Perm Colored Hair

Curly permed hair and coloring
Photo: Shutterstock
Q: I color my hair and had a body wave 5 weeks ago. How often can I perm my hair, since I color it? The perm was done professionally, and the color is done at home.
 
A: Generally speaking, most salons schedule perms for maintenance on a 6-8 week schedule, though this may be a longer or shorter period depending on the client. Some people's hair grows more slowly or seems to hold a curl longer.
 
And in some cases the change between the wave pattern created by the perm and that of the hair naturally is not so great as to make new growth noticeable until much further along.
 
When a client gets perms and colors her hair on a regular basis, it is the normal practice to always schedule the perm to be given before coloring, since the peroxide used to neutralize the perm can alter the color of the hair.
 
Since your hair may require retouching of the color more often than you need to have another body wave, my advice would be to plan to have your hair re-permed at least one week (and preferably two) before you will need to retouch your hair color.
 
Between these services, be sure that you are properly providing your hair with the conditioning and moisture it needs. For a client who gets two different chemical services on a regular basis, I generally recommend deep conditioning treatments at least once a week, and remind them to condition their hair every day, whether or not they shampoo.
 
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See also:
 
Perms
 
How long should you wait until you get another perm?
 
If I just had my hair permed and at night half of my hair went straight, is it ok to get it permed again?