Certain wavy perms will gradually loosen over time while still maintaining their texture for many more months (like mine did). Digital perms are a slightly lower maintenance option for people who don’t want to have to return to the salon for a touch-up too often, as they loosen so gradually, almost looking like a natural grow-out.

Do Perms Damage Your Hair?

Perms aren’t very damaging, per se (compared to bleaching, for instance), but all chemical treatments that alter the shape and color of your hair can be damaging. One thing every stylist will recommend is not getting a perm on chemically processed hair (that means bleach, color, or previous keratin treatments).

“Usually hair on the thicker side or more coarse types of hair fare better with perms,” Martinez says. “Perms can be great to add body and texture to fine hair, but a more gentle formula is needed as the stronger perms can break the hair.”

Traditional perms are more damaging than hot perms since they use stronger solutions. Martinez explained that post-perm hair may potentially be more prone to frizz or dryness because perming solution strips natural oil — you know, just some collateral damage from a chemical restructuring. My hair felt mostly the same after I had my hair permed; it may have been slightly drier on the ends, but overall it felt similar to how it was before.

How To Take Care Of A Perm?

The number one commandment of perms is that you’re not supposed to wash it or get it wet for the first two days to allow the pattern to set (remember that court case-turning bit of evidence in Legally Blonde?). “For the first two to three days, a perm needs to settle in, so try to avoid washing the hair and using heat on the hair,” Martinez advises.

When you do wash, you may want to opt for more moisturizing shampoos and conditioners if your hair feels dry after perming. Martinez recommends sulfate-free hair products. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb when hair is wet, and generally, be very gentle with it—chemically altered hair is fragile.

How Much Does A Perm Cost

This depends entirely on your location, your salon, and how experienced your stylist is. You can often compare perm prices to salon double-process color prices. New York City prices range from $200 to 500 (or above, depending on how fancy of a salon you go to) for a perm, but if you live in a less metropolitan area, those rates could be way less.

How To Get Rid Of A Perm

I hate to tell you this, but perms don’t really have an undo switch. Trying to fight a perm with a different chemical treatment may cause serious breakage to your already fragile hair, so don’t do that. In my experience with my first perm, I washed it out during its 48-hour setting period, which mercifully deleted most of its effects (perhaps it being a box formula and some semblance of user error meant the solution didn’t take as much to my hair at the time). Other than a drastic haircut, you can grow it out and allow the curl pattern to loosen over time before restyling into something more like what you’re after.

Whether you love or hate your perm, Martinez does recommend getting a trim right before or just afterwards, since perms can emphasize split ends. A preliminary re-shaping trim might help to prevent a jumpscare moment, post-perm (another reason I’d recommend never to DIY this kind of hair treatment). But no matter what happens, just remember: hair grows.