Perm Hairstyles: Curl Types and Expert Tips
The Modern-Day Perm Is Back and Bigger Than Ever
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Who could forget the courtroom scene in "Legally Blonde" when Elle argues: "Isn't it the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance that you are forbidden to wet your hair for at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate?"
Who could forget the courtroom scene in "Legally Blonde" when Elle argues: "Isn't it the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance that you are forbidden to wet your hair for at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate?"
Depeyrot adds that, to fully set the curl (and therefore extends its longevity), it's actually best to wait to wash your hair for at least two days, and don't comb it for the first 24 hours. Once you do that, it's all uphill from there: "A perm should last about six months give or take — the healthier and faster your hair grows, the shorter it will last," he says.
The more you stay away from heat and condition your hair to keep it moisturised, the better your curl will hold.
Maintenance depends on a few things — how healthy your hair was, if it's colour-treated, the works — but most experts recommend you book touch-ups every two to three months, or as soon as you start to notice the curls fall.