If you’ve recently gotten your hair permed or have been considering it, you may already know about the maintenance your newly formed curls will require.
Your stylist has likely run through a long list of do’s and don’ts with you, but what about styling?
Pulling your hair back into a ponytail may have been a quick, on-the-go style for you before, but can you put your hair up after a fresh perm?
Keep reading to learn the answer and more tips about maintaining your new hair texture, including what to avoid after a perm.
Can I Put My Hair Up Immediately After A Perm?
No, you should avoid putting your hair up for 48-72 hours after you receive your perm. If you put your hair up too soon, you risk deforming the curls or causing uneven patterns in your new style.
Permed hair is more fragile and susceptible to damage. Tying it up can cause breakage or stress to the hair, especially when it’s in a delicate state right after the treatment.
It needs to retain moisture post-treatment. Putting it up could disrupt the moisture balance and lead to dryness.
So, you should avoid putting your hair up at least first 48 hours after the perm.
What Will Happen If I Put My Newly Permed Hair Up?
Stressing your hair after a perm can cause frizziness and damage. Putting your hair up with a fresh perm can lead to irregularly shaped curls and ruin the desired effect.
Perming makes your hair fragile and susceptible to damage and breakage. Putting it up too soon can result in frizzy and misshapen curls.
If hair ties and elastics can cause strand breakage and damage to untreated hair, just imagine what they can do after chemical treatments.
What to Avoid After Getting a Perm?
The first 48-72 hours of your perm are the most important in ensuring your curls maintain their new structure, which is why there are several things you should try to avoid doing with your hair during this time.
1. Washing Your Hair Too Soon
You should avoid hair washing, such as shampooing or rinsing, for at least 48 hours after getting a perm. Washing your hair too soon after getting a perm can stop the setting process for the curls and leave your new hairstyle frizzy or misshapen.
Additionally, you should avoid standing under a shower head after getting a perm, as the weight of the water could relax your curls and leave your new style a frizzy mess.
2. Swimming Pools
Swimming pools and hot tubs typically contain chemicals that maintain the Ph balance of the water. These chemicals can react with the substances used for your hair perm and cause damage to your hair shape and structure.
3. Brushing Out Your Curls
You should avoid brushing your hair with a hairbrush until your first shampoo. However, you should remember now that your hair is curly, your hair care routine should change slightly.
Try to think of your new hair as if it were your natural texture. Try using a wide-tooth comb or pick on your curls to separate them and avoid the frizz a hairbrush will cause.
4. Heat Styling
Since your hair is fragile after a perm, you should avoid using heat to style it, especially hair dryers. Heat can open the cuticle back up and result in frizz or mishappen curls.
If you need to dry your hair, you should only scrunch it with a towel or an old t-shirt. This will prevent the heat from breaking down your cuticle and causing damage to your hair structure.
5. Dying Your Hair
Avoid dying your hair for 2-3 weeks after a perm. Hair dye contains chemicals that can alter the cuticle of your hair.
After receiving a perm, your hair cuticles will already be in a vulnerable and fragile state, making them more susceptible to damage or breakage.
Wrap Up
You shouldn’t pull your hair up immediately after getting a perm. Hair perms use chemicals that break down and rebuild the entire structure of your hair strands to form a new shape.
You should avoid putting any stress on your hair as it sets, including pulling it back into a ponytail, washing it with shampoos, swimming pools, hair dye, and heat styling.