If you're having a cold perm, your stylist will wrap your hair around rollers or rods, and then apply an alkaline solution to your hair. This solution will react with the keratin in your hair and create the curls and waves.
When getting a hair perm, you'll spend most of the time with a chemical liquid treatment soaking your hair. Once your hair is saturated, it gets wrapped around rods and rollers, The sizes and types of the hair tools will depend on the kind of perm you want.
Perm may be short for 'permanent,' but its lifespan can vary. A perm typically lasts three to six months, depending on the type of perm you get, your hair type and how well you take care of it.
Chemicals commonly used to perm hair include glycerol monothioglycolate, which is acidic, and ammonium thioglycolate, which is alkaline. Alkaline perms are usually used for hair that is rough and strong, while acid perms are usually milder and are therefore used form more delicate, soft hair.
When done correctly and by a professional, with your specific hair type in mind, perms are relatively safe for the health of your hair. But those with damaged, dry, chemically processed, and colored hair should proceed with caution when considering a perm.
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.
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.
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. Short hair is the least expensive since it uses the least amount of product and the least amount of time to prep and install the perm rods.
For most people, perm curls fall out within three to six months, reverting to your normal hair texture.
Professional Organic Perm
Oway's Owave is the first perm and texturizing system to use fair trade açai oil, organic hops and oat peptides to create bouncy, beautiful curls without thioglycolates, ammonia or parabens.
However, heat can be damaging to some, causing split ends, especially to those with fine hair. If you're worried about hair damage or have fine, brittle hair, opt for Japanese airwave or cold perm, as they are the least damaging perm techniques across all types of perm.
Unlike when the style first appeared, today's perm has a modern touch. Solutions and perm-wrap techniques have evolved with technology. Perms are no longer about over-processed, tight curls leaving the hair feeling brittle. Instead, they add texture and volume with soft, loose waves that look shiny and silky smooth.
What Is A Perm? The process of perming your hair involves chemicals that change the structure of your hair's texture. This means it could change your hair from straight to curly, or vice versa. Besides just curling and straightening, perms can bring volume and bounce into your hair, too.
Ideally your hair should be shoulder-length or longer for a perm to look its best, but you can perm hair that's up to 2 inches long - this is the minimum hair length for a perm, because it's just long enough to be wrapped around a perming rod.
The chemical reaction of perm solution reduces the bonds from cystine to cysteine. The neutraliser fixes the bonds into new shape and returning them to cystine. Over processed neutraliser will cause the bonds to revert back to cysteine.
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.
The straight perm (or reverse perm) is a Japanese type of hot perm that applies heat (usually with a flat iron) and chemicals to straighten hair. The results are long-lasting, which is why some people choose this option instead of other hair straightening techniques.
Permed Curlies have been warned, "When hair undergoes a perming process, its natural structure gets altered. Adding heat to the equation can further destabilise it." The direct impact of heat on the hair shaft, especially on already processed hair, can lead to severe damage.
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.
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $200 for a perm, depending on the salon's location, the stylist's experience, and the complexity of the procedure.
"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.
Usage of The Wrong Conditioner/Shampoo
An example of an inappropriate shampoo is clarifying shampoo. Although clarifying shampoos are excellent for removing product buildup from natural hair, they are too harsh for freshly permed hair and cause the curls to give way too soon.
The verdict is in: You can curl permed hair. But don't get too trigger-happy with that curling iron just yet.