How to maintain your curls after using a curling iron or other methods to keep them long-lasting and prevent frizz is a question many women have. Let AVAKids explore ways to care for permed hair at home without spending too much time while still achieving bouncy, desirable curls!

1How to Style Hair After a Perm

To maintain your curls after a perm, you should pay attention to the following:

• Don’t touch your hair after perming: After being exposed to chemicals, hair is often very weak and prone to breakage. It takes about 24-48 hours for the curls to fully set. Therefore, you should avoid touching or running your fingers through your hair frequently and let it rest to maintain the curl’s longevity.
• Avoid washing your hair: Washing your hair will reduce the effectiveness of the perm solution, causing the curls to straighten out quickly. Therefore, you should avoid washing your hair for the first 3 days after perming.
• Let your hair down: For the curling process to be smooth and achieve the desired result, you should only let your hair down naturally. Tying it up or using hair clips frequently, especially tightly, can easily alter the initial hairstyle.
• Don’t dye your hair: Hair also needs time to stabilize after a perm. Continuing to use chemicals on your hair for dyeing during this period will further damage it, making it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. A week is the minimum time for hair to recover before you can dye it.

OC Naturals Deep Nourish Shampoo 400ml

2Washing Permed or Wavy Hair Correctly

How to wash your hair correctly and maintain its beauty is a concern for many. Here are some tips for you every time you wash your permed hair.

• Choose the right shampoo and conditioner: Products with hair-restoring properties are a suitable choice for permed hair. Besides, you should also avoid chemicals like parabens or sulfates and prioritize products with safe and gentle natural ingredients.
• Don’t wash your hair every day: The recommended hair washing frequency by experts is about 2-3 times a week, even less for permed hair. Using shampoo daily will strip the scalp of its natural oils, making your hair weak, dry, and prone to breakage.
• Use conditioner regularly: Conditioner helps provide and maintain moisture for hair, especially after a perm. However, you should absolutely avoid using conditioner on the roots and scalp, as this will make your hair greasy faster. You can also use a hair mask once a week.

Pantene Pro-V Micellar Shampoo

3Guide to Maintaining Permed Curls

• When drying your hair, you should use your hands to curl your hair inwards and gently squeeze the curls to maintain their shape.
• After your hair is dry, you can clip it up high with a claw clip for a few hours. This helps the curls look more defined.
• You should also make it a habit to use hair rollers to maintain your permed curls for a long time.
• Braid your hair and leave it overnight, and when you wake up, you’ll be delighted with your “natural” curls.
• Permed hair usually holds its curls for about 6 to 8 months. As new hair grows, the perm will loosen. At this point, you can consider a new hairstyle.

Kumano Salon Link Shampoo for Permed and Color-Treated Hair 1000ml

411 Ways to Care for and Style Permed Hair

4.1. Don’t wash your hair immediately after perming

After perming, your hair needs time for the chemicals in the styling product to penetrate deep into the hair strands. Therefore, instead of washing your hair immediately, you should wait at least 2 days before cleansing it to help the curls set better, prevent them from loosening, and achieve the desired waves.

4.2. Don’t wash your hair too often

The general advice for both natural and permed, straightened, or colored hair is to only wash it 2-3 times a week. Washing your hair too frequently removes the natural oils and moisture, making it more susceptible to damage and dryness. Frequent washing, especially after a perm, can cause the curls to lose their shape and lead to hair loss.

4.3. Wash and rinse your hair with cold water

Using excessively hot water when washing and rinsing your hair will dilate the pores, causing the scalp to flake and leading to dandruff, weakened, and dry hair. Instead, using cold water will prevent the styling and coloring products from washing away. If the weather is too cold or your scalp is oily, you can use lukewarm water around 40-45 degrees Celsius.

Rejoice Super Smooth 48 Hours Shampoo

4.4. Always brush your hair carefully

Whether your hair is natural or permed, brushing contributes to smoother hair. With permed hair, you should use a wide-toothed comb to brush it thoroughly, preventing the curls from tangling, which can lead to loss of shape and hair breakage.

