What are the differences between different perms ?

n the article “How to Choose the Color for Hair Dyeing, Only the Right One Can Be Beautiful”, a friend left a message hoping to share an article about perms. I will satisfy you today and will continue to share hair care next time.

1. Understanding perm

There are two types of perming now: physical perm and chemical perm. Chemical perm is generally used now , which will cause less damage to the hair than physical perm.

There are two main purposes of perming : first, to make the hair thicker (with a curly effect); second, to change the shape and direction of the hair (with a less extreme curl effect).

The basic process of perming hair consists of two steps : the first step is to break the sulfide bonds and hydrogen bonds in the hair through chemical reactions; the second step is to reorganize the hair core structure and stabilize it.

2. Perm classification

There are many types of perms on the market, with various names, and as a novice, I can’t tell them apart. The various types of perms commonly mentioned in hair salons, such as ceramic perms, ion perms , tin foil perms, fireworks perms, and digital perms , are basically just slightly different perm tools and techniques, and are mainly market promotion.

Perming can be divided into two types: cold perm and hot perm .

Cold perm is to use cold perm agent on the bar , and it needs to be assisted by qualitative products to achieve a flowing and shiny effect.

Cold perm curls can be divided into spiral perm, air perm , firework perm, trumpet perm, etc. In short, you can make as many kinds of curls as you have creativity.

Hot perm is to soften the hair first and then apply the bar. Hot perm is now divided into ion perm, ceramic perm, digital perm, SPA perm, etc. As long as the perm needs the assistance of thermoplasticization, we call it hot perm.

Spiral perm 

Spiral perm is a small spiral curl like a telephone wire. Which is very fluffy and can double the volume of hair. Spiral perm for short hair will make you look romantic and cute.

Trumpet perm 

Trumpet perm is one of the Japanese perm methods. Placing the trumpet curlers upwards or downwards will produce completely different perm effects. For example, this long curly hair is done with the trumpet curlers placed downwards, which looks very natural and dynamic.

Braid perm 

The perm process of braid perm is to braid the hair into bundles first, and then soak them in chemicals. After perming, just remove the braids. The effect after curling is very natural, fluffy and curly.

Air perm 

This type of perm will make the curls look like they are filled with air, which is very natural and varied. However, you need to cut your hair into pieces before perming, and then the hairstylist will perm them into fluffy curls according to your face shape.

Fireworks perm 

Fireworks perm is a super fine telephone line curl that makes hair fluffy and can increase hair volume three times. The fine fireworks perm makes hair more fluffy and has a slightly afro effect.

Ion perm 

There are many names, such as ceramic flat perm, ion flat perm, super zero-gravity perm, etc., which are actually similar. This type of perm is mostly used for straight hair. After repeated straightening, the effect of straight hair is achieved, and the pain of pulling hair in traditional perm is avoided. The straight hair after ion perm is also very smooth and natural.

Digital perm 

The effect of digital perm will be more lasting, natural, elegant, fluffy and easy to manage. It is suitable for girls with thin hair and those with thin hair. Girls with thick hair should not try this kind of perm, as it will make their heads look bigger.

Fiber perm 

Use fiber cotton to perm your hair. Since fiber cotton itself is very light, you can hardly feel the weight or pulling, and the whole process is painless. Use fiber cotton instead of perm paper to absorb the perm solution, making perm faster. It can be used for bangs and hair ends, with natural curls, full of airiness, and not easy to get tangled.

There are many other types of perms, such as silver perm, braided perm, Barbie perm, water-powered perm, etc. Many hairstyles are similar, but the names are different. For reference, ” The 5 Most Popular Hairstyles in 2017, Better Than Plastic Surgery! “, and later we will share hairstyles suitable for different face shapes.

3. Differences in perm

Generally, hair salons offer perm services at several price points. When going for a perm, people will have this in mind: if they choose a cheap one, they are afraid that it will affect their hair quality, but if they choose an expensive one, they will let their wallet down. For those who are new to perming, they will suffer from choice difficulties.

