How to Care for Permed Hair

Do not touch your hair. You may be tempted to touch the freshly permed curls. However, it will take about 24-28 hours for the chemicals to fully set into your hair and keep the curls intact. Your hair will also remain weak after perming. Leaving your hair undisturbed for a few days can help maintain the curls longer.

• Use your fingers to style your hair if necessary. Avoid using a comb to brush it.

Avoid washing your hair. For the first 24-72 hours after perming, refrain from washing or using conditioner. This helps prevent water or other chemicals from interfering with the perming solution, which could cause the curls to straighten. Additionally, this helps maintain the freshness of your curls for a longer time.

• Ensure your hair stays dry, especially if it's rainy or humid outside.
• Ask your stylist how long you should wait before washing your hair. This depends on your hair type and the specific perm you have done. If you absolutely cannot wait, ask your stylist for advice on how to handle the situation. They may recommend using dry shampoo or other products until you can wet your hair.

Let your hair down. You may be eager to style your freshly permed hair with bobby pins, hair clips, or even let it blow in the wind. You might also want to tie it up for sports or study. However, your curls are still settling, so it's important to keep your hair down in the first few days after perming. Tying your hair in a ponytail, braids, or other styles with accessories may leave creases or cause breakage of the still-weak strands.

• Avoid running your fingers through your hair after perming, as it can cause the curls to separate and lose their shape.
• If necessary, use a silk scarf to loosely tie your hair back, making sure to avoid creating any creases.

Avoid dyeing your hair. After perming, your hair is often weak and needs special care, especially during the first week. It's best to avoid dyeing your hair at least one week after perming. This prevents further damage and breakage while maintaining the integrity of your curls.

• Consult your stylist about the best time to schedule your hair color treatment after perming. It's ideal to have an experienced stylist handle both your perm and color treatments.
• Consider using temporary hair dyes, color powders, or tinted shampoos instead of permanent dyes, as these products are less harsh. However, you should only use them 24-48 hours after perming.
• Even if you wait a week before dyeing, you may still experience some hair breakage. The type of dye and any additives you use can affect the extent of damage. Always check with your stylist for the best products.

Choose products with special formulas. Permed hair requires particular attention and care. Products with special formulas help preserve the hair's shine, restore weakened or damaged strands, and maintain the curl's shape for a longer time.

• Opt for products with ingredients like biotin, eucalyptus oil, and soybean. Avoid products containing parabens and sulfates.
• Ask your stylist for advice on which products are best for permed hair. While they may recommend certain brands, you are not required to buy products directly from your stylist. Permed hair products or chemically-treated hair care products are available at most supermarkets, pharmacies, or beauty stores. Look for products labeled 'for permed hair' or 'for chemically treated hair.'

Wash your hair weekly. Washing your hair helps it feel fresh and voluminous. However, washing too often can strip the natural oils from your hair, causing curls to lose their bounce. Treat your curly hair as you would delicate silk or other fragile fabrics: washing it once a week is enough to keep it clean and maintain its beauty.

• Wash your hair with lukewarm water. Hot water can remove the natural oils that moisturize and add shine to your hair. Additionally, hot water can damage curly locks. Be sure to rinse your hair with lukewarm or cold water to avoid product build-up that can make your hair greasy and dirty faster. Leftover shampoo can also hinder your curls from holding their shape for a longer time, requiring a re-curling.
• Use dry shampoo at the roots if your hair gets dirty before your next wash. Spray a small amount of dry shampoo from about 25 cm away and let it absorb into your hair for a few minutes. Gently massage your scalp to remove any excess product. It's best to use dry shampoo designed for chemically treated hair to add moisture and volume.

Regularly use conditioner. Even if you only have slight curls, your hair still loses moisture, which can lead to dryness and lack of vitality. Although some people believe that conditioner can straighten curly hair, this is just a myth. Conditioners made for curly hair help retain moisture and shine, keeping your curls intact for longer. They also help detangle your curls.

