Styling your hair is a way to showcase your unique personality. Whether you have the same haircut most of your life or switch up hairstyles every month, your hair plays an important role in defining your overall style. Some people prefer to have straight hair, and others want curly hair. Curly and wavy hair comes naturally to some; for others, chemical hair transformations called permanent wavings or hair perms are used to achieve a certain look.
What Is a Perm?
Also known as a hair perm, permanent wave, or permanent texture, these chemical treatments cause your hair to curl or straighten. Getting a hair perm can take several hours and last for 3 to 6 months. Various things can affect the lifespan of your perm, including your scalp health, hair treatment, and overall hair growth. If you have long hair, your perm is likely to last longer than perms in people with short hair.
What to expect when getting a perm at a hair salon
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. The chemical treatment makes your hair hold the curl pattern from the rods and rollers.
Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of what to expect when getting a perm hairstyle at a hair salon:
- Your hairstylist will first wash your hair to remove oil and dirt and prepare it for styling.
- Then, they will section your hair and wrap it around rods and rollers, tightly or loosely, depending on the result you want.
- Your hairstylist will apply the chemical liquid treatment to your wrapped hair. The chemical treatment changes your natural hair shape to take on the curl pattern from the rods and rollers.
- You’ll wait about 15 to 20 minutes for your hair to process. How long hair processing takes depends on your hair type.
- After your hair has been processed, your hairstylist will remove the curlers and wash your hair.
- Your hairstylist will apply another chemical treatment to set the new curl or wave shape in place so your hair stays curly or wavy. This step is called the neutralization step.
- Your hairstylist will rinse your hair again to remove any remaining chemicals.
- Your stylist might use a conditioner on your permed hair to keep it moisturized, shiny, smooth, and healthier.
For a straightening perm, your hair stylist will treat your hair with a chemical solution, wash it, blow dry it, and then use a flat iron to straighten it.
Home perm kits
You can perm your hair at home with online perm hairstyle tutorials on social media platforms. Most of the tools you’ll need for do-it-yourself (DIY) home perms include:
- Perm rods and rollers
- Curling lotion
- Neutralizer
- Endpapers for your hair
- Conditioner
If you’re using an at-home kit to straighten your hair, tools you may use will include a chemical solution, neutralizer, shampoo, conditioner, blow-dryer, and flat iron.
DIY home perms can help you save money and time. But it can also come with potential risks, especially because you’re not having it done by a professional. These risks include:
- Skin irritation
- Allergic reaction
- Scalp stings and burns
- Hair damage
- Hair dryness
- Hair breakage
- Processing your hair too little or for too long
Follow the home perm kit instructions and set a timer to remind you when to rinse the perm from your hair. Rinse your hair right away if you feel stinging and burning that hurt or last too long. Also, talk to your dermatologist about the stinging and burning.
What Is in a Perm?
Perms work by affecting the keratin in your hair. Keratin is a protein that makes up about 95% of your hair and forms the structure of your individual hairs. The bonds between keratin molecules are what react to the perm treatment and allow your hair to hold a new shape.
The most commonly used chemical in perms is ammonium thioglycolate. But most of the potential hair damage from getting a perm also happens because of this ingredient. If you have thin or fragile hair, gentler perms that are acid-balanced and use glyceryl monothioglycolate may be better options.
Some hair product companies say their perms don’t contain ammonium thioglycolate. While that may be true, they often use other chemicals like cysteamine or mercaptamine instead. These chemicals, like ammonium thioglycolate, are thio compounds. This compound is what causes damage to your hair, especially in high concentrations.
Before getting a perm, you can ask your hairdresser which chemicals are used in the treatment. Other common ingredients include:
- Acrylates copolymer
- Ammonium hydroxide
- Ammonium thioglycolate
- Amodimethicone
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Color additives
- Fragrance
- Polyquaternium-11
- Styrene/acrylates copolymer
- Water
Most salons will choose perm treatments with safe, tested ingredients that are unlikely to cause side effects such as scalp and eye irritation; however, long-term use of perms can come with risks.
Types of Perms
Today, there are different types of perms available. One is a cold wave perm, also called an alkaline perm or ceramic wave perm. Cold wave is a faster process that uses ammonium thioglycolate to set your perm within about 15 minutes. This type of perm gives your hair long-lasting, well-defined, or tighter curls.
Another type, an acid-balanced perm, takes more time and needs heat. You may spend time under a hooded dryer to set the perm. Or your hairdresser may instead use an acid-balanced perm that uses a chemical reaction to provide a self-heating perm.
A third type of perm is an exothermic perm. It's a self-timing, self-heating perm and is considered one of the easiest perms to get. Exothermic perms work best for thick, resistant hair and can give you strong, long-lasting curls. They work faster than other types of perms. But they can also damage delicate hair and can smell strong.