What are the differences between different perms? How to choose the one that suits you? Xiao Si mainly distinguishes between cold perm and hot perm.

The principle of cold perm is: use the power of perm water to break down the disulfide bonds in the hair, then use the physical effect of curling to stagger the two sulfur groups in the hair to form a new shape, and then use an oxidant to make the split sulfur groups form new disulfide bonds in the new position, thereby forming a new texture.

The principle of hot perm is: first cut all the bonds in the hair, use heat to generate far-infrared rays to make the hydrogen bonds produce memory, recombine and produce a new shape, and finally use a fixative to oxidize and fix the hair.

Difference 1: Different hair types are targeted

Cold perm is a perm method that opens the hair scales. It is most effective for healthy hair. However, if damaged hair is permed, the texture will appear loose or broken after perming.

Hot perm is a perm method that closes the hair scales. It is a perm technology specially created for damaged hair. It can replenish the nutrition inside the hair to the greatest extent and reduce the damage caused by perm to the hair.

Summary: Cold perm is suitable for healthy hair, and hot perm is suitable for all hair types.

Difference 2: Different degrees of softening

Cold perm chemicals can only change the hair’s chain structure by 70%-80%. The effect after perming is that the hair will be curled in a flower-shaped pattern when wet, and 20%-30% of the chain structure will be restored to straight hair after it dries naturally.

When the hot perm agent is softened, it can change the chain structure 100%. The effect after perming is that the hair has a poor shape when wet, but has a good shape and good elasticity when dry.

Summary: Cold perm creates better shape on wet hair; hot perm creates better shape and has better elasticity on dry hair.

Difference 3: Different heating methods

Cold perm uses body temperature and room temperature to perm hair. If the room temperature does not reach 15°C, it can be heated appropriately, and the heating temperature should be set below 40°C. Excessive heating of cold perm will damage the protein in the hair, making it stiff and inelastic.

Blanching must be heated, which can be divided into internal heating, external heating, internal and external heating, etc. The temperature must be between 100-140°C to achieve the conditions for the memory reorganization of hydrogen bonds.

Summary: Cold perm is a low-temperature operation, while hot perm is a high-temperature operation.

Difference 4: Different post-perm care

Because the chain structure of cold perm is not perfect, the hair must be moisturized and styling products such as gel water, gel cream and other styling products must be used after perming to maintain the effect of the hairstyle after perming.

Use styling products that increase elasticity within 15 days of perming. No styling products are required after 15 days. The effect is better when the hair is dry.

Summary: Cold perm requires moisturizing and styling care, while hot perm does not require special care.

4. Perm selection

In addition to the choice of perm lotion, choosing a hairstylist is also very important.

If you look at the prices of hair perm solutions in hair salons, you will find that hairdressing is really a highly profitable industry. The purchase price of most solutions ranges from a few yuan to tens of yuan, while the prices sold to us are hundreds or thousands. Xiao Si believes that good solutions will definitely have better effects, but the difference will not be very large, but we must ensure that all the products used are qualified.

The hairstylist’s skills are really important for perming, and most of the money we spend on perming is paid for the hairstylist’s service fee. Here are some tips to judge whether he is professional and honest.

1. Look at the hairstylist’s age

Too young hairstylists are usually unreliable. No matter how professional they look, perming is a technical job. Without a few years of practical experience and without perming hundreds or thousands of hairs, even a genius is useless. Although we should give young people more opportunities, we are also afraid of damaging the hair.

2. Look at the hairstylist’s words and deeds

If they just take a quick look at your hair, they will start recommending products. They will start with the most expensive ones, and if you bargain, they will lower the price, and they will also say that your hair is in a bad condition. They are putting you in danger again, trying to get you to spend as much as possible on the most expensive items, which may not be suitable for you.

