Trim Permed Hair

Cutting permed hair
Photo: Pressmaster/Shutterstock
Q: Hi, I permed my hair in late August. I have really long hair, and I would like to cut some of my hair off, but I would still like to keep the perm. People tell me once you trim the permed hair the curls will go away.
 
I would like to know if that is true and if it is ok to trim my hair off. Please answer as soon as possible. Thank you.
 
A: Given that you permed your hair four months ago and the average person's hair grows at one half-inch per month, approximately two inches of your hair (that part nearest the scalp) is new growth and would be unpermed. Cutting off hair from the opposite ends of these lengths will not remove the curl that is in place in between the new growth and the ends of the hair.
 
Once the hair is permed, if it was done properly, the hair is as stable as is it was before perming, it simply exists in a new wave-pattern. Cutting some length from the permed hair won't have any effect on the physical or chemical structure of the hair.
 
Often, many women find that trimming their previously permed hair will result in the perm seeming to be revitalized, this is usually a result of the lessening of the weight of the hair and therefore the curl being able to bounce back.
 
Furthermore, many women fail to realize that permed hair is made more porous by the perming process and needs more moisture and conditioning than it did previously. Because of this, permed hair can sometimes be deprived of moisture and loses its bounce and elasticity. A good deep-conditioning treatment can help to revive some of the lost curl.
 
A combination of a trim and a deep-conditioner treatment may be just the thing you want. So, not only is it ok to trim your permed hair, but it will help you be happy with your hair again.
 
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See also:
 
Perms
 
Hair elasticity
 
How much does hair shrink when you get a perm?