Reduce Tightness of Curls

Very curly hair
Photo: ArkHawt/Shutterstock
Q: I gave myself an Ogilvie Precisely Right perm for color treated, thin or delicate hair a week and a half ago. I used rods that are smaller than I have used in the past, producing very curly hair.
 
How can I reduce the tightness of the curls? Do I re-perm with larger rods or use a straightener? How long do I have to wait to do something? How long should I wait before coloring again? Thanks.
 
A: As with most situations dealing with unsatisfactory results from chemical services, the alternatives you have depend largely on the condition your hair is in. Most perms are rather harsh on the hair.
 
One recommendation I can make is for you to wrap your hair on the larger rods you desire, using a good cream conditioner as a "setting lotion". Cover the wrapped curls with a plastic cap and sit under a heated dryer for 20-30 minutes. This should soften the curls and help to relax them somewhat.
 
As for coloring the hair following a perm, I generally recommend that you give your hair at least a week, to allow the hair to "normalize" and allow the cuticle to contract against the hair shaft. Just be careful when coloring the hair using a lifting color formula. Since the hair is more porous from perming, the color could lift more and faster than expected, resulting in unexpected color results.
 
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See also:
 
Perms
 
Is it ok to color permed hair?
 
Frizzy and too curly hair after a perm
 
How to remove permed curls