It's the Lunar New Year soon, and many people go to the hairdresser to refresh their hair, such as perming curls. So, what happens to your hair when you perm it? How does a small bottle of potion in a barber shop make your hair bend? How do you choose a perm?
Perm is a kind of "hairdressing" that changes the shape of the hair, and it is also more common in various hairdressing projects, mainly divided into physical perm and chemical perm. Let's get to know the hair before we get to the perm.
How hair is composed
Hair is a keratin protein made up of a series of amino acids that act like a long chain, and amino acids are the links in it. An amino acid that is abundant in hair is called cysteine, which is inserted in two cysteines in different places and is connected by sulfur-sulfur bridge bonds to form a cystine, which is like a small spring, giving hair a certain shape and elasticity.
How to perform a perm
Nowadays, there are two main types of perm technology: electric perm and cold perm, both of which require chemical solutions to treat the hair. Perms are generally done with a reducing chemical solution to disassemble the small springs of cystine, so that the sulfur-sulfur bridge bond of cystine is broken and becomes two cysteines. At this time, the amino acid connection of the hair is loosened, and the hairstylist first coils the hair into a certain waveform, and then applies the fixative, oxidized sodium perborate, so that the broken cysteine is then combined in pairs to form a new spring, so that the hairstyle is fixed. The perm steps are as follows:
1. Care before ironing
A comprehensive perm routine must include pre-perm care. Hair is usually sprayed wet before applying ointment. The aim is to fill the gaps created by the hair in the daily damage and provide adequate nourishment to the hair.
2. Soften hair
During the perm process, the softening step indirectly determines the shape of the perm. Here's how: First, apply an appropriate amount of softening cream to your hair, then wrap your hair in plastic wrap. After 15~20 minutes, test the degree of softening of the hair, and decide whether to continue waiting for softening according to the actual situation. It is important to note that the ends and top of the head should be applied separately, as the ends are delicate and excessive softening can cause damage.
3. Roll up
After confirming that the desired softening effect is achieved, thoroughly wash off any remaining softener from your hair and style your curls with a professional tool. In general, the curling process from top to bottom is medium, large, and small.
4. Heating
During the curling process, the hair is simultaneously covered with heating paper and wrapped in a thermal insulation pad. This is followed by heat treatment, which usually lasts for 15~20 minutes.
5. Coating setting solution
After heating, a layer of styling liquid is applied to the perm curl, and after 8 minutes, rinse with water to complete the perm process.
What are the ingredients in hair perm?
In general, physical perms can be achieved with only a curling iron, while chemical perms require the use of perm cosmetics - perms. At present, the common perm is a combination of two dosage forms, mainly including two parts: curling agent and neutralizing agent. It is important to note that there is a difference in the formulation of the curl used in the hot perm and cold perm methods.
Hot perm curling agent. The main ingredients include sulfites and alkalizing agents (such as ammonia, ammonium carbonate, etc.). These curls are simple and easy to apply, gentle on the hair, and less likely to cause brittle hair and dull color.
Cold perm curling agent. The main ingredients include sulfhydryl compounds, alkalizing agents, surfactants, chelating agents, antioxidants, conditioning agents, emolectants, flavors, pigments, etc. It can effectively shorten the perm time, improve the curling efficiency, have low irritation, and are relatively safe to use.
Neutralizer. The main ingredients include oxidants, organic acids and additives, which have a styling and fixing effect on the hair, and can effectively remove residual curl agents.
What is the safer way to choose a perm?
Before perming, it is very important to judge the hair quality, and it is recommended that people with fine and soft hair and extremely damaged hair choose cold perm, which can effectively reduce the damage of chemicals to the hair quality and make the hair curl better reflected. People with healthy hair can choose cold perm and electric perm.
How to care for your hair after a perm
Some people find that their hair becomes dry and frizzy after perming because the perm has caused damage to the hair during the perm process. Therefore, it is more necessary to pay attention to the care of the hair after the perm.
Wash your hair less often. Frequent shampooing will cause the hair to be washed away from the protective oils, making the hair more brittle, and don't rub the hair too hard when shampooing, which can easily damage the hair.
Stick to hair care products. When washing your hair, you can use it with conditioner, hair mask, and hair oil, which can reduce friction between hairs and reduce hair static electricity.
Choose the right shampoo for damaged hair. For dry scalps, choose a mild shampoo (e.g., laureth sulfate) and a conditioner (e.g., dimethicone). For oily scalps, choose a shampoo with an oil-controlling effect and a hair care product.
Although everyone has a love for beauty, the perm should not be too frequent, the perm time should not be too long, and the interval between each perm should be more than half a year.
Resources:
1. "If you want beautiful curly hair, you might as well try perming it", An'an.com
2. "Do you know how your hair is bent during the Chinese New Year?", Popular Science China