Nothing makes lazy bed hair look as voluptuous as a perm. However, to ensure your bouncy curls remain intact as long as possible, you need to maintain them post-treatment. While perming makes everyday styling a breeze, using the right tools and products is necessary for healthy hair – And; in this article, I tell you exactly how to do that.
Read on as I tell you the dos and don’ts of permed hair maintenance.
6 Tips For A Beautiful Permed Mane
Maintaining permed hair doesn’t have to be complicated. The following six perm care tips will make it easier than ever to rock your hair – 80s style.
1. Post-Perm Hair Wash: Wait 48 Hours
The biggest mistake you can make is rushing for a hair wash post-perm. Yes, I know! Many of you might know this; after all, this is perm hair care 101. However, this is still a crucial point to reiterate. Ask your stylist for advice on the required wait period before you can wash your hair after the treatment. The general rule of thumb is to wait at least 48 hours before you can get your locks drenched.
After you successfully pass the waiting period of two days – you can wash your hair without loosening your curls. However, your hair wash schedule would change with a perm, as your now-curly locks wouldn’t need to be washed as much as before. Celebrity stylist Cheryl Bergamy recommends washing permed hair only once a week. She also suggests ditching the brush on wet hair. Instead, using a comb is much better for maintaining bouncier curls.
However, hairstylist Sascha Breuer says there is one condition in which you might reach for the shampoo earlier than 48 hours: when you desire a looser, semi-permanent beachy wave look.
2. Know What Hair Products To Use
Now that I have discussed when to wash your perm, it is just as crucial to know-how. The products you use for your perm will dictate how long your treatment will last.
Since perming is a chemical treatment, it is likely to cause some damage to the hair. Therefore, pick out a sulfate-free hydrating shampoo and moisturizing conditioner for your hair – this will prevent your curls from feeling too dry. Moreover, since you will not be washing your hair too often, a monthly wash with a clarifying shampoo can help remove any residue from your scalp and deep clean your hair without drying them out.
The basic rule of thumb is to pick out products for washing and styling as you would if you had naturally curly hair. For example, go for a styling hair mousse to hydrate and redefine your curls as you would with naturally textured hair.
3. Style With the Right Tools
Curb your styling enthusiasm for at least a week post perm. The most you should do immediately after the perm is finger-scrunching your hair to lock the curls. Elaborate styling can cause your curls to set in unwanted patterns. However, don’t fret too much – the perm is such a bold style in itself that styling right after treatment would not even be on your agenda list.
However, after one week has passed, you can style your permed hair using the right kind of tools – even though it is better to avoid it as much as you can. For example, a better choice would be to switch from blow-drying to air drying. Although should air drying not be possible, a diffuser is a must.
Since permed hair is more likely to get frizzy, another tip for a lasting perm is to steer clear of straightening tools when you can. Heat styling can cause your hair perm to break sooner than you’d like due to rampant split ends. But, I understand that for some people skipping heat styling ultimately might not be an option. In such a case, make sure to use a heat protectant that creates a protective barrier against high temperatures and helps control frizz.
An excellent alternative to smoothing out your curls without heat is using rollers. Various kinds available in the market can help make the switch from heat styling to natural styling much more effortless.
4. Regular Trimming For Bouncy Curls
Regular trims are a must for luscious hair – with or without a perm. However, once you get a perm, this practice becomes even more crucial to your hair health.
Since permed hair is more prone to split ends that can cause your curls to open, regular maintenance requires getting a trim once every month; This will keep your hair healthy and help keep the curls bouncy and distinguished.
5. Make Silk Scarves Your Best Friend
Nobody likes waking up with a frizzy, tangled mess after a perm. The best way to control frizz while catching up on some much-needed zzz is to wrap your tresses in a silk scarf or sleep on a silk pillow. This simple trick will help minimize friction and result in a mess-free, low-maintenance post-perm mane.
6. Talk To Your Stylist
I cannot insist on this enough – talk to our stylist. Post \-perm hair care does not have to be difficult, and you do not need to do it alone. Take the time out to understand your hair and ask your hairstylist as many questions as possible regarding upkeep.
Talking to your stylist is the quickest way of getting the best hair care advice as they know the condition of your hair and can give you a defined hair grooming routine rather than a generic one.
Can You Perm Already Textured Hair?
If you have naturally textured hair but would like to have more defined curls, then you can even get a perm – sort of!
The actual process is called curl reformation that requires an extra step of hair relaxation before curl formation – unlike a perm. However, since textured hair is likely to dry out more, it is essential to use particular salon and at-home hair care products for consistent moisture retention.
Major Takeaways
All in all, taking care of permed hair is no nuisance. All you have to do is take a few precautions post-treatment and then treat your hair as you would with naturally textured hair.
The main trick for volume and curls is to avoid heat styling or any tools and products that contribute to frizz. Other than that, perming is an excellent styling shortcut for great hair day after day.
