Perms and their effects on hair

The hair structure of different people is not the same. Some hair is easy to curl, others are more difficult, on some the curl lasts a long time, on others much less.

To perform a high-quality perm, you need to choose the right product for the job.

The general requirements for manufactured perm preparations are as follows:

1) after curling for 2 - 3 months, the hair should retain its curl even if it is cut to maintain its original shape;

2) after curling, the hair should not change its original color;

3) the drug should be easily washed off the hair with warm water;

4) the preparation must contain surfactants that ensure good wetting of the hair and its impregnation;

5) the drug should not cause allergies or irritate the skin;

6) the drug should have a slight scent of perfume.

The basis of almost all currently produced hair perm preparations are organothio compounds and their derivatives. Most recipes for foreign preparations for perms contain thioglycolic acid, which has the formula

CH 2 - S - HCOOH.

Thioglycolic acid has reducing properties. Compounds belonging to the organothio group make it possible to influence the shape of the hair even at normal human body temperature. This, obviously, can explain the fact that organothio compounds are included in almost all formulations of preparations for perm. The major disadvantages of these compounds include the following:

1) release of harmful hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan vapors into the air, which have a strong unpleasant odor;

2) toxicity, which can cause painful phenomena - headaches, general malaise.

Researchers Cotter, Robson and Cameron studied the effect of a solution of thioglycolic acid on the human body when used in hairdressing. They noted cases of illness in persons preparing solutions of thioglycolic acid. This is a decrease in the number of white blood cells, platelets, headaches, general weakness, malaise, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.

At the same time, skin diseases were also noted: redness and dryness, cracks, dermatitis; sometimes blistering rash, itching, eczema, urticaria and nail damage. Moreover, these diseases can occur both in hairdressers and in people who independently use such compositions.

As protective agents against the effects of chemical compounds for hairdressers, various bactericidal ointments, biological protective preparations, coating of nails with varnish, reducing the time of contact with harmful solutions and the use of gauze masks when working are recommended.

In our country, hair perm is performed with the preparations “Londa” and “Mintox” (GDR), “Lokon” and “Zavitol” (USSR).

Comparing these drugs, you can see that in terms of their chemical composition and degree of effect on hair, “Londa” is close to “Lokon”, and “Zavitol” is close to “Mintox”. The similarity between the preparations "Londa" and "Lokon" is explained by the fact that they are prepared on the same basis. The percentage of the main component of these drugs (thioglycolic acid) in both Londa and Lokon is about 6.5%.

To properly understand the process of the effect of perm preparations on hair, it is necessary to remember the morphological and histological structure of the hair (for details on the structure of the hair, see Chapter I).

The chemical composition of hair is a complex compound, the main parts of which are keratin and pigment.

Keratin is a protein with a high sulfur and nitrogen content. Alkaline compounds have a decomposing effect on hair keratin at elevated temperatures. Acids act similarly only at high temperatures and concentrations. Keratin is made up of amino acids, the most important of which is cystine. When the drug is exposed to hair, the cystine bond of keratin - S - S - is broken, and the hair becomes able to take one form or another.

To preserve the hair shape obtained as a result of curling, it is necessary to use a drug that can restore the cystine bond of keratin - S - S-. For this purpose, drugs with oxidizing properties are usually used. That is why hydrogen peroxide (fixer) is used to fix the curl, which is a strong oxidizing agent. When hydrogen peroxide acts on hair, the cystine bond - S - S - is restored, and the hair acquires its original elasticity properties.

However, due to the hydrolysis of keratin amino acids, when they are exposed to perm preparations, some of the hair substance goes into solution, which entails a decrease in their weight. At the Research Techno-Chemical Institute of Consumer Services, tests were carried out on the effects of various perm preparations on hair. They were carried out on strands of hair 12 cm long, having the same structure. The test results were assessed by the amount of reduction in hair length under the influence of drugs due to the formation of artificial waviness. In table Figure 9 shows the change in the length of hair strands depending on the time of treatment with various perm preparations with an initial strand length of 12 cm.

Thus, from the table above it is clear that, other things being equal, the degree of effect of various drugs on hair is different.

