Safe & Effective Hair Perm Guide: Achieve Straight Hair Without Damage

Men and women with curly hair want one thing: Straight hair. Most use over-the-counter perms to achieve the desired result. But some people don't know how to apply a perm, so they create scalp burns, partially straightened hair and eventual hair loss. Here are some ways to do it right.

Things You'll Need

• Timer
• Towel
• Fine-toothed comb
• Vaseline

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Instructions

• 1

  Buy an over-the-counter perm that relaxes the hair. The word "relaxer" should be on the box along with a photo of a woman with straight hair. Be sure to get one that fits your natural hair texture of fine, medium or coarse.

• 2

  You’ll need a timer, towel, fine-toothed comb and Vaseline. These will help you in the application process of your straightening perm.

• 3

  Line your hair and scalp with Vaseline, which will protect it from chemical burns that often happen during the application of a straightening perm. Apply a heavy coating of Vaseline to the more sensitive areas of your scalp.

• 4

  Part you hair into four equal sections. Part your hair straight down the middle from front to back. Then, part it from ear to ear.

• 5

  Set the timer. It should be set for the specified time it should take to straighten your hair. You can find it in the instruction manual.

• 6

  Apply your straightening perm. Make sure you do it after following the mixing instructions in the box. Use your fine-toothed comb and spread the perm over your hair. Do all you can to miss the scalp, but hit the roots of each hair follicle. Focus on applying section per section.

• 7

  Smooth out your hair. Do it with the fine-toothed comb. Smooth out each section of hair and be mindful of the time.

• 8

  Wash and condition your hair. You can do it at a sink or in the shower. Just be sure you have an enough water pressure to rinse out the perm and further straighten the hair. Afterward, towel dry your hair and style as usual.