Gently cleanse hair with a clarifying shampoo. This will remove oil, debris, and product build-up that could prevent absorption of the waving lotion—but do NOT use conditioner before perming.
Avoid Heat Styling: Minimize the use of heat styling tools before perming to prevent additional stress on your hair. Prepare Your Hair: Use a clarifying shampoo a few days before the perm to remove any residue, but avoid heavy styling products right before the treatment.
So, there's no need to wash your hair the night before your appointment unless you prefer. We've got you covered!
Generally you need to figure out if you want something curly or more of a wave, how tight you want the curl to be, and where you want the volume to be concentrated. There will also be other factors involved like how long your hair is, your hairs texture, and what kind of perms the stylist has the ability to do.
Immediately After Your Perm
After getting your perm, your hair will need some time to fully set. Make sure you wait 3 days before getting your hair wet as it will take about that amount of time for your the perming chemicals to form new bonds. We recommend that you wait about a week before doing any type of styling.
If you have shorter hair, a perm can cost between $30 and $150. Short-hair perms are the least expensive because they take less time and product. For medium-length hair perms, you can expect to pay between $60 and $200; perms for long hair can range from $80 to $400.
Don't comb thru your hair during the first 48 hours. Leave it alone as much as possible. Don't use any products in your hair especially leave ins and conditioners. You want to try to keep your hair on the same ph level until the waiting period is up.
Cold perms, also known as acid perms, are often considered gentler on the hair compared to traditional heat-based methods. The process uses a milder acidic solution, which is less damaging to the hair's structure.
Keeping your permed hair safe overnight might be the most difficult task yet. Regular cotton pillowcases can cause friction that damages your hair. Sleep on a satin pillowcase instead to give your hair the freedom to move without damage. You could tie your hair up in a loose bun, braids, or do the plop method.
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.
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.
Tip 1 - Bleached/Pre Lightened hair cannot be permed
Thus before each color, always be sure to ask your stylist what goes into your hair. Inform your stylist that you intend to perm your hair in the near future, thus your hair cannot be bleached or pre lightened.
Use styling products designed for curly hair. These will keep your curls smooth and frizz-free. And be sure to avoid products with alcohol (which can dry hair out) and silicone (which can weigh your curls down). These are the best styling products for permed hair.
Keep Your Hands off Your Hair
We all know that lightly running your finger through your hair will help keep the curls in place, but avoid touching them too much.
Don't use products that contain parabens, sulphates, or alcohol as these can ruin your perm. For at least two weeks following your perm don't be tempted to colour or highlight your hair – additional chemical treatment may stress and break hair strands.
“Perming doesn't get taught to hairstylists like it did in the 80s, so the technique has kind of died out a bit,” says Hersheson. “It's really important that the person you go to understands perms. You also need someone who will tell you not to have it done if your hair isn't in the right condition.
Similarly, if your hair is already very dry or breakage prone because of frequent heat-styling, a dry climate, your genetics, or even illness, this may not be the best time to think about perming your hair. The best time to have a perm—rather, when the perm is most successful—is when you have healthy hair.
The Negatives of a Hair Perm
For one, hair perms require incredibly strong chemicals to alter the hair's natural shape and texture, and these chemicals can cause long-lasting damage to the hair strand that can progressively weaken and degrade the hair strand with frequent treatments.
Perms for short hair can cost $30 to $150, medium-length hair can cost $60 to $200, and perms for long hair can cost $80 to $400.
"Generally, two inches is the minimum length of hair for a perm because it is enough to be wrapped onto the perm rod. The perm result varies on the length of the hair for example, if you have 2-3 inch long hair, a super slim sized rod can fit there but your curls will be super tight.
The most natural-looking perm is the beach wave perm which creates loose waves throughout the hair.
Gently cleanse hair with a clarifying shampoo. This will remove oil, debris, and product build-up that could prevent absorption of the waving lotion—but do NOT use conditioner before perming. Finally, rinse thoroughly, apply a towel, and re-evaluate to make a final determination on whether hair is perm-able.