Do not tie your hair into a ponytail or a bun. Let your hair open for 1 day or 2 days. It will avoid any deformation in your curls and help to maintain its shape.
The first 48 hours after getting a digital perm are crucial. During this period, the hair is more fragile, and activities like washing, tying, or excessive touching should be avoided.
Generally, you should wait about twenty-four hours before you let yourself finally start touching your curls. This also means you should avoid styling it, putting it into a ponytail, or bun, or adding clips or accessories to your hair while it is setting.
You can tie your hair and treat it normally, just not for the first couple of days whilst it sets. It does damage the hair though so it's best to use products for chemically-treated hair.
Avoid combing your hair in the first 24 hours. Use your fingers to gently style the hair and to twirl the curls around your face. When you do comb, use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to gently detangle your wet hair while it's covered with the conditioner. Use gentle strokes to avoid breakage.
This is the most important step when it comes to styling our newly-permed hair. Always twist the hair continuously in one direction and our hair dryer should point in the same downward direction as well. Many of us commit the same mistake by twisting the hair inwards but our hairdryer is pointing outwards.
You'll also make your perm last longer with the right sleep routine. Make sure to sleep on your stomach or side instead of your back, which will put pressure on your permed hair. You could also use a silk cap for sleeping to help keep your hair from matting.
If you want to undo the results of a perm, or relax a perm, wash your hair with Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner to cleanse and hydrate your hair, and to help relax your curls. Apply a deep conditioning treatment or hot oil treatment, cover your curls with a shower cap, and leave on for several hours.
Wait before washing your hair
You can't get your perm wet, put it up or even touch it much while the chemicals reset your strands. Even after getting your perm, washing it everyday will affect the longevity of your curls, so prolong the gap between washes as long as possible.
After shampooing, it is very important that you condition your hair. It is a myth that conditioner will relax and ruin your perm.
Continuously subjecting a perm to activities like swimming, frequent shampooing or wet weather will damage the longevity of your perm. Getting it wet opens your hair's cuticle, releasing the chemicals used to set the perm.
The best way to keep your curls bouncy and looking fresh is to scrunch them with your fingers. Simply use your hands and fingers to gently lift and scrunch up individual sections of your hair.
Leave it undisturbed instead of tying your hair too tightly or braiding it. Allow your permed hair to fall and freely bounce so that it will correctly set in place. Ideally, you have to wait for at least three days before you can tie your hair up or style it in the way you want.
It's highly recommended that you wait three days before washing your hair. And try not to get caught in the rain! Not washing your hair will keep water from deactivating the perm and making the curls fall apart. Remember if you go swimming to always wear a cap.
If you are unhappy with your perm service, go back to your stylist and discuss the alternatives. If it is too curly, your stylist can relax it. If it is not curly enough, wait at least a week to redo it.
Overnight Care For Permed Hair
Before going to bed, braid or loosely twist your hair to avoid tangling and preserve the contour of the curls. Next, wear a silk or satin hat or scarf to shield your hair from rubbing and reduce frizz.
Are permanent waves actually permanent? Yes, the are, until the hair grows (at the rate of 1/2 inch per month, on average). Remember, however, that perms usually loosen up to 25% within the first two weeks after a perm with shampooing and ordinary attention.
Neutralizer: a neutralising liquid for perms, containing hydrogen peroxide to restructure and strengthen the hair's bonds.
Tip 1 - Avoid washing your hair 24 – 48 hours after the perm
Also avoid swimming or using scalp shampoo (oily scalp/dandruff/hairloss) which are deep cleansing in the next 2 weeks which will wash out the perm chemicals very quickly.
Here's how the Pineapple Method works:
you gather your hair loosely on top of your head and secure it with a hair tie or scrunchie, creating a sort of "pineapple" shape. It's essential to do this loosely, so you don't stretch out your curls or create a crease in your hair.
The disulphide bonds can only be broken with heat (as happens in 'permanent waving' hair treatment), but hydrogen bonds are affected by water, so the individual molecules can change their shape temporarily when wet.
Perming hair is a complicated chemical process, and curling hair is permanent and won't be straightened by washing. But the perm will definitely increase the curl, but it's not as if the hair will grow and become straight after a few washes.
The verdict is in: You can curl permed hair. But don't get too trigger-happy with that curling iron just yet. Your permed hair needs a little extra TLC (even more so than your natural hair), so tread carefully. Choose the right tools, keep the heat low, and always, always use heat protectant.
Don't wash your hair for 48-72 hours after a perm . During that time your perm is still technically forming and can be ruined or relax if you decide to wash it within that time frame. Don't comb thru your hair during the first 48 hours. Leave it alone as much as possible.