How To Get Rid Of A Perm

Just as the name suggests, a perm permanently changes the structure of your hair. It styles your hair, in such a way that it gets enough volume. At the same time, perms give a complete makeover to a person. However, despite so many advantages of this popular hair style, it does not suit everyone. There are also chances of your getting bored of it quickly. In either of the situations, you would start looking for ways to get rid of it. Also, after sometime your perms will start to fall out, which means that it will stop looking like it first did when you walked out with it from the salon and made heads turn around. There a full chance that after 4 months your perm looks ridiculous and your hair have no style in it whatsoever. There are many reasons for your perm to fall out and more often than not it is not your stylist’s mistake. It is ridiculously tough process to keep your perm intact. You cannot wash your hair with a shampoo for at least 24 hours after getting a perm or deep condition it for 48 hours. Also, if your hair has already been treated with chemicals before like bleach, etc. there are many chances that your hair will not be able to hold the perm chemical for a longer period of time or even very efficiently for that matter. Whatever the reason is for your fallen out perms, it certainly is not a very beautiful sight and your yearning to get rid of it is totally understandable. You do not have to live with it even for a single day if you do not want to.

Image: milele@flickr

Getting Rid Of Perms

Immediately After Getting the Perm

One of the effective ways to get rid of your hair perm would be to get a head wash. However, in case of permanent perm, this would prove effective only if you have got your perm within the past 72 hours. Shampooing would help remove all the chemicals from the hair. Remember, the sooner you shampoo, the better are your chances of removing the perms.
Once you have shampooed your hair a couple of times, it is the time to apply a deep conditioner. Make sure to go for a conditioner that has a thick texture, as it would help weigh down your curls. You would notice that the curls have become less kinky and subdued.

Sometime After the Perm

For those that have been sporting the perm look for a couple of days, shampooing and conditioner would not prove to be effective. You can instead go for hot oil massage. The hot oil treatments would help you in reducing the curls.
Hair cut is another way to get rid of perms. Trim your hair after every four weeks as it would help you remove a portion of the permed hair recurrently. With time all the permed hair will get removed in the trimming process, leaving your hair looking just like it was earlier.
Straightening your hair is an efficient way to get rid of a perm. In this process, the result would be a straight structure for your hair. For this, you can either go for chemical treatments (permanent straightening) or use a blow dryer/ straightening iron (temporary straightening).
Another way is to shampooing your hair with a clarifying shampoo. You do not have to worry about what particular type; any type of clarifying shampoo will be perfect. The aim is to remove all the chemicals and styling products from your hair. Massage the shampoo on the roots; you must let the shampoo solution sit on your hair for a good while because it will then go deep to the roots and clear out all the deposits. Do not massage your scalp too much, otherwise it will mess up your scalp before you pour perming solution on it. Now empty perming solution bottle on your hair and comb it through your hair with a wide-toothed comb. You do not have to buy a harsh and strong perm solution to strip out your existing perm; all you need is a very light perming solution like acid perm solution. Let the solution settle on your hair for a while; it will drip so it might be a good idea to keep your head hung lose over the basin. Just when the dripping stops put a towel under your shoulders and comb your hair for at least 20 minutes. Then you must rinse your hair using the warm water only. You must rinse it properly if you do not want your hair to smell of strong chemical solutions later. Now you can towel dry your hair and comb them again for at least 5 minutes. Then later you can put some deep conditioner on your hair and rinse it out.
Important thing to note is that you cannot use neutralizing shampoo on your perms. Perming your hair changes the original structure of your hair in order to deposit the curls in your hair. The effect is permanent. Neutralizing shampoo will not be able to reverse back this permanent change in the structure of your hair.

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How To Get Rid Of A Perm

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