A newer type of perm is the digital perm, also called the hot perm. It involves using digitally controlled heated rods to create loose waves or curls in your hair. This type of perm makes straight hair look wavy and natural. It’s also a great style if you want your difficult-to-curl hair to look like it has more volume.
You can also get different perms depending on the texture or amount of wave and volume you want.
Body perm. This perm adds volume to thin or flat hair. If you have straight hair, this perm will give you a light wave.
Spot perm. This plain curl perm works on specific sections of your hair. It’s good for people who want curls on the ends of their hair or around the middle. Spot perms give a more natural look.
Root perm. If you want more body in your hair, a root perm adds volume to the root. This perm works well for people with short hair.
Spiral perm. This popular and timeless perm gives your hair tight, bouncy curls.
Beach wave. This perm gives your hair loose curls while looking fuller.
Stacked perms. These are layered curls. Hairstylists use different rod sizes on each layer of your hair for stacked perms.
Multi-textured perm. With this perm, your hairstylist uses different rod sizes throughout your hair for a mix of tighter and looser waves, giving your hair a more natural wavy look.
Volume perm. This perm is suitable for people with thin hair, as it gives your hair extra lift and volume.
Straight perm. Straight perms are for making naturally curly or wavy hair straight.
How Do Perms Work?
The process of giving your hair permanent waves has two stages. The perm works on a molecular level, where chemicals react with your hair's proteins and bond to form the curl. Perms work by permanently waving your hair through shape memory. Though the name suggests these waves will last forever, they're temporary.
Perms can damage your hair over time. If you don’t take care of your scalp health, you could get hair loss. Scalp health is important because once a hair follicle gets damaged, you can't grow new hair from that follicle.
It's important to get perms only from a trusted salon. Your hairdresser should know how to use and apply the perm chemicals properly. During the perm process, skin irritation, hair breakage, oral toxicity, and scarring alopecia can occur if the chemicals are not used correctly.
Perms are not recommended for younger people. Studies have shown that children between 10 and 13 years old using chemical perms have a higher risk of breast cancer.
How Long Do Perms Last?
Some perms can last up to 6 months. To make your perm last and keep your hair healthy, you’ll need to prepare to care for your perm differently than you would your regular hair.
The most important rule in caring for your perm is to let the curl set during the first 48 hours. Avoid touching your hair or getting it wet while it sets. You should also avoid heavy workouts or showering without a cap to protect your curls.
Once you've made it through the first 2 days, you should steer clear of chlorine, heat styling, and products with alcohol in them to make your perm last longer. Humidity can cause frizz, ruining your new perm.
Here are a few more tips to help your perm last longer:
Moisturize. Chemical treatments cause damage and dryness, so keeping your hair moisturized will help prevent frizz and keep your hair looking shiny and healthy.
Set up a sleep routine. 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.
Detangle correctly. When detangling wet permed hair, use a wide-tooth comb or fingers. Start at the bottom and work your way up gently, avoiding tugging.
You can use a leave-in conditioner to help keep your curls full, smooth, and shiny, reduce frizz, repair any damage, and make your hair easier to style.
Try protein treatments. You can also use protein treatments to give your new curls extra care. This will help keep your hair hydrated, strengthen it, and protect it from damage or breakage.
How Much Do Perms Cost?
How much you’ll pay for a perm depends on how long your hair is. 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.
Depending on the product and what’s included, at-home perm kits can cost as low as $8 to as high as $70.
Who Shouldn't Perm Their Hair?
Perming can be a great way to style your hair, but it’s not suitable for every hair type. If your hair is curly, perming can make it look frizzy.
Getting a perm can be especially damaging if your hair is unhealthy or weak. Avoid perming with
- Overly processed hair
- Hair with split ends
- Porous hair
Takeaways
With so many perm options now, you can find a perm that works best for your hair using a trusted hairdresser who only uses quality ingredients. Make sure you do your research, ask questions, and prepare to take care of your hair for the best curls possible.
Hair Perm FAQs
Are perms good or bad for your hair? Perms are a great way to style your hair, but if you do them often and don’t take care of your hair with a perm, it can be bad for your hair health.
Can you straighten a perm? Yes, you can straighten a perm with a flat iron. Wash your hair first with shampoo, add leave-in conditioner, and blow-dry it before straightening it.
Is it bad to get a perm every 3 months? Most perms last 3-6 months, so if you need a touch-up at month 3, it may be safe to do so. Consult your hairstylist to be sure.
Is a perm good for thin hair? Perms can give thin hair more volume. But they aren’t good if your hair is weak or unhealthy.