You’ve just bleached your hair, and you’re thinking about perming it, too. You’re right to contemplate whether this is a good idea.
Experts will tell you not to perm bleached hair, but could there be any validity to this recommendation? In this article, we’ll let you know whether you can perm bleached hair and why.
Table of Contents
Can You Perm Bleached Hair?
Perming bleached hair is almost always not recommended, because the bleaching process is very involved and can inflict permanent damage to your hair.
Throughout the process, your cuticles (outer hair layer) are blasted open to allow the bleach to lift your natural hair color several levels. This process always results in damage, even if you don’t see physical evidence yet.
After you bleach your hair, your strands are highly vulnerable to further damage. Your hair cuticles are more raised than before, and your hair strands are dryer than usual. Some people may experience breakage during or after a hair bleaching session.
As you may have realized by this point, bleached hair has already been put through the wringer, so adding another round of chemical processing to the mix could result in disastrous consequences.
Key Takeaways
- Chemical Processes and Hair Damage: Perming bleached hair is not recommended due to the severe damage caused by combining these strong chemical treatments. Bleaching opens your hair cuticles, making them vulnerable, and an additional perm process can lead to extreme dryness and hair loss.
- Risk to Hair Structure and Health: The combined effect of bleaching and perming can significantly alter the structure of your hair, potentially resulting in brittle, dry strands and split ends. This combination can compromise the hair’s natural structure and elasticity.
- Professional Stylist Consultation: Consulting a professional stylist is crucial before deciding to perm bleached or chemically treated hair. They can assess the condition of your hair and recommend the best course of action, ensuring minimal damage.
- Alternative Treatments for Damaged Hair: For hair that has undergone chemical treatments like bleaching, using deep conditioning treatments and avoiding further chemical processes is advisable. Opt for hair care products that nourish and repair the hair, such as deep conditioners and keratin treatments.
- Testing Before Perming: Conduct a strand test first if you still decide to perm bleached hair. This test helps evaluate how your hair reacts to the perm formula, potentially preventing widespread damage. Use perm products specifically formulated for treated hair for best results.
Perms Are More Damaging Than You May Think
Just because perms result in beautiful, luscious curls doesn’t mean that they don’t leave your hair compromised. Perms destroy your hair’s inner and outer structure and rebuild them in your new curl formation.
This process is tough on the hair. So, it’s crucial to only perm your hair if it is in a healthy state. Once you bleach your hair, your hair is no longer fit for a perm.
What Could Happen if You Perm Bleached Hair?
Perming bleached hair can result in a variety of negative consequences. Some of the effects may be minor, while others may be so significant that they ruin your hair entirely. This section will tell you what could happen to your bleached hair if you decide to perm your curls.
- Your hair could fall out. The worst possible scenario is that your hair could immediately fall out in your hands or sometime after perming it. This is not a far-fetched scenario, considering that bleached hair is already deeply compromised. There have been many horror stories about hair fall resulting from perming bleached hair, and you don’t want to deal with that scenario.
- Your hair could get extremely dry. Even if your hair doesn’t fall out in your hands, you could end up with parched hair that’s nearly impossible to moisturize. Every time you process your hair with bleach or other chemicals like perms and relaxers, your hair structure is changed forever. It becomes more porous, meaning that its cuticles remain open and cannot retain moisture the way they used to. This leads to hair that is difficult to moisturize.
- You could develop split ends. Split ends and overprocessed hair go hand in hand. If you decide to perm your bleached hair, you could end up with a ton of split ends. And if you neglect to treat them, those damaged ends may break off.
How To Perm Bleached Hair at Home
After reading about the risks of perming your bleached hair, you may have decided not to go through with it. But if you’re still game to perm your bleached hair, nothing’s there to stop you.
Several manufacturers have formulated perms for colored hair, and in the following section, we’d like to explain how to use them to minimize damage.
*Note: All of the consequences mentioned earlier could still occur even if you use a perm that’s formulated for colored hair.
Here’s what you need to do to perm your bleached hair:
- Get your hands on a perm that’s specifically for color-treated hair. If the perm’s packaging doesn’t specifically indicate that it’s for processed hair, we advise you not to use it. Here are a couple of perms that you can use:
- Purchase perm rods. To set your hair in new permanent curls, you’ll have to wrap them around curl or wave rods before applying the perm solution.
- Begin by washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo. Dirty hair doesn’t take to perms as well as clean hair does. It’s best to use one without sulfates – doing so preserves some of your hair’s moisture throughout the perming process.
- Every perm comes with included instructions. Open and read them carefully. Not following the instructions to the letter can result in a hair disaster.