Thus, when exposed to the drug "Londa" for 10 minutes, the length of the strand is reduced by 40%, and within 20 minutes - by 50%. When the hair is exposed to the drug for 30 minutes, the length of the strand is reduced by only 33%. This can be explained by the fact that excessive exposure to the drug has a harmful effect on the hair, causing it to stretch even under its own weight. Thus, we can conclude that when curling hair with Londa, the optimal holding time is 20 minutes.

As can be seen from the table, the test results for the drugs Lokon and Londa are similar, with a few exceptions. Therefore, everything said above in relation to the drug "Londa" should also be applied to "Lokon".

As you can see from the table, the French drug "Permabel" has a less vigorous effect on hair. This is explained by the lower content of thioglycolic acid in it (about 3%). When the hair was exposed to this drug, even for 30 minutes, the hair did not lose its elasticity. From this we can conclude that for the drug "Permabel" a 20-minute exposure time is not critical and can be increased to 30 minutes or more.

The drug "Mintox" has even less effect on hair keratin, since it does not contain thioglycolic acid. It consists mainly of sodium sulfite and bisulfite salts (Na 2 SO 3, NaHS0 3).

Similar to the drug "Mintox" is the domestic drug "Zavitol".

The table shows that when the hair is exposed to the drug "Mintox" for 10 minutes, the length of the hair strand is shortened by only 7%, after 20 minutes - by 17%; with a further increase in exposure time, the length of the hair strand does not change.

The perm preparation "Zavitol", like "Mintox", does not contain organothio compounds. The basis of this drug is sodium sulfide with a small addition of glucose, glycerin, pine extract and perfume. The absence of thioglycolic acid in the Zavitol formulation is a positive factor, even though it has less effect on the hair. The drug "Zavitol" is mainly intended for curling dyed and bleached hair.

The pH value of the drug used for perm hair is a very important factor. The higher the pH of the environment, the stronger the drug’s effect on the hair. Swelling of hair when exposed to high-concentration formulations occurs the faster, the higher the concentration. An increase in the pH of the environment, i.e., the alkalinity of the composition, above 12 is not acceptable in hairdressing practice. With such a high pH value, not only the destruction of cystine bonds can occur, but also complete hydrolysis of hair keratin amino acids. When treating hair with such strong compounds, long exposure times and elevated temperatures are especially harmful. That is why chemical compositions for hair curling and coloring mostly have a pH of 9 - 11.

The Research Technochemical Institute of Consumer Services also conducted studies to determine the degree of damage to hair as a result of exposure to various perm preparations. The degree of hair damage was determined using the following method: 50 ml of the curling preparation was poured into a flask, heated to 50 ° C and 0.5 g of hair was added there. The contents of the flask were mixed well and kept in a thermostat at a constant temperature of 50°C for 60 minutes. Then the solution was filtered and neutralized with a 5% acetic acid solution. After this, the hair was washed with water and dried to constant weight at a temperature of 105 ° C. In the table. Figure 10 shows the degree of damage to hair as a result of exposure to perm preparations.

From the table above we can conclude that the degree of damage to hair when exposed to perm preparations depends on the properties of the preparation. Consequently, a drug that curls hair in an extremely short time can cause the greatest damage to hair; other things being equal, and in order to avoid this, the master must strictly observe the exposure time of the drug on the hair.

Tools and accessories

To perform perm hair, you need the following tools and devices:

1. Two porcelain or enamel bowls: one with a volume of at least 50 - 60 ml for the composition and the second with a volume of at least 200 - 300 ml for fixer. The bowls must be sufficiently stable to prevent them from accidentally tipping over during operation.

2. Polyethylene or any non-metallic comb (preferably a comb with a tail).

3. Straight or safety razor for cutting hair.

4. A graduated cylinder with 5 ml graduations, preferably with a capacity of 50 ml.

5. Wooden or plastic bobbins with elastic bands for fixing a strand of hair in a twisted state.

6. Foam sponge measuring 10x10 cm for fixation and size 3x4 cm for applying the composition to the hair.

7. Rubber gloves.

8. An insulated cap made of polyethylene or any other waterproof material. If the hairdresser has a PA-1 apparatus for steaming hair, there is no need to use an insulated hood.

Preparatory work before curling

Before perming your hair, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work:

a) external examination of the scalp and hair;

b) checking the scalp for irritation from the chemical composition for curling;

c) checking the condition of the hair when wetting it with the preparation;

d) preparation of the above tools and devices for curling.

