To make a perm look natural, focus on nourishing products, gentle drying (air dry or diffuse), and styling techniques like scrunching with curl creams to define clumps, rather than frizz, and using bigger rods or varying rod sizes during the perm for looser, multi-textured waves. Avoid harsh scrubbing, excessive heat, and heavy products that create crunch, opting for sulfate-free, curl-specific formulas to blend the perm with your natural texture over time.
Multi-Textured Perm
Multi-texture perms give you waves that look more natural and have more variation to them. The process: Following the typical perm process, different rod sizes give you various sizes of curls or waves.
Trim Regularly: Trim your hair every 6-8 weeks to gradually remove the relaxed ends while encouraging healthy growth of your natural hair. Use Protective Styles: Protective styles like braids, twists, and buns are beneficial. They help blend the two textures and reduce the need for daily styling.
Don't wash and/or condition your hair for up to 48 hours after your perm to help your style bed in. Wash your hair with products created for curly hair. Our Dream Curls Shampoo and Dream Curls Conditioner nourish and detangle curls and waves, and leave curls bouncy, aligned and frizz-free.
1. Body Wave Perm. A body wave perm uses large curling rods to create soft, subtle waves that add volume without looking overly curly. This style adds a natural, effortless texture and balances strong jawlines (square faces) while also adding fullness to the lower face (heart-shaped faces).
Hair that can't be permed includes severely damaged, bleached, or chemically treated hair (like keratin or henna), hair with scalp irritation, very fine hair prone to breakage, or hair that has been recently chemically straightened, as these conditions risk excessive damage, frizz, or failure to hold the curl, with virgin hair being the best candidate for a successful perm.
Perm may be short for 'permanent,' but its lifespan can vary. A perm typically lasts three to six months, depending on the type of perm you get, your hair type and how well you take care of it.
If the chemical overstays, then the hair becomes over processed. If the chemical is left for less time than intended, then the hair becomes under processed and comes out looking frizzled. The chemical solution needs to be completely rinsed off from the hair, otherwise the hair will get damaged and start breaking off.
Always remember the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance ha! That you're forbidden to wet your hair for at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate.
Over-moisturized hair looks limp, mushy, and lacks definition, with curls falling flat and feeling overly soft, stretchy (without bouncing back), and heavy, often appearing stringy or greasy, even feeling cool and damp for a long time after washing due to moisture overload and a lack of protein balance.
If you want to undo the results of a perm, or relax a perm, wash your hair with Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner to cleanse and hydrate your hair, and to help relax your curls. Apply a deep conditioning treatment or hot oil treatment, cover your curls with a shower cap, and leave on for several hours.
The answer is it is not possible. Once hair has been chemically relaxed, that particular piece of the hair shaft is forever altered in its texture. The new growth (from the scalp) will be natural hair. But, the new growth will always be attached to the chemically treated hair until the hair falls out at the root.
You begin by adding more of what you already love about your natural hair. Whether that be the darker pieces or the lighter pieces is up to you. In the end it's all about getting the right tone. The closer we can get that tone to your natural now, the easier it will be to grow out your hair.
Although the word “perm” may have you thinking “permanent,” the curls or waves the process creates generally only stick around for three to six months. “Once the service is completed, try to avoid wetting or washing your hair—it's important to let the solution set in your hair for at least 48 hours,” says Flete.
One of the most popular techniques for big, bouncy curls in 2025 is the body perm.
Key Styling Techniques
Praying Hands — flatten product between palms and smooth down the hair to seal the cuticle and reduce frizz. Scrunching — cup the ends and scrunch upwards to encourage curl clumping. Squish to Condish — while conditioning, cup water + conditioner and squeeze to lock in moisture.
Post perm care
The "2-inch rule" (often cited as 2.25 inches) for short hair is a quick test to see if a pixie or bob might suit your face shape: hold a pencil horizontally under your chin and a ruler vertically from your earlobe down; if the distance from the pencil to the ruler's base is less than 2.25 inches, short hair is likely flattering, while a longer measurement suggests longer styles work better for your features, according to this hairstylist and Allure.
Don't wash your hair for 48-72 hours after a perm . During that time your perm is still technically forming and can be ruined or relax if you decide to wash it within that time frame. Don't comb thru your hair during the first 48 hours.
If you are unhappy with your perm service, go back to your stylist and discuss the alternatives. If it is too curly, your stylist can relax it. If it is not curly enough, wait at least a week to redo it.
Even though “perm” is short for “permanent,” perms only last for three to six months. The lifespan of your perm may vary depending on your hair texture, hair length, the type of perm you get, and how well you take care of your perm.
Keeping your permed hair safe overnight might be the most difficult task yet. Regular cotton pillowcases can cause friction that damages your hair. Sleep on a satin pillowcase instead to give your hair the freedom to move without damage. You could tie your hair up in a loose bun, braids, or do the plop method.
Hair that can't be permed includes severely damaged, bleached, or chemically treated hair (like keratin or henna), hair with scalp irritation, very fine hair prone to breakage, or hair that has been recently chemically straightened, as these conditions risk excessive damage, frizz, or failure to hold the curl, with virgin hair being the best candidate for a successful perm.
You heard it here before anywhere else; perms are making a comeback! Now, they're not quite the ultra-curly perms that we saw in the 80s. Instead, they're more natural-looking and are popular with teenage boys and girls. A perm is a great way to add some texture and intrigue to your hair.