Home Perms and Rods

Home Perms and Rods

Hair Perms, also known as permanent waves, is a process where hair is treated with chemicals to alter its structure. This process allows a person with poker straight hair to have curls or waves. Whether they are soft and bouncy curls or tight spiral curls, different types of perms help to create a different look. Perms are mainly of two types, regular perm which is also known as cold perm and hot perm, which is also known as digital perm. A hair perm is a chemical process that changes the hair shape to create a new look. Those with naturally straight hair can transform their hair into waves or curls and those with curly hair can tame their curls by adding body.

The kind of perm that you get depends upon the size and shape of rods used, the wrapping technique used, as well as the kind of perming solution that is applied. Hair perming can be done with acidic or alkaline perming solution. Perms done with acidic solution are milder on hair and they give more gentle and shinier looking curls. Alkaline perms are suitable for hair that is coarser, has low elasticity and is more resistant to curling.


While perming your hair many strong chemicals are used to make your hair curly, permanently. People with thin or falling hair should avoid going for perming or any permanent hair treatments. Also, people with a sensitive scalp should avoid perming their hair. Because, the harsh chemicals used while perming can greatly harm your hair and your scalp and cause a lot of irritation. But, if you have thick or good volume of hair and are looking for a permanent option of curling your hair, then perming is a good option. If you are thinking of getting curls or waves in your hair, then you can just use a curling hair mousse or sea salt spray on wet hair, and scrunch them to get curls in your hair. However, compared to permed hair this kind of wavy/curly hair are easy to manage and less damaging to the hair and scalp.

The process of doing a hair perm begins with wrapping freshly-washed hair around perm rods. The smaller the rods, the smaller the curls will be and larger perm rods create waves rather than curls. Once the hair is secured on the rods, the perm chemical is applied to the set hair. The hair perm chemical creates flexibility in the hair's structure that allows the hair to form in the shape and size of the perm rods. After the hair is removed from the rods, a neutralizer is added to the hair that sets the hair in its new permed shape.

Types of Perms
1. Spiral Perm: Spiral perms are tight curls that look like twisted corkscrews. The look of the spiral perm would depend upon the size of the perming rod, the kind of perming solution used, as well as the expertise of the hairstylist. This technique is achieved with the help of long perm rods. The end result is a bunch of cascading curls that have spring and bounce.

2. Body Wave Perm: A body wave perm gives loose curls that have a slight wave. These are ideal for women who want to opt for the wavy look with more volume. This style of perm will also add more movement to hair and are well-suited for women who have flat and thin hair. Straight hair when treated with a body wave perm would result in large curls. This process is generally done with the help of large perm rods.

3. Spot Perm: A spot perm involves perming only one section of hair. In spot perming, one can have tight or loose curls. The kind of perm that you will get will depend upon the type and size of the rod. A spot perm is generally preferred by women who want to curl a particular section of hair, to create a specific hairstyle.

4. Pin Curl Perm: Pin curls are obtained by curling sections of hair with the help of pins. This can be achieved without the use of chemical treatment. It is done with the help of some hair gel and curling pins. Pin curls give a natural look.

5. Multi-Textured Perm: A multi-textured perm is created by using two different sized perm rods. This gives the curls a more natural and less-defined look. This type of perm is suitable for long hair.

6. Root Perm: A root perm as the name implies, gives height and lift to the hair at the roots. This perm is ideal for women who have flat and limp hair.


7. Stack Perm: When curls are added only to the end of the hair, then it is known as stack perming. A stack perm is more suitable for women who have single hair length and are looking to add more volume to their hair. Stack perming can be done with the help of perm rods of different sizes. The illusion of layers can be created with this process.

8. Partial Perm: A partial perm is done when one wishes to add curls to few sections of hair, keeping some strands straight in texture. This perming style is suitable for people who want to add body and volume to flat hair.

9. Volumizing Perm: This technique of permanent waves is suitable for different hair lengths. It adds more volume and texture to limp and fine hair. During the process, the curls are allowed to relax to avoid the tightly curled look. The perm in this case is used for adding more volume and body, avoiding the springy, tight and curly look.

How to Perm your Hair
1. Start with freshly shampooed hair Do not use a heavy conditioner on your hair before perming! This can keep the perming solution from absorbing into your hair Section your wet hair into 4 sections by doing a part right down the middle of your head and then doing another part from about halfway back down the side of your head to the back of your ear. Clip up these sections with your plastic hair clips.