- Part out and wrap all of your hair in perm rods. Ensure that all of the sections are the same size so that you’ll get consistent results.
- Mix the perming solution up according to the instructions inside the perm packaging.
- Pour the perming solution onto your hair while it’s wrapped around the rods.
- Allow the perming solution to sit for 5 to 10 minutes or for the time indicated in the perm instructions.
- Rinse out the perming solution while the rods are still in your hair for 5 minutes. Blot with a towel rod by rod.
- Blow-dry or sit under a dryer until your hair is completely dry.
- Add the neutralizing solution to your hair while it’s wrapped in the rods.
- Allow the neutralizing solution to sit on your hair for up to 10 minutes. Reference the packaging instructions for a precise time.
- Rinse the hair thoroughly, condition, and style.
Hair Tips to Use During and After Perming Bleached Hair
We’ve covered all the basics of perming bleached hair, and now it’s time to move on to a few tips to ensure as positive an outcome as possible. They include:
- Always keep a timer nearby. Because your hair is already permed, you don’t want to overprocess it further. So, set a timer each time you’re leaving any chemical in your hair.
- Ensure that your hair is not actively breaking or severely damaged. If your hair is damaged already, the best course of action is to find out why and remedy that first. Once your hair is in a healthier state, feel free to revisit the subject of perms.
- Be very gentle with your newly permed hair. Many times, when people first get a perm, they may be a little rough with their new curls because they’re used to styling straighter tresses. Unnecessary roughness can lead to all sorts of mechanical hair damage. For at least the first few weeks, we recommend staying away from heat and only detangling your hair with your fingers. Your hair will be very fragile immediately after perming.
- Up your moisture and protein routine after perming bleached hair. Your hair will most likely be lacking in the protein area after perming it. And it may have already been protein deficient beforehand since it was bleached. So, ensure that you get enough deep conditioning treatments (at least once or twice a month) and do the occasional protein treatment to replenish any protein lost during the perming process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ section, where we answer your frequently asked questions about perming bleached hair. Here, you’ll find clear and concise information to help you make informed decisions about your hair care.
How Long After Bleaching Hair Can I Perm It?
We recommend waiting at least two weeks after bleaching hair before perming it. This waiting period allows your hair to recover and regain some of its natural oils and strength. Bleaching significantly weakens the hair by altering its internal structure and porosity. Perming too soon after can lead to excessive damage, as both processes involve harsh chemicals that impact the hair’s elasticity and texture.
Can You Do a Digital Perm on Bleached Hair?
Performing a digital perm on bleached hair is not recommended. Bleached hair, especially in a fragile or damaged state, is highly susceptible to further harm from the heat and chemicals used in a digital perm. While offering more controlled curls, this type of perm still involves strong chemical solutions that can exacerbate the potential damage to weakened hair bonds.
How Soon After Bleaching Hair Can I Relax It?
We recommend waiting at least two to three weeks before relaxing bleached hair. Bleaching raises the hair’s cuticle and makes it more porous, leaving it vulnerable to the chemicals in relaxers. This waiting period gives your hair time to regain some natural strength. However, it’s crucial to assess your hair’s overall health and condition, as relaxing it too soon after bleaching can cause severe damage.
Can I Curl My Hair After Bleaching?
Yes, you can curl your hair after bleaching, but waiting until your hair recovers from the bleaching process is essential. Use gentle, heat-free methods for curling to minimize damage. If you’re using heat-styling tools like a curling iron or blow dryer, apply a heat protectant and use the lowest heat setting. Bleached hair is more prone to damage, so extra care is essential.
Can You Perm Bleached Hair at Home?
Perming bleached hair at home is not recommended due to the high risk of damaging your hair. Bleached hair is weakened and more susceptible to the harsh chemicals in perm solutions. If you decide to proceed, conduct a strand test first, use products specifically designed for treated hair, and follow all instructions meticulously. However, consulting a professional stylist at a hair salon is the best way to ensure the safety and health of your bleached hair when considering a perm.
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Lastly, we always recommend that you consult a professional hairstylist before applying a perm to your dyed or bleached hair. A simple consultation at a local hair salon can help you decide whether it’s the best idea for yourself and your hair.
The stylist can tell you whether your hair is in a healthy enough state to perm. Just do a quick Google search for a stylist in your area to get started.
You may be disappointed to find out that it’s generally not a good idea to perm-colored or bleached hair. However, if you take the correct precautions, you can minimize the resulting damage. We hope that this article has been helpful to you and wish you the best with your hair!