Some people might think that perms are a thing of the past, but I am here to tell you that they are actually making a comeback these days. These new, modern perms are quite gorgeous and have understandably attracted a lot of attention. If you are thinking about getting a perm, you will need to learn all about it, how to maintain it, and how to sleep with permed hair.
Nowadays, you can get a perm and make your hair wavy, curly, or even straight. There are a ton of perming products that you can use by yourself, but most of them require the help of a trained hair stylist. Once you make your appointment in a hair salon and you get your hair permed, you will have to be very careful with it and pay extra attention to it so that it will look good for weeks or months on end.
Today, I will talk to you about my favorite maintenance tips and tricks for permed hair, how to sleep with it, and some other friendly tips that might come in handy once you get a perm. So if this is something that would interest you, just keep on reading!
Table of Contents
What You Need to Know Before Getting a Perm
As I have mentioned, modern perms are really taking the world by storm these days because of the soft, natural look that they give your hair.
If you are thinking of getting a perm, it might be a good idea to contact your local hair salon and make an appointment. Perms can look good only if they are done properly, and for those of you who do not have any experience with perming hair, the process can be a bit too complicated.
Having your hair permed will take anywhere from two to three hours. The time can vary depending on the texture and length of your hair. Then, the perm will last anywhere from three to six months depending on the actual product that you use. So you will want to have an experienced hairstylist do the perming for you because you do not want to be stuck with a bad hairdo for months!
Once you get your hair permed, things fall into your hands. You will have to learn the best maintenance tips and tricks to keep the perm looking good. One of the most important things is to learn how to sleep with newly permed hair without damaging it. I will delve right into that and share everything you need to know about sleeping with permed hair.
How to Sleep with Newly Permed Hair
After getting your hair permed, the first two or three days are critical because during this time, the perming solution is still somewhat fresh and setting into your hair. So if you pull or drag your hair during these first few days, some of the curls might be ruined. It is not only pulling that can ruin permed hair – but you might also want to keep your hands away from it as too much touching can also have a bad effect on the hair. And for goodness’ sake, don’t wash it — more on this in the next section.
Now that you know what you should not do to your permed hair, you also need to know what you actually can do to it to make it look perfect. Special care is required, especially when it comes to sleeping on your new perm, so this is the first thing that I will cover. Let’s see how you can sleep with newly permed hair:
Dry Off Perming Solution
One of the things that you will want to keep in mind is that you should let your hair dry completely before you go to sleep. Some perming solutions are used on wet or damp hair, and if you decide to use such a solution, make sure to air-dry or blow-dry your hair before going to bed that night.
If you go to bed with damp or wet permed hair, you might be unintentionally setting yourself up for failure as this can lead to flyaways as well as frizz. I advise you to always dry your hair completely before going to bed if you want to get the best results in the morning!
Silk Pillowcase and Bonnet
Silk pillowcases are always a good idea, no matter if you have permed hair or not. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase will help you keep your hair smooth, frizz-free, and without any flyaways whatsoever.
I know that a lot of you might be using cotton pillowcases, but when it comes to permed hair, this kind of pillowcase can snag the hair and cause it to become dryer. If you do not have a silk pillowcase, you can also use a silk bonnet on your hair. The bonnet will keep the hair in place and save it from any potential damage.
Loose Buns
If your hair is wavy after perming it, a great solution to keeping those waves intact is to sleep with a loose bun. The bun might not be the most comfortable hairstyle when it comes to sleeping, but it will all be worth it when you see how nice your waves look afterward.
While the hair is still damp, you can apply some leave-in conditioner and leave the hair to air-dry. Then, you should take all your hair and slightly pull it to the top of your head, making the bun there and securing it with a hair elastic.
You should not worry about the bun damaging the state of your hair. When it comes to wavy perms, the bun will only help your waves look nicer.
Three Buns
This is an alternative solution to the loose bun. If your hair is not long enough to be pulled to the top of your head and made into a bun, then you can always use this method which is very similar and gives the same results.
For this method, you will need to divide your hair into three sections that you will twist into loose buns and secure with some elastics. When you let your hair down, you will get some nicely defined waves!
Braiding
If you get a wavy perm, instead of using the loose buns, you can always go for some braids. They are a bit more comfortable to sleep with, and they are also very easy to make.
What you need to do is divide your hair into two sections and start braiding them as you would a regular braid. Make sure that you do not make them too tight as that can ruin your curls. You want them to be on the looser side, but make sure they are still tight enough to last through the night.
Secure the end with an elastic and get right into bed! If you want to go the extra mile, you can also use a silk bonnet to make sure that the top of your hair stays frizz-free.
Plopping
Plopping is a great method that you can use to keep a perm curly while sleeping. All that you need for this method is a microfiber towel and your favorite leave-in conditioner.