2. Starting at the top of one of the back sections, take a section of hair to wrap. Remember to never take a section that's larger then the length or the circumference of the perming rod. Doing so will cause your hair to overdirect and/or pull which can cause breakage. It's always better to take a smaller section than one that is too wide.

3. Comb the section of hair out straight and cover the ends of your hair with the wrapping paper by folding it in half around your hair If you're having a hard time with this part, keep a water bottle handy. Spraying some water on the ends of your hair will help the protective wrapping papers "stick" where you want them. The most important thing to remember during this process is to make sure your ends are completely covered with the paper to protect them and keep them from splitting during the perming process.

4. Starting at the end of each protectively wrapped section, roll each section of hair around the perming rod. The most common way of doing this is to roll the hair under around the rod and secure it with the band when you reach the scalp being careful not to let the band cut into the hair If the band is too tight or causing too much stress on the hair it can cause breakage when the perming solution is applied. There are other ways you can roll your hair around the perming rod depending on what type of curl you'd like, but I would suggest sticking to this common procedure, at least for now. Continue this process until your entire head is rolled (or the section you want permed if you're not doing all of your hair to suit your hairstyle), starting at the top of each section and working your way to the bottom.

5. Now you're ready to apply the perming solution. There are basically two types of perms you can buy. One is an alkaline perm, and the other is an acid perm. An alkaline perm is for harder to perm hair such as gray or resistant hair that isn't colored or damaged. An acid perm is a gentler perm and is recommended for easy to curl or color treated hair Follow the directions in your perming kit as to how to mix and apply the perming solution. This process basically breaks the disulphide bonds in your hair that give it it's shape. Be sure and completely saturate all of the rods with the perming solution evenly and completely or you'll end up with an uneven perm. You may need to get two perming kits if you have a lot of hair.

6. If directed, cover your hair with a plastic cap and set your timer for the duration indicated in the instructions. If you're not sure how long to leave the perming solution on, you can do the "S-Test". To do this, partially unwrap one section of hair from the perming rod. Gently push the hair towards the scalp until it bends. If you can see a prevalent "S" shape in the hair then your done. Once the perming solution has processed, you're going to need to gently rinse your hair thoroughly. DO NOT REMOVE THE PERMING RODS.

7. After your hair is thoroughly rinsed with water, gently blot your hair in the rods until it's only damp. Paper towels work well for this step to soak up the excess moisture. Now it's time for the neutralizer. The neutralizer will reform the broken bonds of your hair into the new shape indicated by the perming rods. Following the directions in your perm kit, saturate the hair with the neutralizing solution. Save some of the neutralizer, you're going to need it in a bit. Normally this stays on for five minutes.

8. Once you're all neutralized, you can start gently unwrapping your hair When your hair is completely unwrapped, apply the remaining neutralizer to your hair making sure every strand is saturated. Rinse your hair with cool water, and you're done!

Note: Do not shampoo your hair for 24-48 hours after perming! All of your hard work may be for naught if you forget and your perm falls out. If you have problems with frizziness, it's OK to apply a little gel or something to tame it down. Rinsing your hair with just water is also ok.

Hair Care Tips For Permed Hair
• Frizz is a big problem when it comes to perms. To prevent your hair from becoming frizzy, maintain your hair in good condition before you go for permanent straightening/curling. You can go for hot oil treatments or use deep conditioning hair masks twice in a week.
• Use a mild shampoo to wash your hair. Even better will be to use hair products made especially for treated hair. Make sure you use shampoo lightly on your hair and massage the scalp lightly, because excessive scrubbing can lead to early relaxation of the hair.
• Use conditioners which are exclusively made for perms. Because permed hair has a varying porosity and ordinary conditioner might over or under condition your hair.
• As the permed hair starts to grow out, use a volume spray at the roots and blow dry at the scalp to get the added lift.
• After washing your hair, do not towel knot them. This can lead to added friction in the knot and damage the vulnerable wet hair. If you are in a rush and can't wait for the hair to dry naturally then use a blow dryer.
• You can use a diffuser for drying the hair better. For a more relaxed style, you can remove the diffuser blow dry.
• To make your hair even more manageable, use a mist with hair care products like a perm rejuvenator to add essential moisture and luster while defining the curl.
• If your hair becomes frizzy then you can use an anti-frizz serum after you have washed your hair.
• If you have colored hair or highlights in your permed hair, then you can avoid exposing them too much to the sun, so that the color holds for longer.
• To separate out the hair tangles, apply a hair serum with your fingers and comb your hair gradually.

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