Just when you think you’ve heard it all. TikTok influencers glueing their top lips. People using radiator pipes to curl their hair. And who could forget people using shot glasses to plump their lips? Ouch. The things we do in the pursuit of beauty!

Introducing the internet’s latest viral beauty trend: hair lamination. That’s right – lamination. Not to be confused with brow lamination (more on that later). It’s exactly what you’re thinking. If the word “laminate” conjures up school-time memories of hours spent sealing up your maths textbook in strips of sellotape in the bid for the shiniest, neatest textbook in class, this new hair treatment follows pretty much the same principles. Gulp. In the same way bands of sellotape kept all teacher’s pets textbooks smart, so hair lamination promises to do the same for your tresses. It may also have been circa 2001 that you last decided to attempt to iron your hair into one solid, poker-straight ‘do. 

Dead straight hair is (unofficially) back in. It was only a matter of time, what with the beauty and fashion industries starting to pillage the early 00s once more – asymmetric hems, Patrick Cox loafers, corsets, Euphoria-style make-up looks, and ‘Marissa from The OC’ HD hair abound. This time around, the promises are bigger and better for hair (no more crunchy ends), thanks to the lamination technique which, apparently you can even attempt yourself at home.

So WTF is laminating and how does it work? Much like eyebrow lamination – that gives even the most humble of brows the promise of a Brooke Shield bushiness, another early noughties trend – the treatment is about coating your hair in layers of keratin, gelatin, or oils. It’s supposed to rectify even the most crispy of locks. Sounds good so far. 

The process of lamination coats and seals hair cuticles, protecting hair from losing moisture and also being damaged by extremities like heat. As the process works on the hair’s surface and doesn’t penetrate it, it’s safe. So safe that influencers are turning to homemade masques, although salon-ready kits can also be purchased online. That’s right. You can try and DIY to fabulous effect, or for the less brave, visit a salon offering the treatment. The effects of hair lamination last between two to three weeks and the results are pretty dazzling if the ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures on the internet are anything to go by. Even better, it’s less of a commitment than the expensive Brazilian blow dry, which lasts for months. 

Taken? Be sure to pop into a salon that offers lamination and have a consultation first even if you decide you’d like to attempt the DIY option from the safety of your bedroom.