How to Rid Yourself of a Bad Perm

Using Professional Treatments

Use a good deep conditioner. A deep conditioner will hydrate your permed hair, decrease frizziness, and make the perm look a bit better.

Apply waving lotion to straighten out the perm. If you’re looking to try to restyle the perm by straightening it, it’s important to first deep condition your hair really well before applying any more heat to your hair. Do this the day before you plan to straighten your hair. You should also condition your hair every day to restore moisture and reclose the all important cuticle layer of your hair. Wet your hair and towel dry it. Then, apply the waving lotion (or perming solution) to the wet hair and comb through it using a wide tooth comb. Do this over a tub or sink. Have a friend assist you if your hair is too long or you may miss any spots. You want to be sure your hair is completely saturated with the waving lotion. Continue combing your hair with the waving lotion for 10 minutes. You should start to notice the curls have relaxed and the hair hangs straight. If this isn’t happening, continue combing your hair with waving lotion for another 5 minutes until the curls relax. Rinse the waving lotion from your hair using warm water for at least 3 minutes to ensure you get all the lotion out of your hair. Once rinsed, use a towel to gently blot water from your hair, but do not rub the hair with the towel as this will create more frizz. Apply the neutralizer to your hair and comb it through the exact same way you did with the waving lotion, for up to 5 minutes. Rinse the neutralizer from your hair with warm water for 5 minutes. Finish rinsing with cool water, as the cool water helps to close the cuticle layer. Apply deep conditioner to your hair to prevent tangles. Use a clean towel to gently blot away any excess water, avoid rubbing your hair to dry it. Allow your hair to finish drying naturally or use a blow dryer with a diffuser at the lowest heat setting. Use a vented brush to control the hair and keep it smooth.

Ask your stylist to re perm your hair at a later date or give you a new haircut. Do not get your hair re permed until at least several weeks after the first perm, as you do not want to damage your hair any further. Your stylist may be able to come up with another, more practical solution: a new, shorter hair cut. A major hair cut could be the only want to really solve the bad perm, as it allows you to remove the damaged hair completely.

Using Natural Remedies

Apply a canola oil treatment. Using this treatment should loosen the perm to make it more manageable to re style, but you may need to repeat the treatment for a few weeks to really see results if your perm is acting stubborn and will not relax after one treatment. Gather together your materials, including a bottle of canola oil, a roll of plastic wrap, a towel, a gentle shampoo, a deep conditioner, a blow dryer with a diffuser, and styling shears. Place your head over a garbage can, a sink or a tub, and apply enough canola oil to thoroughly soak your hair from root to tip. Wrap your head with the plastic wrap or with a plastic bag. Then, wrap the plastic with a towel so it will retain head and prevent any oil from dripping off your hair. Leave the oil in your hair for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse your hair completely in the shower. Use the gentle shampoo to loosen the oil from your hair. Make sure you also lather your hair with conditioner and let it sit for at least 2 minutes, then rinse and repeat until all the oil is gone. Follow this regime for at least a week.

Make a coconut oil mask. Coconut oil is one of the only oils that will penetrate the hair shaft, as opposed to just coat it. So it will effectively moisturize, condition, and repair damaged hair from the inside out. Melt 1 cup of organic virgin coconut oil. You can use a microwave (but be sure to put the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl) or you are melt the oil on a stovetop by placing the oil in a jar and then in a pot filled halfway with water. Heat the pot on the stovetop until the oil melts in the jar. Add ½ teaspoon of essential oils that are good for dry, damaged hair, like Bay, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Myrrh, Rose, Sage, Sandalwood, and Tea Tree. Use your fingers to melt several tablespoons of the infused coconut oil and then apply it to your dry hair. Comb it through. Wrap your head in a towel or a shower cap. Leave the oil in for at least 1-2 hours. Wash the oil out with shampoo and conditioner.

Trim the ends of your permed hair or the fishtail. Many bad perms are the result of improper application of the perm rod. If you have extremely straight or coarse hair, your hair may not wind around the rod properly. This can then lead to fishtails at the ends of your hair. But you can fix the fishtail with a little persistence and a pair of styling shears. When trimming the end of the fishtail, only make the cut on the straight part of the hair. You do not want the cut to interfere with the curl pattern at all. Cut your fishtailed ends three days after the perm to prevent any further damage to your hair. Minor trimming can be done at home on your own or your stylist could also trim the fishtailed ends for you.