4.5. Let your hair air dry

After cleansing your hair and scalp, you should let it air dry to avoid the dryness and weakness often caused by frequent exposure to high temperatures from hair dryers, curling irons, and straighteners. If you need to use a hair dryer, choose a low heat setting and hold it at least 25cm away from your hair.

4.6. Dry your hair effectively

For better curl retention, you can also blow-dry your hair. Be careful not to over-dry it for extended periods; instead, dry it until it’s still slightly damp. Use a low, cool setting on your dryer to maintain moisture and minimize damage while still achieving volume.

4.7. Use moisturizing shampoo

Shampoo is also an important factor in caring for permed hair. Instead of specialized shampoos that can cause dryness, you should use a shampoo with moisturizing and restorative ingredients to provide nutrients and nourish a healthy scalp.

OGX Thick Full Biotin Collagen Shampoo 385ml

4.8. Use hair care products

Just spend 2-3 minutes each time using conditioner, hair treatments, or hair masks, and you’ll feel the difference in your hair. These products not only moisturize but also help maintain beautiful curls, prevent dryness and tangles, and protect against harmful environmental factors like dust, heat, and sunlight.

4.9. Limit the use of hair shine serum

Hair shine serum can make hair attract dust and become dirty quickly, so you should limit its use after perming, especially if you have oily skin. Instead, you can use hair shine sprays that absorb quickly and are less sticky.

4.10. Deep condition correctly

During the first 4 weeks after perming, you should wrap your hair in a towel for a cold treatment twice, 5-10 minutes each time, to rebalance moisture. After that, to continue nourishing your hair deeply, use a hair mask once a week for stronger and shinier hair.

4.11. How to maintain permed curls

• When drying your hair, use your hands to shape the curls as desired and then dry to maintain the curl’s shape.
• Use hair clips, claw clips, hair ties, or scrunchies to tie your hair up high and then release it to help maintain the curl’s definition.
• Use hair rollers at night, especially for bangs, to keep curls longer.
• Those with long hair can braid their hair before going to sleep to prevent it from becoming messy and losing its curl during long periods of lying down.
• After 6-8 months, your hair will grow longer and the curls will loosen. You can then go to a salon or use curling irons to create a new hairstyle.

TRESemmé Shampoo

5Frequently Asked Questions about Permed Hair Care

5.1 What should I do if my permed hair loses its curls?

Losing curl definition in permed hair is quite common. Try using styling products like curl creams, leave-in conditioners for permed hair, or hairspray to help reshape your curls. If your hair is flat, you can use a hair dryer or curling iron to add volume. Also, try combing your hair with a wide-toothed comb, putting your hair in a bun, or braiding it before bed to maintain the curls. Proper hair care with gentle washing, using conditioner, and limiting the use of chemicals is also crucial. If your hair is severely damaged, visit a salon for professional advice and treatment.

5.2 Should I blow-dry my permed hair?

If you have permed hair, you should limit the use of heat from a hair dryer. This can easily make your hair lose its curl and even cause more damage. Instead, you should use a soft cotton towel to absorb water and gently dry your hair.

However, if you want to use a hair dryer for speed and convenience, prioritize dryers with multiple heat settings or a cool setting. Furthermore, when drying, you should maintain some moisture in your hair and avoid over-drying.

5.3 Should I brush my permed hair?

Loosely curled or wavy hair can be brushed gently to create volume, but tightly curled or coily hair should be brushed less frequently as it can disrupt the curl pattern. Thin, weak hair prone to breakage should be brushed less, while thick, strong hair can be brushed gently. If your hair has been styled, limit brushing as it can make the hair stiff. When brushing permed hair, use a wide-toothed comb, brush gently from root to tip, and preferably when the hair is still damp. After brushing, use styling products to maintain your curls.

L’Oreal Paris Elseve Extraordinary Oil Shampoo and Conditioner Set

Above are ways to care for permed hair to maintain long-lasting curls, limit dryness, and allow you to confidently show off your wavy, shiny hair. Visit the avakids.com website or contact the hotline 1900.866.874 for the fastest support!