Perms
When Perming Your Hair
Perming techniques have changed over the years, and thankfully, for the better. Back in the 80s, perming was the leading cause of hair damage caused due to the harsh chemicals that were used back then. But beauty does not have to be a pain anymore, because, thanks to modern science, you no longer have to sacrifice the health of your hair to stay stylish. You, technically, can perm your hair at home, but I would recommend you go to a professional to save you the effort and from dabbling with all those intimidating chemicals. So, before we jump into our ideas and inspirations for permed hair looks, let’s talk about what the perming process actually involves:
Your hair is washed thoroughly to remove any dirt and to allow the perming agent to enter your hair shaft easily. (Is it just me or does everyone feel like a millionaire heiress when they get their hair washed at the salon? Just me? Okay.)
Now, the disulphide bonds (that determine the texture of your hair) have to be broken to make the hair more “flexible”, so to speak. For this, a perming lotion is applied to your hair. The perming lotion will differ depending on the kind of perm you are getting – acid, alkaline or exothermic perm.
As the perming lotion works its magic to loosen the disulfide bonds in your hair, your hair is tightly wrapped around curling rods to redefine their structure and curl them up. The amount of time that your hair is left in the curling rods depends on the thickness and texture of your hair. The curling rods are then removed from your hair and a neutralizer is applied to rejoin the disulfide bonds in your hair into its new curly structure. The neutralizing time, again, depends on the thickness of your hair.
The neutralizer is washed out of your hair and you are advised to not apply any heat, shampoos, or other hair products to your hair for the next couple of days. OK, now that we have got all the boring stuff out of the way, let’s jump into our top picks for perm hair ideas and naturally curly haired women that you could take inspiration from when getting your hair permed!