How to Perm Someone's Hair

A permanent wave, also known as a perm, is a chemical hair treatment that can straighten or add curl to your hair. Every perm has two parts: the physical wrapping of the hair. A chemical process that breaks then reforms the bonds of your hair.

A perm is harsh on your hair, so it is important to know your hair type.
Understand your own hair. It is critical to know what type of hair you have and condition of your hair. This is an important first step in determining the kind of perm to get.

Resistant hair such as virgin hair, gray hair, and Asian hair, hard to perm fine hair, and coarse hair usually best treated with an alkaline perm.

Use milder acid perm for treated hair. Hair with lots of perm left. Hair that has color, bleach or straitened.

Do not perm hair if your hair is over processed. Acid perms often say. Something like this! Safe to use on bleached hair. That maybe true! The best way to find out is to do a strand test. Pull out a strand of hair from the back of your head. The outer part of the hair that is exposed to the sun. Grab each end of the strand of hair. Pull until it breaks. If the hair strand breaks easily, (Do Not Perm Hair) over processed hair looks frizzy when dry. Mushy textured when wet. Hair breaks off when brushing in different sizes.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Perm Solution
• Rat Tail Comb
• Pick
• Towels
• Squirt Bottle
• Clips
• Cotton or Toilet Paper
• Rolling Papers
• Perm Rods

1. Read and understand the directions.

2. Comb hair and get all the knots out.

3. Shampoo hair gently not vigorously.

4. Carefully blot hair dry.

5. If you must comb your hair, again carefully and gently comb with a wide-tooth comb, working tangles out.

6. Section the top front of hair. Comb forward toward the face. Take rat-tail comb. Pick up section of hair. About the same width of the rod your using.

7. Start from the back top part of head. Work toward the center of head rolling toward you.

8. Now that your at the center of the head. Roll hair toward there face.

9. Now you should have a row of rods in the center of the head.

10. Next, you will pick a side to roll downward at the hairline.

11. Repeat last step on the other side of head.

12. You should have only two sections that need to be rolled left.

13. Roll as many as you can horizontally. The rest roll vertically.

14. Protect the skin around your neck, face and scalp using a petroleum jelly like Vaseline. Do not forget your ears!

15. Take cotton or toilet paper. Tuck all around the hairline over the ears. This is to help protect face from solution. (Caution) keep towel handy just incase solution runs toward your eyes.

16. If hair is treated use spray bottle to rewet the hair.

17. Mix solution; be sure you have the perm solution. Make sure its not the neutralizer!

18. Apply solution saturate each rod. Use all the solution.

19. Take bag out of box. Cover all the rods with the bag Twist excess to tighten the bag. Then use a clip to hold it tight. Drape a towel over head. Grab the timer!

20. Set timer to check a rod. To see how much it has processed. Unroll one of the rods. about half way. Look at the wave between the rod and scalp. Move rod toward the scalp, bending the hair. See if the hair is wavy. You are ready to rinse. Hair is not ready check again in 10 minutes. The tightness of the curl depends on the size of the rod.

21. Rinse the perm solution out of your hair completely. It is vital to get rid of all of the solution.

22. Apply the entire bottle of neutralizer. The neutralizing solution begins the process of re-forming the broken proteins in your hair. Leave in 10 minutes.

23. Take rods out gently. (Avoid Tangling Hair on Rod) Message the neutralizer through the hair. Leave in 5 minute and rinse.

24. Carefully towel dry or blot your hair. Hold your head upside down and shake it gently. Be sure not to let the towel damage your new curls.

25. Get a trim. You are finished!

Tips & Warnings

• After your perm use specially designed hair, care products like conditioners designed for permed hair.
• Products known as rejuvenate rs used to keep your perm in good shape. These products will also add shine and body to your hair. Consider the use of a mister for these products.
• As perm grows, spray product to the roots and blow dry at the scalp to create added lift.
• Have your hair trimmed every 5 weeks or so to remove split ends and unwanted growth out of your curls.
• It is far better to let your hair dry naturally after a perm, but if you must use a hair dryer make sure you use one with a diffuser to avoid further damage.
• When you have your hair done, do not brush it when it is dry, only wet.
• Do not wash, blow dry or style hair for 24 hours.
• If your scalp starts to burn while perm is activating, immediately wash out.
• Too much perming or a perm done incorrectly can seriously damage your hair.
• Do not roll rods tight to where it is uncomfortable.

[pjb1018]

on 9/28/2009 Good information. Are perms coming back? Thanks