How Long a Perm Will Last

Perming hair — Photo: Metamorworks/Shutterstock

Q: I am getting a body wave next week, and I was wondering on average how long the perm will last if I don't do anything out of the ordinary. Thank you.

A: You can usually expect the hair to hold a perm for at least 6-8 weeks before the new growth begins to affect the look of the style. With a body wave, where the hair is wrapped on larger rods for the purpose of adding texture and body to the hair as opposed to curl.

If you keep the hair well-conditioned, you can easily expect the body wave to look good for about 8-12 weeks.

Body waves have the same risk of drying out the hair as regular perms since they use the same basic formulation and raise the cuticle layer in order for the perming solution to penetrate into the shaft. This makes the hair more porous and likely to lose moisture.

Keeping the hair conditioned will make sure the hair stays smooth, and will keep the wave looking good.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Perms

Are permanent curls right for you?

Is there such a thing as a semi-permanent perm?