Permanents used to be almost forgotten in times of sleek looks, but now they are back in full force. Their magic creates the most endearing undone looks, the trendiest afros or simply lots and lots of volume. We like to inform you about the ins and outs of perms
Of course, even today some chemical treatment is necessary to create permanent curls. Hair stylists also talk about the process as 'permanent hair shaping'. The shaping involves breaking certain protein bridges in the hair before it is fixed in a new wavy shape. It is a good idea to treat the hair gently and with a lot of care before, during and after the perm. Luckily, there are plenty of special care products at your fingertips. These products protect every individual hair with substances like keratin and collagen. Today’s perms already contain plenty of care products. Silk proteins in perm lotions give your hair a supple texture, Aloe vera provides moisture and amino acids help retain the hair’s vitality and elasticity.
Perms can create different styles from tight curls to generous waves. They can also tame already curly hair or the most obstinate cowlicks. There are however limits to the hair length. It is difficult to reshape more than 12 inches (30 cm) long hair because such hair is too heavy to be reshaped. The curls would simply straighten out due to the weight of the hair. Dependent on the size of the perm rods and the applied technique, a perm will create more volume at the roots or create curls all through your hair. As a general rule, the larger the perm rods are the larger the waves will be. Larger permanent waves also tend to lose their shape faster than small curls.
Hair must be rolled up with quite a bit of tension in order to permanently reshape it. This limits the size of effective perm rods. Regular round perm rods have diameters between 0.1 and 0.8 inches (0.3 – 2 cm). Other perm rod choices are spiral rods for corkscrew curls and tapered rods for very naturally looking waves.
Even though today's perms are gentler than ever, freshly permed hair needs special aftercare. Shampoos and conditioners for permed hair are designed to restore stressed or curly hair to smooth luster. They contain precious oils and the building blocks of hair in liquid form, which are especially effective after a perm. Leave-in hair treatments are especially convenient and effective for this purpose. You are going to love applying your weekly hair treatment. It should be routine after a perm. Don't forget to pamper your permanent waves with a rich mask, which is particularly effective if you leave it in your hair overnight. Please remember not to use any hair color treatments for at least one week after a perm. This may be too much stress for your hair and scalp all at once. You may like to consider gentler alternatives like hair tinting or a color shampoo instead.
Not a '80ies Nightmare >> The New Perms