Cut down on the time and money you spend at the salon with these tips and tools.
Here at KCM, each of us has an area of expertise or two (or three, or four). To provide the best possible shopping advice, we’ve mined our community to bring you recommendations from staffers who moonlight as product experts. In the latest installment of our series, From Someone Who Would Know, commerce editor Katie Pittman gives us the lowdown on maintaining a perm for the long term. From her favorite hair tools to ensuring your scalp stays healthy after your treatment, these products will keep your hair looking shiny, healthy, and bouncy.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted curly hair — something about my stick-straight hair never felt like me. And while I went through plenty of hair phases throughout my life — wanting any color but my natural red hair, cutting it short, growing it out past my waist, having an assortment of bangs (all of which covered my eyes and contributed to forehead acne) — I never wavered on wanting bouncy, corkscrew curls.
I’ve spent mornings with heat tools, using both a straightener and a curling iron to achieve my desired coils. Or I spent evenings sleeping in braids, twists, and tiny buns in an effort to wake up with heatless waves, some of which kind of worked, but required a lot of maintenance and time. Neither routine truly gave me what I wanted.
As a gift to myself on my 24th birthday, I booked an appointment for a perm. I had never had any sort of chemical treatment on my hair, color or otherwise, so I was nervous. I heard horror stories from my mom about split ends and frizzy, unnatural results, but I still wanted to try to give myself the hair I felt fit my personality.
Perm chemicals still smell awful, but the treatment itself has come a long way from the ‘80s. You can now get loose waves, subtle texture, or medium curls (or you can go for a classic, coily perm). Traditional perm rods are made from rigid plastic, and they require a lot of tension on your roots to be held in place, which can cause breakages.
Flexi rods, the more modern curling technique, are made from wire covered in soft foam. They can be bent to create different curl sizes and patterns, and bending them holds them in place, so your roots are under less stress. Perming solution is still applied to the hair when it’s wrapped around the flexi-rod, but thanks to built-in conditioners, the chemicals are gentler on hair than they were 40 years ago. Plus, many stylists will add a conditioning treatment to your hair before or after the perm to try and minimize as much damage as possible, moisturizing your strands.
After spending hours in a salon chair and dropping a decent chunk of change on the service, I finally had the natural-looking curly hair I wanted for years, which my salon dubbed the “American Wave.” I’ve had two more perms since then, each lasting longer than six months when I style and care for my hair properly. But that’s where the work starts.
A perm changes the actual chemical composition and shape of your individual hairs, which is why changing your hair routine is essential to maintaining your “new” hair. Putting pressure on your hair by pulling it back tightly, brushing it roughly, not allowing ample time to set in its new shape, or using products formulated for straight hair can ruin a perm.
Certain shampoos and conditioners deposit ingredients on your hair shaft, which can weigh it down depending on the hair’s shape. Curly hair is easily weighed down by product residue, which stretches the coils and leads to limp, short-lived curls, thus shortening the life of your perm. Using products specifically formulated for textured hair and being extra careful about how you handle your curls will make your style last longer, even as its continues to grow between haircuts and salon sessions.
Mistakes were made along the way (some of which made me look like Justin Timberlake circa 1997), but with time and practice, I’ve finally perfected my haircare routine. I’ve stuck to the tips my stylist gave me, like diffusing my hair upside down for volume and scrunching product in while my hair is wet, but some experimentation was done along the way. Not everything was successful, so you can learn from mistakes with my favorite products that take the guesswork out of being a full-on #curlygirl, whether your hair is permed or naturally textured — because the products work for both natural and chemically created coils.
Act+Acre Scalp Renewal Treatment
Amazon
I have super sensitive skin, and unfortunately my scalp had a pretty dramatic reaction after my last perm. I struggled with huge flakes, itchiness, and redness in one spot, and even after using dandruff and psoriasis shampoos, this salicylic acid treatment is the only thing that soothed my poor head. It doesn’t leave behind any residue, and I swear it takes away irritation on contact. The massive flakes I was suffering with went away after the first use, too.
EVO Day of Grace Pre-Style Primer
Walmart
Heat protectant is important no matter what kind of hot tool you use, but I found that having to diffuse my hair for longer meant I really needed to ensure my delicate hair was protected. Not only does this spray protect your hair from heat, but I use it to refresh my curls between washes, almost like a leave-in conditioner.
Eco Style Krystal Gel
Amazon
I have thick hair, so my curls tend to go limp if I don’t use a high-hold gel. This one costs less than $10 for a giant tub, and it keeps my curls bouncy and shapely for days. To apply it, I scoop a bit onto my hands, scrunch it into wet hair, and then tie my hair up in a towel to air dry for a bit. Once my hair is dry, it is a bit crunchy from the gel, but you can break up the gel cast easily with your hands to make your hair feel softer.
Melanin Haircare T-Shirt Towel
Melanin
You can definitely use an old T-shirt to dry your hair (regular towels have loops that can cause extra friction against your hair, leading to breakage), but I’m particularly fond of this jersey towel. It’s wide enough to wrap around my head and tie in a knot, so it stays in place while I do my skincare or get dressed after a hair wash.
Shark FlexStyle Air Styling and Drying System
Shark
After using my childhood hairdryer with a diffuser duct taped on the end, I eventually decided it was time to invest in a tool that didn’t require MacGyvering. Not only is this Shark FlexStyle a hair dryer and diffuser, but it also comes with smoothing and curling attachments. It’s similar to the Dyson Supersonic, but half the price.
Large Claw Clip
Sephora
I cannot stand having hair in my face (maybe PTSD from the bad bangs days), which is why I keep a large claw clip on my bag at all times. It allows me to get my hair up quickly, and one with a large mouth like this keeps my curls from getting smashed and going flat.
R+Co Bleu Highest Volumizing Mousse
R+CO Bleu
Because my hair is thick, I not only have to worry about limp curls, but my roots quickly go flat. This mousse has a strong hold that uplifts my roots and curls, but it doesn’t leave you with crunchy hair.
R+Co Bleu Retroactive Dry Shampoo
R+Co Bleu
I try to keep hair wash days down to once a week, so dry shampoo is my best friend. It soaks up excess oil, making my hair look fresh, even five days into the week. R+Co Bleu products are on the pricier side, but I swear this never leaves behind a white cast and perks up greasy hair in an instant. Plus, it smells really, really good.
Act+Acre Cold Processed Restorative Hair Mask
Violet Grey
Hair that’s been chemically treated is more delicate than hair that hasn’t, so I started incorporating a hair mask into my weekly washing routine to keep my strands from breaking. This one from Act+Acre is thick but it doesn’t feel goopy or gross when you apply it. I like to leave it in for at least 10 minutes so it can soak into my hair, and when I rinse it out I’m left with a soft, silky mane.
Oribe Power Drops
Oribe
Going overboard with gel happens, and when scrunching with dry hands isn’t enough to get rid of that crunchiness, I add a light oil to help soften things. I love this one because it comes with a dosed dropper, meaning I never end up with too much on my hands. I gently rake it through my curls to add shine and reduce stiffness.
Kristin Ess Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo
Target
Before my perm, I used a shampoo that was pretty harsh on my oily, straight hair. Switching to a gentler, moisturizing formula ensured that I didn’t dry out my hair even more than I already had, and it helped distribute my scalp’s natural oils down my curl shaft instead of stripping them away completely. I picked up this one from Target, and I love that it has a pointed tip that allows me to distribute the shampoo to my roots, where it’s needed most.
