| Want to give a new style to your healthy | | | | allowing the lotion to flow under the cuticle |
| hair? Dreaming of those fashion curls to | | | | and into the cortex. The alkaline lotion |
| adore a new look? Here you are. When the | | | | reacts with the keratin of the cortex, |
| world is busy looking for grey hair | | | | breaking some of the disulphide cross-links |
| treatment, dandruff cure and hair loss | | | | within and between the protein chains. The |
| treatment, there are many of us with | | | | solution creates a chemical action that |
| beautiful and luscious hair and who want to | | | | softens the inner structure of the hair so |
| give their hair a new style. Perming | | | | that it can stretch to take any form. |
| facilitates giving tight curls to the hair | | | | |
| and a style that goes with your face. If you | | | | The success of the entire process depends |
| wish to go in for a hairstyle that would look | | | | upon the right selection of the perm rod. |
| better with a hint of curl, hair perms are | | | | Spiral and concave rods should be avoided in |
| here to help - create the hairstyle you wish, | | | | perming as spiral wrapped hair creates a |
| be it big natural curls or tight spiral | | | | looser curl while concave rods make it |
| curls. | | | | impossible to wrap the hair without peaking |
| | | | the ends. A straight or cylindrical type rod |
| The key to the perming process lies in the | | | | should ideally be used for the most natural |
| fact that perming solution is alkaline. | | | | wave pattern as it can be wrapped with the |
| When scientists talk to each other about | | | | hair strands of the same width from the scalp |
| alkaline solutions and acid solutions, they | | | | to the ends. It prevents spiraling and |
| need a way of measuring alkalinity and | | | | bunching of the hair that may distort the |
| acidity. The scale they use for their | | | | wave pattern. |
| measurements is called the pH scale. The pH | | | | |
| scale ranges from pH 1 to pH 14. All you need | | | | The hair molds around the shape of the perm |
| to remember is that acids have pH numbers | | | | rod. After a specified period of time, the |
| less than 7. Alkalis have pH numbers greater | | | | hair is rinsed and a neutralizer is applied. |
| than 7. The more acid the solution, the lower | | | | It is the neutralizing solution that reforms |
| is the pH number; the more alkaline the | | | | the disulfide bonds of the hair and sets the |
| solution, the greater the pH number. Hair | | | | new curls in the final stage. Utmost care |
| responds to changes in pH. If a hair is | | | | should be taken during the final stage as |
| placed in an alkaline solution it swells, and | | | | failure to rinse and neutralize properly can |
| the scales of the cuticle lift. In a slightly | | | | lead to many problems, including scalp |
| acid solution, the scales lie smoothly and | | | | irritation, dandruff and damage to the |
| the hair is soft. In a strongly acid or | | | | structure of the hair shaft. |
| alkaline solution, however, the keratin | | | | |
| protein starts to break down, which may lead | | | | Discuss the style with your hairstylist |
| to hair loss. | | | | before the perm procedure. The perm hairstyle |
| | | | must be chosen to suit your face shape. If |
| During perming, chemicals are used to break | | | | you have a long face, the perm must be worked |
| and reform the disulfide bonds of the hair. | | | | to ensure volume on the side but never on the |
| Thereafter, the hair is washed and wrapped on | | | | top. Some women try out spiral curls with |
| a perm rod and waving lotion is applied with | | | | curling irons at home. Test curls must always |
| a base. As the lotion is alkaline (pH about | | | | be carried out before going for the process |
| 9), the scales of the cuticle open slightly, | | | | completely. |