After washing your hair, apply the conditioner, then lay the microfiber towel on a flat surface and let the hair fall on the towel. Secure your hair in the towel and go to sleep with the towel on your hair. In the morning, when you let your hair down, you will see that the curls are all intact, well-defined, and even softer than you expected them to be!
How to Care for Newly Permed Hair
Now that you know how to sleep with permed hair, I would also like to mention some maintenance tips and tricks for permed hair so that you know exactly what you should do and what you should avoid after getting a perm.
No Washing or Combing for at Least a Few Days
After getting the perm, all that you need to do is enjoy how it looks. That means no washing for at least two days and no combing for at least one day after getting the perm.
Remember that climactic court scene in Legally Blonde? Washing your hair right after a You must keep away from water during this time. Not only should you not wash your hair, but you should also keep all your drinks away from you and your bed during this period. Even the smallest amount of water can lead to damage to the perm, and that is the last thing you want.
Do Not Mix Hair Dyes and Perms
This is also a very important point: If you are planning on getting a perm, make sure that you do not dye your hair for at least two weeks before the perming and two weeks after it.
A lot of hair dyes contain chemicals that can damage the hair. The chemicals in the dye and the chemicals used during the setting of the perm do not mix well, so you should put off dyeing the hair during this period.
Learn How to Care for Curls
As you might have noticed so far, I mentioned several types of curls that you can achieve with a perm. Those are beach waves, semi-defined curls, and tight curls. What you need to understand is that no matter what type of curls you have, you have to treat them as if they were natural.
What this means is that after getting a perm, you should consider making a trip to the store to buy shampoo and conditioner that are specifically made for treated hair or curly hair. Products like this will help you keep your perm looking good for a lot longer.
Treat Your Hair
You should be aware that perming your hair will leave you with some damage – it comes with the process. If you do the perm at home, you can damage your hair more than necessary, but if you go to a professional hairstylist, they can help you keep the damage to a minimum.
After perming your hair, it might feel a bit dry or lifeless. What you can do to bring it back to life is use deep conditioning treatments after you wash your hair. Adding some Moroccan oil or coconut oil to the hair will also make it feel softer to the touch.
Do Not Use Any Hot Tools
After perming your hair, you will not want to use a blow dryer, flat iron, or curler to style it. All that heat will only contribute to damaging the hair even more, while you will also make your curls look worse.
If you need to blow-dry the hair, you will want to do it on a low heat setting and with a diffuser to enhance your curls, and remember to not place the blow dryer too close to the hair. As for the styling, you can always opt to use some natural ways to make those waves pop.
FAQs on Caring for Permed Hair
I have covered the most effective ways to sleep with permed hair and care for it after getting it. Before I conclude this guide, I will also like to mention some frequently asked questions on this topic. Here are some of them:
Will my perm get curlier after I wash it?
The correct answer is no – perms do not get curlier when you wash your hair. As I said, the first wash needs to be at least a few days after getting the perm.
Once you wash the hair for the first time, you should expect to see the curls setting in nicely and getting a more natural shape. If you want them to look nice, you can always use some nice shampoo or conditioner. However, there is nothing that you can use to make the perm curlier than it is when you first get it.
How do I keep my perm from frizzing?
I have already mentioned some pretty good tricks on keeping hair frizz-free, but I would also like to mention some other things that you can do to maintain that nice, frizz-free look.
If your ends are too damaged, you can always get them trimmed to make the hair look smoother altogether. Also, you can use some oil on the ends whenever you wash your hair.
Rub the hair using a microfiber towel after you wash it, and do not forget to wash with proper products. A leave-in conditioner and a good shampoo will also contribute to making the hair look nicer and smoother.
Why does my perm not look curly?
If you got a perm and you find that the curls look more like waves, chances are that one of two things happened. First, the perm rods might have been too large for your hair and ended up making curls that are not tight enough. Second, the perm might have been under-processed for some reason, and the curls did not take the shape they were supposed to.
If you did your perm by yourself, then you should go back and read the instructions of the perming solution to see where you might have gone wrong. However, if you got the perm at a salon, you will need to talk to your hairstylist and see what went wrong. If your hair is not too damaged, you can always ask your hairstylist for a do-over.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
I hope that you read through this guide and that all your questions on how to sleep with permed hair were answered. Now you can rest easy. Maintaining a perm is not hard — all you need to do is know exactly how to care for the hair and prevent it from getting damaged.
Remember to steer clear from water for at least 48 hours, use some silk bonnets or pillowcases when you sleep, and always use proper products on the hair. Take the time to care for your hair, and it will pay you back by looking gorgeous and shiny!
Let me know if you tried out any of the above-mentioned methods for sleeping with permed hair or if you know some other methods that I should include in this guide. I cannot wait to read all your comments!
