The first time I permed my hair, I was probably about 12. I wanted wavy mermaid hair, and my mom obliged me with a box perm from the drugstore and went to town on my head, wrapping perming solution-soaked strands around neon plastic rods. I remember the fumes making my eyes water. My very straight, thick hair turned into a poodle on top of my head, giving me the biggest, spookiest jumpscare that I remember to this day. Tears were shed. Heads were rinsed. And I never permed my hair again—that is, until a college friend doing an apprenticeship at a salon needed a perm model. She promised that it was a new, innovative kind of perm that would give me beachy waves, not springy curls. And it worked! For the first time in my adult life, I had hair that actually held a wave, giving me the Olsen-textured hair of my adolescent dreams. I was glad to have made peace with that childhood trauma and to finally have a wash-and-go hair routine that lasted about a year for me.
Perms are becoming more popular than ever, now that they’ve shed their coil-laden 80s reputation, and we’re in our high-maintenance-to-low-maintenance beauty routine era (plus, perms have gotten a K-beauty refresh via idols’ permed voluminous waves and curls). If you crave voluminous, wavy, curly, or just more textured hair that you can wake up to, here’s a modern refresher to everything you’d want to know about getting a perm.
What Is A Perm?
Perms (short for permanent) are a hair treatment that alters the curl pattern and texture of hair via chemical intervention. While perming kits are sold at beauty supply stores for DIYing, they’re a salon service that is best done by a professional (take it from me), especially as different types of perms yield different results.
My hairstylist, Cutler Salons creative director Mike Martinez, gave me a breakdown of what a perm entails. “Perm solution works by breaking down the protein (disulfide bonds) in hair and releasing the keratin protein to roam free, and then restructuring those bonds around a perming rod to create a curl,” Martinez explains.
“There are two types of perms: cold perms and hot perms. Both use a derivative of thioglycolate to break down the hair bonds. Cold perms use an alkaline version, whereas hot perms use an acidic version, and both use a hydrogen peroxide-based neutralizer. Cold perms commonly use ammonium thioglycolate and make a tighter breakdown of the bonds. Hot Perms use heat with an acidic solution, often produce a looser wave, and typically don t last as long as cold perms.”
You may also see hot perms referred to as digital perms, which are popular in Asian salons to achieve a loose, wavy texture. From what I’ve seen, the rods used in digital perms are individually wired up to a machine that heats each one, making your head look like it’s plugged into the Matrix. So that’s fun.
How Does A Perm Work?
Perming basically involves chemically breaking down hair bonds and reshaping the hair around rods to form a curl pattern in your desired texture. It’s a multi-step hair treatment that will have you potentially clearing your schedule for the morning or afternoon when you have your appointment. Martinez explains the process as “simple,” but I suppose that’s subjective, depending on your dedication to altering whatever genetic code determines your natural hair texture.
First, the hair is washed to remove any buildup before wrapping it around rods in the desired pattern. Then, the perming solution is applied to break down the hair bonds (processing time varies depending on what kind of look you’re going for). After processing, it’s time for rinsing. “This part is super important—rinse, rinse, and rinse some more,” Martinez advises.
Next, a neutralizing solution is applied to the hair to stop the perming solution from perming too much. “Even more rinsing—can’t stress this enough. Rinse so the hair doesn’t smell after,” Martinez emphasizes. If you’ve ever felt the fumes of perming solution stinging your eyes, it’s not a stench you easily forget.
Now, you can style the hair, which Martinez suggests can be easily done with your hands or a diffuser. His pro tip: add a leave-in conditioner or a soft curl cream to moisturize the hair after.
How Long Does A Perm Take?
“It really depends on how much hair you have and what kind of perm you’re getting, but I’d say plan on being in the salon for two-to-three hours,” Martinez says.
Practically speaking, less hair = fewer rods and less wrapping. Hair length also comes into account here—the longer the hair, the longer the service. A volumizing root perm won’t take as long as a full-head perm since it requires way fewer rods. But a hot perm can take longer to set since this solution is relatively weaker than a traditional or cold perm and requires heat to slowly process.
How Long Does A Perm Last?
This is dependent on a few factors, chief of all being how much you wash and heat-style your hair after getting a perm and how healthy (or virginal) your hair was prior to your perm—but traditional perms advertise between three to six months. “The aftercare can also greatly affect the longevity of the perm,” says Martinez.
Certain wavy perms will gradually loosen over time while still maintaining their texture for many more months (like mine did). Digital perms are a slightly lower maintenance option for people who don’t want to have to return to the salon for a touch-up too often, as they loosen so gradually, almost looking like a natural grow-out.
Do Perms Damage Your Hair?
Perms aren’t very damaging, per se (compared to bleaching, for instance), but all chemical treatments that alter the shape and color of your hair can be damaging. One thing every stylist will recommend is not getting a perm on chemically processed hair (that means bleach, color, or previous keratin treatments).
“Usually hair on the thicker side or more coarse types of hair fare better with perms,” Martinez says. “Perms can be great to add body and texture to fine hair, but a more gentle formula is needed as the stronger perms can break the hair.”
Traditional perms are more damaging than hot perms since they use stronger solutions. Martinez explained that post-perm hair may potentially be more prone to frizz or dryness because perming solution strips natural oil — you know, just some collateral damage from a chemical restructuring. My hair felt mostly the same after I had my hair permed; it may have been slightly drier on the ends, but overall it felt similar to how it was before.
How To Take Care Of A Perm?
The number one commandment of perms is that you’re not supposed to wash it or get it wet for the first two days to allow the pattern to set (remember that court case-turning bit of evidence in Legally Blonde?). “For the first two to three days, a perm needs to settle in, so try to avoid washing the hair and using heat on the hair,” Martinez advises.
When you do wash, you may want to opt for more moisturizing shampoos and conditioners if your hair feels dry after perming. Martinez recommends sulfate-free hair products. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb when hair is wet, and generally, be very gentle with it—chemically altered hair is fragile.
How Much Does A Perm Cost
This depends entirely on your location, your salon, and how experienced your stylist is. You can often compare perm prices to salon double-process color prices. New York City prices range from $200 to 500 (or above, depending on how fancy of a salon you go to) for a perm, but if you live in a less metropolitan area, those rates could be way less.
How To Get Rid Of A Perm
I hate to tell you this, but perms don’t really have an undo switch. Trying to fight a perm with a different chemical treatment may cause serious breakage to your already fragile hair, so don’t do that. In my experience with my first perm, I washed it out during its 48-hour setting period, which mercifully deleted most of its effects (perhaps it being a box formula and some semblance of user error meant the solution didn’t take as much to my hair at the time). Other than a drastic haircut, you can grow it out and allow the curl pattern to loosen over time before restyling into something more like what you’re after.
Whether you love or hate your perm, Martinez does recommend getting a trim right before or just afterwards, since perms can emphasize split ends. A preliminary re-shaping trim might help to prevent a jumpscare moment, post-perm (another reason I’d recommend never to DIY this kind of hair treatment). But no matter what happens, just remember: hair grows.