Perming is a well-known treatment that consists of chemicals that are used to shape your hair, which requires increased hair care to keep it both beautiful and healthy.
How do you treat your hair after a perm?
If you have permed your hair or are planning to permit it, you need to have knowledge of how to treat your hair after a perm.
Here’s all you need to know about how to treat your hair after a perm:
Allow your hair to set
You should touch your hair in moderation
You have to wait 24-48 hours for the chemicals to act on and fix the shape of your hair permanently. Another reason not to touch your hair is that it will be brittle from the perm process.
It can be guaranteed that the perm can last for a long time if it is not touched for a couple of days.
You can use your fingers to comb your hair, but only if necessary as touching your hair is not recommended. Do not use a comb or brush to comb your hair.
You can’t wash your hair
After perming, avoid washing your hair for the next 24-48 hours, and don’t use shampoo or conditioner. Not washing your hair prevents the water and chemicals in the shampoo and conditioner from deactivating the perm chemicals and altering your curls; it will also help keep your perm fresh for much longer.
So make sure you keep your hair dry, especially if it’s raining or snowing.
You can ask your stylist how long you should wait to wash your hair, the waiting time may vary depending on your hair and if you wash it early you could ruin your perm.
On the other hand, if you can’t go without washing your hair, ask your stylist to help you find a better way to deal with the situation, whether he or she suggests using dry shampoo or other products until you can wash your hair.
Keep it loose
It’s important to keep your hair loose for a few days after perming because your hair is still setting; braiding, ponytails, or any other hairstyle you might want to try can disrupt some of your curls and could even break your hair if it’s brittle.
You can use a silk scarf to pull your hair back only when absolutely necessary. Make sure you leave it as loose as possible so that you don’t leave any marks.
Don’t use dyes
Keep in mind that permed hair needs to be cared for because it is often stressed and requires a lot of love in the first few weeks after perming. Therefore, avoid coloring your hair for at least the first week after you permit it to prevent it from breaking and to avoid causing more damage and stress to your hair.
Wash your hair
Choose specially formulated products
Hair after a perm needs delicate aftercare as well as special care. That’s why you need to buy products that are specially formulated to restore shine to fragile, stressed hair.
Look for products that contain ingredients such as eucalyptus oil, biotin, and soy. You cannot use products composed of sulfates or parabens.
Shampoo your hair once a week
Shampooing your hair once a week is enough to keep it clean and beautiful because washing it frequently will remove certain essential oils from your hair and may make your perm not last long.
You should wash your hair with cold or warm water, and make sure you rinse it thoroughly.
If the hair gets dirty during the week you can use dry shampoo on the ends of it.
Use conditioner when washing your hair
The conditioner created for permed hair will moisturize your hair and give it shine, making your perm last much longer and be smooth.
Apply the conditioner from the ends to the roots. Leave the conditioner on for as long as the product requires and then rinse with warm water, making sure to remove all the product.
You can comb your hair while in conditioner with a wide-tooth comb to minimize the chance of hair breakage.
In addition to the conditioner, you can apply a hair mask, as these are more effective than the conditioner. This allows you to moisturize and prevent further damage to your hair.
Touch up your hair
Cut the ends of your hair frequently
Because your hair will grow, the added weight can weigh down your curls. Cutting the ends of your hair often will keep your curls healthy and alive.
Repair your perm as needed
A perm usually lasts 6 to 8 weeks, but if you take good care of it it will last much longer. But if you notice that your curls start to fall apart and you have visible roots, you will have to apply another perm.
You might consider applying it only to the ends to prevent the other part of your hair from getting damaged.