An external examination of the scalp and hair is necessary to identify various skin and hair diseases for which perm is contraindicated. Such contraindications are the presence of scratches, cuts, ulcers and other pronounced irritations on the skin. When examining your hair, you need to pay attention to its condition. If the hair is heavily bleached or dyed with any other dye, it is tested for tearing. If your hair breaks easily, even when dry, you should not perm it. It is also not recommended to perm hair dyed with Restorer or metal-containing dyes.

After an external examination, the reaction of the client’s scalp to irritation with the preparation that will be used for the perm is checked. It is most convenient to do this on the skin behind the ear, since in this place it is most delicate and the effect of the drug on it will be most noticeable. The drug is applied to the skin in the indicated area with cotton wool, and after 8 - 10 minutes you can already see the skin's reaction to the drug. If there is no redness on the skin, we can assume that it is not contraindicated. If obvious skin irritation is detected, the applied composition is washed off with a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide and rinsed with water. In this case, hair perm should be avoided.

After checking the skin's reaction to irritation, check the reaction of the hair when exposed to the curling agent. To do this, a small strand of hair is moistened with a curling compound and tested for tearing after 1 - 2 minutes. If the hair has retained its strength, then it is suitable for curling. If they have lost their strength and look like tow, then they cannot be curled with a composition of such concentration. In this case, the composition is diluted with water and checked again. In this way, they find the required concentration of the composition or make sure that curling should be abandoned.

When preparing tools and devices for curling hair, the hairdresser must check whether there are enough bobbins with elastic bands of different thicknesses, whether the thinning razor blade is well sharpened, and whether all chemicals are available. All necessary tools and devices must be laid out in their places to avoid wasting time during work.

Perm begins with washing your hair and cutting your hair. In this case, thorough hair washing is necessary, since the quality of the curl largely depends on this.

After washing your hair, dry your hair with a towel, comb it and then start cutting.

Since naturally growing hair throughout the head has different lengths, when cutting with a thinning razor it is necessary to take into account and try to maintain the natural proportion in the length of the hair. This greatly affects the duration of the perm, as well as its quality.

The most acceptable hair length for perm is 15 - 20 cm. Longer hair will worsen the quality of the perm. The hair is milled so that the ends of the strands are as thin as possible. In this case, they will fit well in your hair. On the neck and temples, hair can be trimmed with scissors, but cutting off a thick layer of hair is not recommended. With proper haircut, there is no need to trim the hair with scissors. You should strive to cut your hair with a razor without using scissors (a more detailed description of hair cutting technology is given on page 127). Any intended form of haircut before curling should be done in such a way that even without curling the hair has a complete, well-defined shape.

Perm process

After cutting, which is performed on wet hair, it is not recommended to dry it under a dryer, since in this case the stratum corneum of the hair hardens and the curling preparation has difficulty penetrating through the scales of the surface layer.

It is best to curl slightly damp hair, as it absorbs the curling preparation faster and, despite the fact that moisture on the hair dilutes the composition, the holding time should not be increased, and in some cases even reduced. In this case, the hair better retains its original structure.

Before starting to wind the hair with bobbins, the scalp is divided into sections and thoroughly combed, taking into account that the main direction of winding the hair with bobbins is from the crown to the peripheral areas. Then, with two partings (from the forehead to the back of the head), the parietal area is isolated. The width of this section should not exceed the length of the bobbin. Otherwise, it is impossible to wind the strand strictly perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the bobbin. A strand of hair is wound onto a bobbin in the same way as on a curler.

The separated parietal part is fastened with a clamp (clip) so that during subsequent operations this strand does not interfere with the work. Then the temporal areas are also divided by partings (down to the ear); the width of the resulting strands should correspond to the width of the parietal strand. These strands are also secured with clips. The remaining section of hair on the back of the head is, if possible, divided into three strands, as if continuing the parting from the back of the head down to the neck. The width of the resulting strands should also correspond to the length of the bobbin. The width of the remaining side strands of hair behind the ears on an average-sized head is usually equal to the length of the bobbin. If the width of the strand exceeds the length of the bobbin, the parting is moved slightly back behind the ear and then, since the temporal strand of hair has become wider, a small strand is separated from the side of the face and wound around the bobbin in a vertical position.

