If you are about to do your first perm yourself or with some help at home, you may be worried about how long you should leave the perm lotion on your hair.
You don’t want your hair not to curl because the lotion was applied for too little time, but neither do you want your hair damaged from chemicals that stay on your hair for too long.
So, how exactly is a perm done, how long does it take, and how long should perm lotion remain on your hair?
Table of Contents
What Constitutes a Perm?
This is a chemically based treatment that will cause hair to curl or wave permanently. You will have to use perming rollers, the perming lotion, and a hair neutralizer to undo your hair’s structure and reshape it with curls that are achieved thanks to the rollers.
A perm is considered to be damaging to hair because it undoes the hair’s structure and then forms it with a new shape. Once the prem lotion has undone the protein bonds in your hair strands, they can never return to their original condition.
Perming Steps
Perming requires six steps to be successful.
1. Preparing Your Hair
Hair preparation requires washing your hair to remove dirt and oils as the solution will not be sufficiently absorbed by dirty hair. Once you have washed your hair, divide it into sections to make perming easier to manage.
2. Position the Rollers
This is the step that may require more time. If you want large curls or waves, select larger rollers. If you prefer tighter curls, choose tiny rollers.
Wrap all your hair onto your preferred rollers. If you desire smooth curls, wrap the ends of hair strands on paper before you finish wrapping them on the rollers.
3. Apply the Perming Lotion
Apply the perm lotion to your hair on the rollers. Most perming kits indicate approximately 20 minutes at the most for the solution to work.
After the lotion has been on for 10 minutes, choose a couple of curls randomly and check to see if the curls are forming. You’ll need to unroll the curler to verify if your hair has formed a wave shape.
If a wave shape has not formed, roll it up and check after another 5 minutes. When you see the desired S-shaped wave, you can proceed to the rinse step.
4. Rinse Your Hair
When you are satisfied with the curls, rinse the perming lotion from your hair with the rollers still in your hair. Rinse your hair very thoroughly as leaving lotion in your hair can lead to extensive damage. Rollers may make this a bit complicated, but you should not remove them during rinsing.
5. Apply the Hair Neutralizer
This lotion will aid in reforming the bonds in your hair in the shape of the curlers used. Leave this lotion on your air for approximately five minutes.
6. Remove the Rollers
Rollers should now be removed. You can now rinse your hair thoroughly and proceed to style it as you like.
Depending on the type of perm you select there may be a little variation, but these are the basic steps employed when perming hair.
See also: The Perm Solution for Bleached Hair
What Do I Need for a Home Perm?
To do a home perm, you’ll need
- A perm kit
- Rollers
- Endpapers
- Sulfate-free shampoo
What Kinds of Perms Are Available?
There are multiple perm types available for selection. You should select the kind that best suits your hair’s actual condition.
1. Acid Perms
An acid perm will require heat to be activated because the principal ingredient is glyceryl monothioglycolate. If your hair is damaged or compromised, this is generally the kind of perm that is applied because it will be gentler than other types. The drawback with acid perms is that the curls may be rather loose.
2. Alkaline Perms
Alkaline perms are more commonly referred to as “cold” perms. They do not require the heat of any kind to activate the chemicals used. Their principal ingredient is ammonium thioglycolate.
This chemical works on all types of hair but will be harsher on hair that has previously been treated with chemicals such as dyed hair.
3. Exothermic Perms
This kind of perm will heat and activate chemicals independently and can be either acidic or alkaline. This perm type will produce tight curls or waves.
Exothermic perms are particularly recommended for those that have hair that is perm-resistant. The primary drawback is that this type of perm can be exceptionally damaging to hair and more so than the other perm types.
4. Sensitive Scalp Perms
Some people have allergies or intolerances to harsher chemicals and thus will end up with an irritated scalp. This type of perm has been formulated to be gentler for sensitive scalps.
See also: The Air Wave Perm or the Digital Perm: Which One is Better?
What Kinds of Rollers Should I Use?
Choosing the right-sized rollers can be challenging as there are a variety of sizes available.
- Small (1/8 to 3/8 inches) – ideal for small curls and people with short hair
- Medium (9/16 inch) – good curls that are neither tight nor loose and perfect for medium-length hair
- Large (11/16 inch)– right for large curls and long hair
- Jumbo (¾ to 1.5 inches) – ideal for creating waves rather than curls
How Long Does It Take to Do a Perm?
Generally, plan on one to three hours to get your perm finished. The amount of time will be influenced by who does your perm such as if you are doing it by yourself, how large the curls should be, and the length of your hair.
Before Getting a Perm
Before you decide to take the plunge and perm your hair, consider these factors to be successful.
How healthy is your hair?
If your hair is already damaged, it will be more so after a perm. Do not assume that the neutralizer lotion will completely rebuild your hair. Perms leave some permanent damage.
How Long Is Your Hair?
The result will be heavily influenced by your hair’s length. Usually, longer hair gives a better result than short hair.
Do You have Experience Perming?
When doing a home perm, you need to be honest about your perming experience and expertise. If you don’t have perming experience, it may be better to entrust your hair to a hair care professional.
How Long Should I Leave Perm Lotion on?
The majority of perming kits indicate that you can leave the perm lotion on for a maximum of approximately 20 minutes. When the lotion has been applied for 10 minutes, control several curls randomly to see if curls have formed.
When a wave shape is not present, check once more after 5 more minutes. When the desired S-shaped wave is achieved, you can rinse.
