Does perming cause hair loss?

Perming can give your hair a beautiful transformation. This is not all. It can boost your hair and make you feel more sensuous.

At the same time, perming can be damaging to hair. Perming subjects your hair to an array of chemicals like boric acid, ammonium thioglycolate, hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol. They are dehydrating in nature. Their major work is to make hair softer, which happens by opening the cuticles.

Once cuticles are open, hair becomes highly vulnerable to all sorts of damage and transformations. So, perming, which is basically a process to restructure hair, becomes easier with open cuticles. You can mold hair as you like.

However, open cuticles make hair weaker.

What’s more? Many women experience hair loss after perming!

Hair loss after perming

According to experts, the commonest type of hair loss that happens after perming is breakage. Experts explain that relaxers and perms can damage outer sheath of hair. This makes hair drier and weaker, causing breakage. It is hard to repair damage once done. Weak hair is more prone to hair loss too.

Chemicals applied to hair seep into scalp skin and cause damage and burns. There have been reports of women burning their scalps during at-home perming treatments.

If you are vying for a nice perm, make sure you are in the hands of a professional hair stylist. Also, know your scalp sensitivity. 

Hair care tips after perming

• Condition your hair after perming to restore their natural oils.
• Give your hair a rinse with cold water to seal cuticles.
• Give them a deep conditioning treatment once a week. You can use a homemade hair mask.
• You can also choose the Asian traditional style of oiling hair with coconut oil or almond oil to nourish, strengthen, and moisturize them.
• Avoid frequent perming.
• Avoid using heaty styling tools and blow dryers. Air dry hair.
• Be gentle to hair after perming because they are already weak.
• Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle hair. Avoid jerking them. Hold hair with hands and start detangling from the tips and move upwards.
• Switch to a sulfate-free, mild shampoo, as sulfates are harsh detergents that strip off natural oils of hair.

How to treat hair loss due to perming?

Most of the hair loss cases are temporary. Once you fix the damage and make hair stronger, hair would stop breaking. However, if you have burned your scalp, you may have destroyed follicles. In this case, hair loss could be severe.

Minoxidil-infused hair regrowth treatment can help promote hair growth. Please consult a doctor before using minoxidil, if you are suffering from any chronic medical condition. Minoxidil is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Ensure your diet is nutritious and rich in protein. Nothing beats a nutritious diet for strong and healthy hair.

And if you have decided never to perm again looking at the damage, worry not. You can still get those sensuous curls with this at-home trick:

• Wash hair in the evening.
• Air dry them.
• When they are damp, weave them in a series of braids.
• Leave them braided overnight.
• Open the braids gently the next morning.
• Slightly comb them, or you may not comb at all.

Your hair will show beautiful curls and waves!