After this, they begin to wind the hair onto bobbins. To protect your hands from the composition, wear thin rubber gloves. Hair curling begins from the middle strand of the back of the head. It is not recommended to wet this entire strand of hair with the composition at once. Three quarters of its length, starting from the ends, is moistened with a foam sponge. It is not recommended to wet the hair at the very roots to prevent the drug from getting on the scalp. Then an even smaller (about 1 cm) strand is separated from the wetted part of the strand, depending on the thickness and length of the hair, and wound it onto a bobbin (Fig. 61). To do this, a combed strand of hair is placed on the palm of the left hand and a bobbin in the right hand is placed under it, and the ends of the hair strands are grabbed with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. The ends of the hair are placed on the bobbin so that they protrude by 1 - 2 cm. Using the index finger of the left hand, bend the ends of the hair inward in the direction of twisting, and with the middle finger of the same hand press them to the bobbin. With your right hand, lightly pull the strand perpendicular to the surface of the head. With a quick sliding movement of the index finger of the left hand along the plane of the bobbin in the direction of twisting, the ends of the hair are folded under the strand, and with the middle finger of the same hand they seem to repeat this movement, pressing the hair to the bobbin. At the moment when the index finger of the left hand began a sliding movement along the plane of the bobbin, bending the ends of the hair under the strand, the index finger and thumb of the right hand should, slightly loosening the tension of the strand, quickly rotate the bobbin in the desired direction. The correct grip of the ends of the hair on the bobbin depends on the synchronization of the work of the three fingers of the left hand and two fingers of the right.

Depending on the thickness and length of the hair, bobbins of different thicknesses are used. For example, on the neck and other parts of the head where the hair is thin or short, it is necessary to use thin bobbins (Fig. 62).

After the back of the head is wound onto the bobbins, they must be moistened with a curling preparation. The next stage in the work should be considered curling the hair of the temporal areas, and then the parietal area. It is better to curl the hair of the parietal area towards the forehead. When winding, you must ensure that each strand of hair is pulled strictly perpendicular to the surface of the head. Otherwise, the hair strand will curl unevenly.

Having twisted all the hair into bobbins, they are moistened with a curling preparation (Fig. 63) and covered with an insulating cap. The holding time of the drug in each individual case is determined individually depending on the structure of the hair, the drug used or the client’s desire to have strong or weak curls.

When using the PA-1 apparatus for steam treatment of hair, the exposure time is reduced by approximately one third. To decide the degree of curl of the hair, after the required holding time (15 - 20 minutes), it is necessary to untwist 3 - 4 curls on different parts of the head and check the elasticity of the curl. Particular attention should be paid to the curls at the back of the head and neck. They usually curl a little slower than other hair. If the curl is elastic, you can proceed to subsequent operations according to the technological regime of hair processing during the production of perm. First of all, without untwisting the hair, rinse the entire head thoroughly (for 4 - 5 minutes) with warm running water so that no curling preparation remains in the hair. Then the curled curls are treated with a fixer.

The fixer is hydrogen peroxide of 3 - 5% concentration, into which 5 - 10 ml of liquid soap or shampoo is added, depending on the volume of the prepared composition. Soap has good wetting ability and its introduction into hydrogen peroxide helps to better envelop the hair with fixative.

The fixer is prepared as follows: 5 tablets of hydropyrite should be crushed in a porcelain mortar, then poured into a prepared bowl and pour 50 ml of hot water and 5 ml of liquid soap into it. In the absence of hydropyrite, you can use perhydrol, which requires 7-8 ml for the same amount of water and soap. Having foamed the fixer with a foam sponge, they carefully treat each wound bobbin with it. The holding time of the fixer is 5 - 10 minutes. After the specified time, the bobbins are untwisted. But they do this carefully, since the hair is not yet elastic enough. Hair freed from bobbins is treated again with the remains of the fixer. During secondary treatment of hair with fixer, the exposure time will be on average 5 minutes. After this, rinse the hair with warm water without soap.

The next step is to neutralize the hair with a weak solution of acetic or citric acid.

To do this, 2.5 g of citric acid is dissolved in 1 liter of warm water. Rinse your hair several times with the resulting weakly acidic solution of citric acid. To ensure that this amount of solution is enough for 4-5 rinsings, place a bowl under the wing (an attachment to the chair for washing your hair), into which the flowing composition gets into when rinsing. From the bowl, this composition is again poured into a jug, from which the hair is rinsed. After rinsing, the hair is lightly wrung out and dried with a towel. At this point, the perm process can be considered complete and the hair, after combing, can be wrapped in curlers.

