow lamination and lash lifts, require a more considered approach.

This article explains why these services are often not recommended during pregnancy, the difference between brows and lashes, and how professionals make ethical, safety-first decisions.

Why Pregnancy Changes Everything (Even With Gentle Systems)

During pregnancy, the body experiences significant hormonal shifts, primarily involving estrogen and progesterone. These hormones influence:

• Hair growth cycles

• Hair porosity and elasticity

• Oil production

• Skin barrier function

• Immune response

As a result, hair and skin can behave very differently than expected — even in clients who have previously tolerated these treatments without issue.

This unpredictability is the foundation of professional caution.

The Chemistry Behind Brow Laminations & Lash Lifts

Both brow laminations and lash lifts rely on controlled chemical reactions to alter the structure of the hair:

1. Alkaline phase – opens the cuticle and softens the hair

2. Oxidation/fixation phase – reforms bonds and locks the shape

3. Restorative phase – rebalances and conditions the hair

While modern systems are formulated to be as gentle and compliant as possible, they are still active chemical treatments, not purely cosmetic styling services.

During pregnancy, the body’s response to these reactions can change.

Why Lash Lifts Are Generally More Cautious Than Brow Laminations

Although brow laminations and lash lifts use similar chemistry, lash lifts are often considered the higher-risk service during pregnancy.

Here’s why:

1️⃣ Proximity to the Eyes

Lashes sit extremely close to the mucous membrane of the eye. Any swelling, watering, or irritation can quickly escalate into discomfort or risk.

Pregnancy increases:

• Fluid retention

• Capillary sensitivity

• Eye dryness or watering

This makes the eye area more reactive than usual.

2️⃣ Heightened Sensory Sensitivity

Many pregnant clients experience a stronger sense of smell and increased nausea.

Even well-formulated lifting solutions have a natural chemical odour, which can trigger:

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• Headaches

This makes lash lifts physically uncomfortable for some pregnant clients, even with excellent ventilation.

3️⃣ Unpredictable Processing

Hormonal changes can cause lashes to:

• Over-process quickly

• Under-process completely

• Process unevenly

This increases the likelihood of unsatisfactory results or the need for correction — something professionals aim to avoid during pregnancy.

Brow Lamination During Pregnancy: Slightly Different, Still Cautious

Brow lamination is often perceived as “safer” during pregnancy because brows are further from the eyes and the skin is less delicate than the eyelid area.

However, pregnancy still affects:

• Skin sensitivity

• Allergy thresholds

• Healing response

Brows are also frequently:

• Waxed

• Tweezed

• Tinted

This can make the skin barrier compromised, increasing the risk of irritation during pregnancy.

For this reason, many professionals still recommend postponing brow lamination, or only proceeding with strict consultation and informed consent.

Increased Allergy & Inflammatory Risk

Pregnancy alters immune system behaviour. Many people develop:

• New sensitivities

• Contact dermatitis

• Stronger inflammatory responses

A product tolerated for years can suddenly cause a reaction — and patch tests are not always reliable during pregnancy, as hormonal sensitivity can fluctuate week to week.

Medication Limitations Matter Too

Another often-overlooked factor: pregnant clients cannot safely take many anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

This means that if swelling or irritation occurs:

• Treatment options are limited

• Recovery can be slower

• Discomfort is harder to manage

This alone justifies a more conservative professional approach.

Why Brands & Professionals Cannot Say “Safe for Pregnancy”

Ethically and legally, cosmetic brands cannot test products on pregnant people.

So even when products are:

• EU-compliant

• Health Canada compliant

• Dermatologically tested

They cannot be marketed as pregnancy-safe.

As a result, professionals follow the rule of precaution:

If it hasn’t been studied, we don’t recommend it.

What Professionals Typically Recommend Instead

During pregnancy, many artists suggest safer alternatives such as:

• Brow shaping

• Brow tinting (with patch test)

• Lash tinting (with caution)

• Conditioning serums

• Styling gels and mascaras

These enhance appearance without chemically restructuring the hair.

The Bottom Line

Brow laminations and lash lifts are not avoided during pregnancy because they are inherently unsafe.

They are avoided because pregnancy:

• Alters hair chemistry

• Increases skin sensitivity

• Limits medical intervention

• Makes outcomes unpredictable

Choosing to postpone these treatments is not restrictive — it’s professional, ethical, and client-centred care.