| Hair Perms: What Can Go Wrong? |
| Karen Marie Shelton |
| Revised Date: 7/4/06 - Original Publication Date: 7/23/2004 |
Introduction Although it seems a little unusual to me, I still receive a lot of
AskKaren emails related to the topic of hair perms that have gone wrong.
The bad perm victims include women as well as men and
covers all hair lengths from super short to very long.
It also related to strands textures from fine to thick,
straight to curly. Yes, people with naturally
curly hair succumb to perm challenges, which is a whole
other topic. If I have learned nothing else about hair over the past several years, I have learned that applying chemicals to the hair will usually cause some sort of problems.
Many hair experts have told me this repeatedly when I
discuss chemical processing. Perms That Go Very Wrong
Soft curls and waves are sizzling hot. For many,
chemical perms applied to stick straight strands
appear to offer the answer. Perms are the simple chemical process of changing the natural shape of the hair follicle.
Yes, chemicals applied to the hair actually breaks the
natural textural code and then reforms the hair so that
the texture is different. A hair perm can be achieved through either a cold or hot chemical process. A number of factors are involved in making a perm successful or unsuccessful. -
Correct chemical lotion strength. -
Right curler size for the hair type and length. -
Amount of time that the developer is allowed to remain on the strands.
-
The skill of the hairdresser applying the perm
process
-
Whether hair has been previously chemically treated
(color, straightener or perm).
-
Texture of the hair (some texture can be permed
better than other textures).
Why Hair Perms Go Bad While the majority of hair perms
may work out okay, there are proven reasons that history
has shown why hair perms can go bad.
These include the following reasons: -
Wrong sized rollers are used on the hair -
Incorrect hair tension is applied to the rollers that are used -
Inappropriate timing on the perm solution with the solution being left on too long or not long enough.
-
Perm solution is not completely rinsed from hair. The most common reasons for perms going bad include rolling the curlers too tightly, applying excessive perm solution and using the incorrect development lotion. Regardless of the condition of the hair before the perm and the skill of the hairdresser applying the perming solution,
damage to the hair is a guarantee. Anytime you apply a chemical application of any sort to your stands, damage is a given. Keep in mind that the longer the development time of the perm solution, the tighter the resulting curls. The shorter the development time, the softer the curl pattern.
Hair Perms - Alternative Solutions
If you want to adopt the gorgeous waves and curls that
are currently hot in the hair fashion world you don't
have to rush to have a perm applied to your hair.
There are many alternative solutions that work just as
well, if not better:
1. Start with a precision haircut designed to
maximize your own natural texture with styling products
and hot tools. Work with your hairdresser and tell
them you want to enhance your own natural waves and
curls without a perm or other chemicals.
2. Learn to use hot rollers, curling irons and
waving irons. With a little practice you can
easily create new texture without long term damage.
Yes, hot tools can damage the hair if used
inappropriately or too often, but with the right
technique and tools you can greatly minimize any
potential hair damage.
3. Work with wet sets. Rag rollers (either
homemade or purchased) can create spectacular curls and
waves - even on stick straight hair. Pin curl wet
sets also work great.
4. Buy add-on strands that are already chemically
process to curl. Blend with your own strands for
unique hairstyles that have curls or waves without any
heat or chemical perm damage. Summary Any time that any sort of chemicals are applied to the hair, damage to the overall health of the hair is a given. The amount of damage that is inflicted depends on the amount of time that the chemicals are allowed to remain on the strands.
|