• Start by applying conditioner to the ends of your hair – the driest part. Then, work your way up to the roots. Leave the conditioner on for the time specified in the instructions, then rinse with lukewarm water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly to avoid product build-up, which can prevent curls from holding their shape, make them lifeless, and cause dirt to accumulate.
• Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your wet hair after applying conditioner. This helps minimize breakage.
• Use a deep conditioning mask once a week for dry or curly hair. These masks are thicker than regular conditioners and provide more frequent moisture to the hair, helping to prevent damage and maintain both moisture and shine. You can use the mask while showering or leave it in overnight with a shower cap.
• If your hair is too dry or damaged, you can use leave-in conditioner.

Use a wide-tooth comb. Carefully detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb after washing it. Avoid brushing your hair too often to prevent breakage or damage to the hair fibers. Over-combing can also lead to frizzy hair and cause curls to lose their shape quicker compared to combing right after washing.

• Choose a comb with wide-spaced teeth to avoid separating the curls into smaller sections, which can lead to frizz.
• Detangle wet hair with a wide-tooth comb after applying conditioner to prevent hair breakage. If you have already combed your hair while washing, you don't need to comb it again after the wash.
• If you don't have a wide-tooth comb, use your fingers to detangle your hair.

Avoid using a round brush. Even if your hair is tangled, you should not use a round brush on curly hair. It will break up the curls and cause frizz. Additionally, using a round brush can further damage fragile curly hair strands that are already weakened.

Massage your hair every day. The best way to keep your curls voluminous and full of life is by using your fingers to gently massage your hair. This simple technique can enhance a new hairstyle and create soft, eye-catching curls.

• Use your hands and fingers to gently lift and massage sections of your hair. Wet your hair with water and hold it in place for a few seconds to help shape it. You can also create individual curls by wrapping one or two fingers around a section and holding it for a few seconds.

Blow-dry with a gentle setting. Blow dryers can strip moisture from your hair. For curly hair, blow drying can worsen the damage and leave hair even more frizzy. You can either let your hair air dry naturally or attach a diffuser to the blow dryer to help style while protecting your curls.

• Set the blow dryer to the coolest heat setting. If possible, choose the cool setting or switch to the cold air option.
• A diffuser helps spread the airflow from the blow dryer. Attach the diffuser to the dryer and you can dry your hair fully for a thicker look or style sections of your hair. Gently squeeze each section while blow-drying to enhance volume.

Avoid using heat styling tools. Just like with blow dryers, you should minimize the use of heat styling tools. Curling irons or straighteners can further damage already weak hair, causing breakage and hair loss.

• Use steam to avoid damaging your hair. You can wrap your hair around curlers or simply wear a shower cap and take a hot shower. The steam from the hot water will help create curls without causing additional damage. This method boosts moisture and adds volume to your hair.

Trim your hair regularly. Your hair will continue to grow, and the new length may straighten out your curls. Regular trims help keep your curls bouncy and ensure your hair stays healthy. It’s recommended to trim your hair every 4-6 weeks.

• Ask your stylist not to cut too much, so you won’t lose your desired length. They may also advise you to wait longer between trims.

Touch up your curls when necessary. After curling, your hair can last anywhere from 6 weeks to 8 months. With proper care, your curls will hold their shape for a longer period. However, once the curls start to loosen and the roots become visible, it's time for a touch-up.

• You can focus only on the roots to avoid causing further damage to the rest of your hair. Discuss with your stylist to find the best option for you.

Grow out your curly hair. If you decide to let your curls grow out, it's easy to do so without much concern. Using special hair care products and limiting heat exposure will keep your hair beautiful while growing. Keep in mind that curly hair remains fragile, so proper care is essential to maintain its health.

• Protect your curly hair from bad weather by carrying an umbrella or wearing a hat along with your coat when going outside.

• Avoid perming your hair too often, as excessive use of chemicals can damage your hair.
• Do not perm your hair after straightening it.
• Do not attempt to perm your hair at home if you lack experience.