Healthy Hair Is the Key to a Beautiful Perm
If you’re looking to add volume or movement to your hair, you may be considering getting a perm. A good perm can transform your daily routine, adding bounce and texture.
However, before having a perm, it’s important to understand that healthy hair is essential. Damaged hair cannot hold a defined curl or wave properly, and in some cases, a perm may even make the hair more fragile.
1. Hair Condition
Your hair needs to be in good condition before perming. If your hair has been damaged from previous chemical services (such as colouring, bleaching, or permanent straightening and so on) or frequent use of hot tools like irons or curling tongs, the hair condition is compromised due to repeated damage build up and may not be able to hold the curls.
When the hair structure is weakened due to various forms of damage, the curls or waves often lose structure quickly or appear uneven after the perming treatment. Especially if you’ve had highlights or bleach, we generally don’t recommend perming, as extremely damaged hair tends to lose elasticity and may become frizzy or break.
2. Hair Type and Texture
Fine hair can be tricky for perming because it usually has a thinner cortex layer or in some cases it may not even exist at all. The cortex is vital for holding the curls after it has been permed. As a result, fine hair won’t hold the curls for very long, but the results could vary depending on how fine your hair is, the lack of cortex, and how tight or loose the curls are.
Please be aware that if you prefer loose waves, the waves will often drop faster when permed on fine or soft hair types. On the other hand, tighter curls tend to last longer and give more body and shape to finer hair.
3. Hair Elasticity and Porosity
It’s also important to check your hair’s elasticity (its ability to stretch and return to shape) and porosity (how well it absorbs moisture and product). Healthy hair stretches slightly without breaking and has balanced porosity. If your hair feels rough, breaks easily when wet, or doesn’t bounce back, it may not be ready for a perm yet.
4. Preparing for a Perm
If your hair isn’t in ideal condition, don’t worry. There are ways to prepare it. You can:
- Get regular trims to remove damaged ends.
- Wait for a while until you grow enough hair length to create your desired style
- Speak to our stylist and discuss how we can achieve your desired look
A stylist can help you create a plan to get your hair healthy enough for a perm.
5. Styling and Maintenance
Once your hair is permed, you’ll enjoy more volume and texture, but daily styling is still important to keep it looking its best.
In the morning, lightly wet your hair or take a shower if you prefer, then apply a styling product such as a mousse, curl cream, gel, or curl spray. Scrunch or twist your hair gently to dry or use a diffuser to enhance your curls.
Using the right moisturising products will also help maintain the shape and shine of your curls.
6. Tips for a better outcome
When you decide on doing something new especially at a new salon with a new hairdresser, it is vital to communicate your hair’s chemical history so the hairdresser can assess your hair condition and determine what solutions are suitable to be used. Methods, solution strength, protective treatments, chemical processes can change depending on the condition of your hair. Even if the hairdresser is experienced and knowledgeable, if they do not have enough information about what chemical treatments you have done in the past and when, there is potential for error of judgement and the results may not be ideal.
So try to keep a hair journal so you can tell your hairdresser when you did what services.
If you coloured your hair, when was it coloured? Was it bleached or highlighted? Did you tone it down with a darker colour later and when was that? Have you had keratin treatments or the like before you attempt to have a permanent hair straightening service? If you want to go for a natural colouring option, do you have any intent on doing blonde or lighter colours again in the future? Do you want to perm after having it permanently straightened?
These are just some of the type of information that will help analyse what may have contributed to the current hair condition and what services can be provided on that set of hair.
Diligent note keeping will definitely pay off later when you want to change your style, so make sure to keep a hair journal so you can inform your hairdresser to ensure you continue to have beautiful healthy hair.