If perm is performed on heavily bleached hair, i.e., significantly loosened by hydrogen peroxide, the amount of water for preparing the neutralizer can be increased to 2 liters, leaving the amount of acid (2.5 g) unchanged, or, conversely, reduce the amount of citric acid by half, leaving the amount of water unchanged.

Curling dyed and bleached hair

As we know, hydrogen peroxide causes certain damage to hair. By destroying the stratum corneum, it creates conditions under which the hair becomes more susceptible to various influences, both chemical and physical. If healthy hair tolerates any influences more easily, then dyed hair, on the contrary, reacts much faster to such influences. In particular, it becomes more porous, which makes it easier for the composition to penetrate into the deeper layers of the hair. These circumstances must be taken into account when perming dyed and bleached hair. Therefore, it is very important to be able to determine the extent of hair damage resulting from exposure to hydrogen peroxide. Otherwise, there is a danger of causing irreparable damage to the hair, and in some cases, it may even fall off. Before curling, dyed hair must be checked for sensitivity to the composition. This makes it possible to additionally control the degree of suitability of the hair for curling. To check, a strand of hair is moistened with the composition, previously diluted to the desired concentration. In the absence of contraindications to curling, the concentration of the composition can be considered correctly selected. The composition for perming bleached hair is diluted with water depending on the degree of hair damage and can vary widely. So, for example, if the hair is dyed only a little lighter than its natural color and no traces of obvious damage to its structure are visible, you can add 1 part of water to 3 parts of the perm preparation. If your hair is severely bleached and has been significantly damaged by hydrogen peroxide, you can add 3 to 4 parts of water to 1 part of the product.

Dyed and bleached hair must be wound onto bobbins very carefully. Such hair should not be stretched too much, as it may tear during the curling process.

The residence time of the composition on the hair should usually be slightly less than when curling healthy, unbleached hair. But if the concentration of the composition is weaker than would be necessary for hair of a given structure, the exposure time can be approximately the same. It is recommended to carry out a control check of the curling process 10 - 15 minutes after covering the head with a cap. This will make it possible to determine how much additional time will be required for the final formation of the curl on the bobbin. The process of winding bleached hair onto bobbins is similar to the process of winding unbleached hair.

Rinse and fix dyed or bleached hair in the same way as undyed hair. The concentration of fixer for such hair should be two to three times weaker.

After treating the hair with a fixer, rinse it with warm water and then neutralize it. The process of neutralizing hair after curling is the same as when curling or coloring.

After perming colored or bleached hair, it is recommended to apply an emulsion with lecithin or Londestral to strengthen it.

Poor-quality curling can occur for the following reasons:

1) low concentration of hydrogen peroxide;

2) too strong a concentration of hydrogen peroxide;

3) insufficient holding time of the fixer;

4) excessive overexposure of hair fixer.

Vertical perm

Recently, vertical hair perm has begun to be used. The enthusiast who laid the foundation for the use of such a perm is the well-known hairdressing master in Moscow V. M. Faitelson.

It should be noted that the introduction of vertical hair perm does not aim to replace the existing perm. The hairdresser's decision on which curling method to use depends on the hair structure and the desires of each client.

What is this perm and how is it characteristic?

With vertical perm, the length of the hair does not affect the quality of the curl. This alone puts vertical perm in more favorable conditions compared to horizontal perm. As a rule, horizontal perm gives good results only on short hair, since a good curl is obtained only in the first two or three turns of the bobbin. But since the hair is curled from the ends to the roots, it turns out that the ends are curled well, and closer to the roots the curl is weaker. This becomes especially noticeable when curling medium-length hair. In this case, there is usually no curl at the roots of the hair. After two to three months, the hair grows back, the curled ends have to be cut and a new perm becomes necessary.

When curling vertically, the hair is wound onto bobbins in the reverse order - from the roots of the hair to the ends, evenly distributing them along the entire length of the bobbin. The bobbin has a cone-shaped shape, which allows you to achieve uniform curl along the entire length of the hair.

