Get Rid of a Perm

Q: I got a perm a week ago and I hate it. I want to get rid of it. What do I do? I heard that you can use canola oil on it 2 hrs once a week until it is gone. Is it true? Please help me. I hate this nasty perm. Can I use Oglivie hair straightener out of a box or will it fry my hair? I need to get rid of it as soon as possible. Once again please help. I'm hopeless.

A: Oh My God! Please don't put canola oil on your hair for two hours each week. The canola oil won't do anything but give you oily hair. The reason people think this works, is that the canola oil gets absorbed by the hair and weighs it down so much that the curl looks like it is coming out. Meanwhile, the oil coats the hair and prevents penetration by moisture and other nutrients, as well as serving as a trap for dirt.

You don't have to keep the perm, but you do need to make sure your hair can withstand the added chemical process. Take a look at your hair when it is clean and dry. What is the condition of your hair? Does it feel rough and brittle? If your hair is healthy after the initial perm, all you need to do is get another perming kit. You don't need to get a specific straightening kit. These products are the same as perming kits with different instructions and usually a higher price tag. Here's how to proceed:

If it was a perm you gave yourself, get the same brand you used before. Otherwise get the kit you like best. Before using the new kit, you want to give yourself a deep conditioning treatment to protect your hair from any potential damage. Do this the day before you plan to straighten the hair.

When you are ready to straighten your hair, wet your hair and towel-dry it. Apply the waving lotion (perming solution) to the wet hair and comb it through your hair using a wide-tooth comb. Be sure to completely saturate all the hair. Depending on the length of your hair, you may need to enlist the aid of a friend. The important thing here is that you must be able to comb your hair and allow it to hang straight. If your hair is long, you will want to have a friend combing the hair while you lean back and keep your hair hanging over a deep sink or the bathtub.

Continue combing the hair with the waving lotion on it for 10 minutes. At this point take a look at the hair and you should see that the curls have relaxed and that the hair hangs straight. If this isn't the case, leave the waving lotion on the hair and keep combing for another 5 minutes, until the curls do relax. Then rinse the waving lotion from the hair using very warm water. Continue rinsing for a full 3 minutes so that you get all the lotion from the hair.

Once rinsed, use a towel to blot the water from the hair. You can squeeze the hair inside the towel, but don't rub the hair. At this stage you can damage the hair easily. Once the excess water is removed, apply the neutralizer to the hair and comb it through exactly as you did with the waving lotion. Continue combing the neutralizer through the hair for five minutes.

After five minutes, rinse the neutralizer from the hair using very warm water for a full five minutes. Finish up the rinsing with cool water for another minute. The cool water helps to close the cuticle layer. Apply conditioner and rinse it through the hair if desired. The conditioner step is useful to prevent tangles and make combing out the hair before drying easier.

Once again, use a clean towel to blot away the excess water. Remember to pat and squeeze to remove the water, do not rub. You can allow the hair to finish drying naturally, or use a blow-dryer on the lowest heat and air-flow settings. While drying, use a vented brush to control the hair and keep it smooth.

This process will remove the permed curls and give you straighter hair. Be sure to follow up by conditioning your hair every day to restore the moisture and help to reclose the cuticle layer, even if you don't shampoo.

©hairfinder.com

See also: Perms and perming