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The 5 Most Important Tips You Need To Know When Caring For A New Perm

June 30 2022

If you are considering getting a perm there’s a lot to learn going into it. Curly hair and straight hair behave very differently at times, and you want to be able to care for your new curls right? Giving them proper care and maintenance is the best way to maintain a beautiful, bouncy curly look and make them last for a long time to come. 

One: Refrain from Washing 

When you wash your hair after getting a perm, if it is done too soon you risk your perm falling out and losing all the money and time put into perming your hair. After the initial perm, your hair needs time to rest and the chemicals need time to set. Waiting for about three days after you get your perm is the most commonly recommended waiting period. So make sure you don’t have any plans for a few days after you get your perm. 

Two: Watch Your Products

When you’re finally able to wash your hair again, and when you go to style your new lovely curls-stop. Read the label on your shampoo bottle. You want to check for ingredients like alcohol, which can cause your hair to dry out. A shampoo, conditioner, or any product really, with an excessive level of alcohol in the ingredients can bring damage and frizz to your perm. This is far from ideal.

Three: Don’t Brush It! 

Curly hair is different from straight hair. You do not want to brush out your curls with a normal brush. This can cause damage, breakage, increase frizziness in the hair and ruin the shape of the curls. Instead, after you’ve showered, use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to gently detangle your hair. Start from the bottom, and gently work your way up to the roots. Using a leave-in conditioner or detangling spray can work wonders in keeping any damages to a minimum as well. Keep in mind that brushing them directly after getting the perm as well can cause the perm itself to fail. 

Four: Remember To Get It Trimmed

Getting permed hair trimmed is quite important for maintaining the health of your hair and the perm. Getting your hair trimmed, in general, is a very healthy thing to do for your hair because it will reduce old damage to your hair, take away irreparable split ends, and reduce the amount of breakage that would happen otherwise to let your hair grow as much and as long as you wish it too. However, getting a trim every three or four weeks with our new perm can help maintain the perms structure, and keep them in their beautiful curled shape. 

Five: Hands Off!

For the most part, touching your hair and curls will not cause a lot of damage, but in the first couple of days, you want to be careful. This time is the time when your curls are at their most fragile, after all. If you mess with them too much, you may accidentally ruin the shape and structure of your new perm. This will result in curls that are not nearly as uniform as they would be otherwise, and can even ruin the perm altogether. Generally, you should wait about twenty-four hours before you let yourself finally start touching your curls. This also means you should avoid styling it, putting it into a ponytail, or bun, or adding clips or accessories to your hair while it is setting. 

If you’re looking for a perm, come to Meraki Hair & Makeup Studio for the best treatment around. Your stylist will be sure to inform you of anything else you may need to know about taking care of your perm- and if in doubt, just ask! You can find us at 1281 Arthur Kill Road in Staten Island and call us at 718.966.6601 to book an appointment. You can also instantly schedule an appointment yourself! Just go check out our Meraki Hair & Makeup Studio mobile app, available for a free download on iTunes or Google Play.