Any existing preparations used in conventional perm are suitable for performing vertical perms.

The time of exposure of the hair to the drug depends on the quality of the drug, the condition of the hair and the thermal regime. Due to the fact that vertically curled hair with special bobbins does not have direct contact with the scalp, internal heat is no longer sufficient and exposure to an external heat source is necessary. For this purpose, you should use the PA-1 apparatus for steaming hair. The time for steaming hair depends on the length of the hair and the thickness of the strand; on average it is 7 - 15 minutes.

Vertical perm can be performed on hair of any length (within reasonable limits) and with any haircut.

In addition, when re-perming, at the client’s request, it becomes possible not to cut previously curled hair, since during this perm the hair is curled from the roots to the ends and, therefore, the regrown hair will be curled first. The ends of the hair on which the curl is preserved can be left unchanged and not curled again.

To perform vertical curling, the following tools and devices are required:

1) thinning razor;

2) serrated scissors;

3) straight scissors;

4) a plastic comb with a pointed handle (tail). Metal combs are not allowed;

5) three sets of bobbins of the following sizes:

a) base diameter 3 cm, height 6.5 cm; diameter of the base of the cone is 1.6 cm; the diameter of the inlet hole at the base of the cone is 0.8 cm;

b) base diameter 3 cm, height 5.2 cm; the diameter of the base of the cone is 1.4 cm, the diameter of the inlet hole at the base of the cone is 0.6 cm;

c) base diameter 3 cm, height 4 cm; the diameter of the base of the cone is 1.2 cm, the diameter of the inlet hole is 0.5 cm.

The thickness of the base (support circle) of the bobbin for all bobbin options should be 0.2 cm.

The set of bobbins should include: rubber rings or springs to secure the wound strand of hair, as well as the required amount of gauze;

6) puller (for hair strands);

7) a set of utensils: two porcelain or enamel cups for the preparation and fixer, a porcelain mortar for grinding hydropyrite tablets and a beaker (the use of metal utensils is not permitted);

8) a rubber or foam sponge measuring 3x4 cm, mounted on a wooden or plastic handle;

9) rubber gloves;

10) apparatus for hair treatment with steam PA-1. The bobbin consists of the bobbin itself, a spring, a ring and a puller (Fig. 64).

The bobbin has the shape of a cone, the base of which is a stop circle with a hole for pulling out a strand of hair. Bobbins are made from hard wood, as well as from polymer materials.

Depending on the properties of the hair and the client’s wishes, bobbins of various diameters can be used. The larger the diameter of the bobbin, the larger the curl. But for thin hair, you cannot use too thick bobbins, as the curl may not work.

The height of the working part of the bobbin (cone) can also be different. The longer the hair, the longer the working part of the bobbin should be. The diameter of the hole at the base of the bobbin depends on the diameter of the base of the cone. The larger the diameter of the base of the cone, the larger the diameter of the hole, which allows thicker strands of hair to be threaded through.

The puller for hair strands consists of a nylon line with a diameter of 1 - 1.2 mm and has the shape of an ellipse, on the top of which there is a larger diameter with an elastic band, designed for ease of use.

Before you start performing a vertical perm, you need to do all the auxiliary work that is required for a horizontal perm, then wash your hair and get a haircut. Combed hair is parted into squares, starting from the back of the head. The squares should not be smaller than the diameter of the bobbin base. Otherwise, the bobbins required for each strand of hair will not fit on the surface of the head. The strands divided into squares are secured with clips. The perm preparation is applied to the hair using a sponge, wetting only three-quarters of the length of the hair strand, starting from the ends. This is followed by winding the hair onto a bobbin. To do this, one end of the puller is threaded into the hole at the base of the bobbin from the side of the thickened part of the cone. With the left hand, take a strand of hair moistened with the composition, pass it into the puller and fold it in half, after which it is pulled through the hole in the base of the bobbin, and very thick strands of hair are folded in half, as close to the ends as possible.

A strand of hair threaded through the hole in the base of the bobbin should be wound onto the base of the cone to the right or left in a ring-like manner, without gaps, as evenly as possible, as tightly as possible to the base of the bobbin cone, similar to how threads are wound on a reel.

When curling very long hair, when the entire strand does not fit on the thickened part of the bobbin cone, you can allow the second row to be twisted to obtain a large curl at the end of the strand.

