Whether you go to a professional hair salon or work on your hair at home, one thing is certain. Perms are costly. Therefore, most folks that go to the trouble and expense of getting one try their best to make it last as long as possible. As a daughter of two licensed cosmetologists, I have had my fair share of perms and have been given ample tips on how to make one last. I thought that I would share some of them with you. Here they are:
Prepare Your Hair
Preparing your hair before any chemical treatment is one of the best things that you can do for yourself. You’ll want to get a good hair cut to remove any split ends prior to your perm. I’d also recommend avoiding other chemical procedures prior to, and immediately after, your perm. The chemicals used in a perm may react to other substances in your hair causing it to fade away faster. It can also cause other complications as well.
For example, if you dyed your hair the week before your perm, you can expect the chemicals used in the perm to alter your hair color. I once insisted that my parents give me a perm shortly after they had colored my hair with heavy blonde highlights. They warned me that it was a bad idea but being a typical, rebellious teen, I didn’t listen. The perm caused my beautiful, blonde highlights to turn a not so lovely shade of green. I learned my lesson the hard way.
Go for the Little Perm Rods
Just in case you have never noticed before, professional cosmetologists have a wide array of perm rods at their disposal. The smaller the perm rod they use on your hair, the tighter the curl will be. In general, tighter curls tend to last longer. Not all people, however, will want to go with a tight curl. I would typically stick with gray and peach perm rods. Depending on the brand of perm used with those rods, my hair would remain curly for close to 8 months. The larger perm rods would generally only give me curls that would last for three to six months.
Wait 48 Hours
One of the first rules of perm care that my parents taught me was to refrain from washing my hair for the first 48 hours. The reason why is it allows the hair to rest and the curl to set. Based on my experience, doing so did go a long way in making my perms last.
Use a Diffuser
Another important rule they stressed regarding perms was to go easy with the blow dryer. They suggested that I let my hair air dry. If I couldn’t let it air dry, I was told to use a diffuser and a pick or wide toothed comb to style my hair. I was also instructed not to completely dry my hair because it would help to minimize the frizzy ends.
Use products with Sun Screen
Using products with sun screen and built-in conditioners will also help to prolong your perm as well as protect your hair against the elements. Personally, I am a big fan of John Freida’s Frizz-Ease. Whenever I get my hair permed, I buy a bottle of the stuff. In my opinion, it really helps keep the frizz and split ends to a minimum. It can be expensive though. A bottle of it may cost you $6 to $8.
Get Regular Hair Cuts
Getting the dead ends trimmed off of your curly locks also tends to make a perm last longer. Dead ends and extra weight just drag the hair down. Therefore, when you trim the damaged ends off, the hair tends to hold the curl better.
Killeen Gonzalez’s parents were licensed cosmetologists. They owned and operated a full service beauty salon.
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