If the hairdresser carefully analyzes your hair quality, understands your perm needs, and makes relatively reasonable perm suggestions, then this type of hairdresser is reliable.

3. Choose hair products

When you go to a hair salon to get your hair permed, the hairdresser will usually recommend the products, so a reliable hairdresser is very important. When choosing a product, you must look at the actual product.

Domestic perm products must have a production license, a hygiene license and a special cosmetics license. In addition, the factory name, address and production date must be clearly marked.

Imported brands must have Chinese commodity inspection, import license and Chinese instruction manual. Don’t believe the words “parallel imports”.

If it says “produced by a certain company in a certain country”, don’t think it’s high-end, it’s most likely a fake.

For softening products, you can also ask about the softening time. For normal hair, good softeners will take longer than inferior softeners without heating.

4. Look at the craftsmanship

Applying softener directly demonstrates the hairdresser’s skills. When applying softener, the hair strands should be thin and narrow, so that they can be softened evenly, but the speed should be fast. If it takes 15 minutes to apply the softener, the lower strands are already softened, while the upper strands are only half done, do you think you should wash it or not? Excessive softening will make the hair lose its elasticity and become dry and frizzy.

If you think the hairdresser is good, you can go directly to him in the future, which can save you a lot of trouble.

5. Questions about perming

1. Can I perm my hair while pregnant?

For the sake of the baby’s health, it is best not to perm or dye your hair during pregnancy, and definitely not in the first three months. There is currently little clinical medical data in this area (no one wants to experiment with the baby’s health), so Xiao Si can’t say for sure.

2. Can perm and dyeing be done at the same time?

When you go to get your hair done, responsible hairdressers will tell you that it is best not to do perming and dyeing at the same time. First, it affects the effect; second, it damages the hair quality.

3. If I am not satisfied, can I do it again immediately?

Many hair salons will promise that if you are not satisfied, you can redo it for free. In fact, perming your hair twice in a short period of time will cause great damage to your hair. If you really cannot stand it, you should wait for half a month to a month. If it is your first perm in your life, you should wait for more than half a year before the second perm.

4. How many times a year is appropriate to perm your hair?

At most twice a year, otherwise the damaged hair scales will be damaged again before they can recover, and the hair quality will become worse and worse, and finally you have to cut your hair short.

5. Can everyone have their hair permed?

① Hair perming is not suitable for minors. Boys and girls are in the stage of physical development, and hair perming will not only affect hair growth, but also may damage the scalp.

② Pregnant and breastfeeding women are not suitable for perming. Their hair is fragile and easy to fall out. Perming will aggravate hair loss, and the chemicals are harmful to the fetus and baby.

③ People with hair loss. Whether it is seborrheic or malnutrition-related hair loss, perming will aggravate the symptoms.

④ Field workers. Because hair is often exposed to the sun, it will become dry and break. If you have permed your hair, it is best to protect it with a headscarf, straw hat, etc.

⑤ Patients with tinea capitis . It is not advisable to perm the hair during treatment, because tinea capitis is a fungal infection of the skin, which causes hair loss. Perming will aggravate the condition and affect the treatment.

⑥ Patients with eczema. Eczema is an allergic skin disease. If you perm your hair, the chemical solution will become an allergen, making the eczema worse. Therefore, do not perm your hair before it is cured.

Girls with allergic skin should do a sensitivity test before dyeing their hair. Regardless of whether you have dyed your hair before, you should not ignore this step every time you dye your hair, because the ingredients of the hair dye may be different. However, many hair salons will not do this.

6. How many days after perming can I wash my hair?

Generally, you can wash your hair after 2-3 days. Those who are used to washing their hair every day need to be patient.

7. How to take better care of your hair after perming?

When choosing shampoo, try to use a repairing and nourishing shampoo, or you can also use a shampoo specially designed for curly hair. This can help restore the hair quality and promote the hair’s absorption of nutrients.

Try to use low-temperature water when shampooing, do nourishing care and deep care after washing, and try not to comb your hair.