After the hair strand is twisted, its end is secured with gauze tape soaked in the composition. The tape is wound onto the ends of the hair in the same direction as the hair. Secure the twisted strand with a rubber clamp ring. For fastening, you can also use a special cone-shaped spring made of stainless steel or polymer materials. The dimensions of the spring must be designed so that it fits freely on the hair wound around the bobbin.

Begin wrapping from the back of the head.

Short hair on the neck is wound onto bobbins of smaller diameter. At the end of the winding, all the hair on the bobbins is generously moistened with the composition.

The next operation is steam treatment of hair using the PA-1 apparatus. The exposure time under the device should be determined depending on the individual characteristics of the hair, its length, strand thickness, etc.

After the steam treatment process is completed, you should carry out a control check of 2 - 3 curls by removing the rubber clamping ring and unwinding the curl by about half its length. If the curl is weak, the steaming time should be extended. If the control check shows that the curl has formed (an elastic curl has formed), the curling process can be considered complete.

The next stage is washing the hair attached to the bobbins with a continuous running warm (35 - 40 ° C) stream of water for 5 minutes. A fixer of the same concentration is applied to well-washed hair as for horizontal perm, carefully and generously moistening each strand of hair wound onto a bobbin with it. The average time for hair treatment with fixer is 5 minutes. Having untwisted the hair from the bobbins, they are treated a second time with a fixer and washed, after which they are neutralized, that is, rinsed with a weak solution of vinegar or citric acid. After neutralization, the hair can be rolled into curlers for styling.

To perform a vertical perm on dyed hair, the perm preparation must be diluted with water in the same ratio as when producing a horizontal perm, with the exception of the Zavitol preparation. Only if the hair is very strongly bleached with hydrogen peroxide can Zavitol be diluted.

There are special curlers for styling hair after vertical perm. Their use helps maintain the shape and direction of the curl, which is very important for preserving the pattern given to the curls.

Special curlers can be used not only for styling hair after vertical perm, but also for hair curled in the usual way, or not curled at all.

These curlers are shaped like bobbins, but are made of a different material and have ventilation holes to help dry hair quickly. The size of the holes and their number may vary depending on the diameter of the curler. There are 4 main sizes of curlers: for curlers No. 1 there are 8 holes with a diameter of 4 mm; for No. 2-8 holes with a diameter of 5 mm; for No. 3 - 15 holes with a diameter of 5 mm and for No. 4 - 20 holes with a diameter of 5 mm.

In addition to the holes designed for better ventilation while drying hair, in the lower part of the curler body there is a special hole designed for pulling strands of hair, as well as a stop circle. The diameter of this hole also depends on the size of the curler. For No. 1 and 2 it is 10 mm, for No. 3 - 12 mm and for No. 4 - 15 mm.

The stop circle is a 2 mm thick rubber disc with 4 holes. The central hole (round), intended for pulling out a strand of hair, should have the same diameter as the corresponding hole on the body of the curler. The other three holes are intended for attaching the body of the curler (having three protrusions) to the stop circle. The puller and spring are similar to those used when performing vertical perms.

Questions to check

1. Requirements for hair perm preparations.

2. How do perm preparations act on hair?

3. Optimal holding time when curling hair with preparations “Londa”, “Lokon”, “Mintox” and “Zavitol”.

4. Tools used to perform perm.

5. Checking the skin for irritation before perming.

6. What hair length is considered the most acceptable for perming?

7. The main stages of the technological process of performing perm.

8. Fixing hair.

9. Neutralization process.

10. Features of perming dyed and bleached hair.

11. How does vertical perm differ from horizontal perm?

12. How to wind a strand of hair around a bobbin when perming vertically?

After rinsing your hair, you can begin fixing the curls in a twisted position. For this purpose, the master prepares a special composition - a fixer, which is hydrogen peroxide of 3-5% concentration. You need to add a certain amount of soap shampoo to the fixer for viscosity. The fixer is prepared immediately before applying it to the hair and used immediately after preparation.

Fixer composition:

1. For short hair:

– 2 tablets of 6% hydroperite,

– 20 ml warm water,

– 15 ml of shampoo.

2. For long hair:

– 4 tablets of 6% hydroperite,

– 40 ml warm water,

– 15 ml of shampoo.

In the absence of hydroperite, perhydrol of 30% concentration is used.

Pour into a non-metallic container:

– 40 ml warm water,

– 15 ml of shampoo,

– 8–10 ml of perhydrol 30% concentration.

The resulting solution should contain about 5% hydrogen peroxide.

Having again tied a towel twisted into a rope on the head to protect the face from the fixer, the latter is foamed with a foam sponge and each bobbin is carefully treated with it, generously moistening it with the solution. It is very important to evenly distribute the fixing composition between the bobbins. Since the component of the fixer - oxygen gas - evaporates very quickly, the fixing solution must be constantly foamed and moistened with it.

After applying approximately 1/3 of the entire solution and leaving the fixer on the hair for 5–10 minutes, carefully (so as not to unnecessarily stretch the curls) remove all the bobbins. Finally, apply the remaining fixer to the hair for another 5 minutes.

After this, rinse the hair thoroughly with water without shampoo.

In order to do a high-quality perm yourself, you first need to understand what effects the hair is exposed to during this procedure. If we look at a section of straight hair, we will see that it has the shape of a circle, and curly hair has the shape of an oval. What follows from this?

To curl straight hair, you need to change the shape of its section while simultaneously twisting along the axis. When you wind your hair with curlers or bobbins, it bends and changes its shape. In this case, the internal bonds of keratin (the structural protein of hair) are displaced, but not torn, and the curl is maintained until the next hair wash.

Before perm The keratin scales of the surface layer of hair are tightly closed. But under the influence of the chemical composition, the bonds inside the hair disintegrate, the protein fibers are damaged, the scales open, and at this moment the hair, when wound on bobbins of different configurations, can be given any shape. The breakdown of molecular bonds should ideally reach 30%, then the hair will become stringy and viscous.

The next step is to stabilize (fix) the new hair shape. To do this, use a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide. At this moment, the swelling of the hair stops, and it begins to return to its natural state: the previous connections inside the hair are restored, the keratin acquires its original strength and elasticity, and the scales close. This stage should be given great importance: if the fixation is done incorrectly, then the perm will turn out to be fragile. During perm hair experiences physical and chemical effects simultaneously. When wound around a bobbin, the hair is stretched, in addition, each layer of hair puts pressure on the underlying one.

Thus, two forces act on the hair - tension and pressure. As the temperature during curling increases, the hair's ability to resist changing shape decreases, so during the curling process an insulating cap is used that retains the natural heat of the human body.

Each subsequent curl will look less beautiful than the previous one, since chemicals destroy the keratin of the hair, which is why a new substance is formed in the hair - meta-keratin, which reacts differently to the curling solution. There may come a time when your hair simply stops being curled and you will have to wait a while for it to grow back.

Hair curling tools.

If you decide to do perm at home, you will need a sufficient amount bobbins of various shapes and diameters - from 50 to 80 pieces. They do not have metal parts and are secured with rubber bands. Also for perm can be used at home plastic curlers, which are also secured with an elastic band or clip. Peignoir(a special cape made of waterproof fabric) will help you keep your clothes in order, and protective gloves will protect your hands and nails from aggressive solution. Among other things, you will need:

• plastic comb-tail,
• curling compound and fixative,
• insulating cap,
• bowl and sponge for fixative,
• drug for neutralization and stabilization,
• biological fixative.

Please note that during curling, products from the same company/brand must be used. You can buy all this in a specialized store.

Perm compositions

Almost all curling lotions are created on the basis of organothio compounds and their derivatives - they make it possible to influence the shape of the hair and change it even at normal body temperature. A very important characteristic of the drug is its pH value. The higher it is, the more active the effect of the drug on the hair and the greater the likelihood of complete destruction of bonds and dissolution of hair keratin. What curling compounds are used today?

Alkaline permanent (from Latin permaneo - I remain, I continue) is used for curling healthy and natural hair. The disadvantage of alkaline permanent is that it emits harmful hydrogen sulfide vapors, which can cause various side effects in humans - headaches, malaise, dermatitis (skin inflammation).

Acid-balanced permanent used for naturally weak, tired, heavily colored hair. This composition does not contain strong alkalis and is less harmful. Its main component is glyceryl monothioglycolate. This composition begins to act only after it is mixed with the activator (it is included in the kit, both liquids must be mixed before use, since the finished mixture cannot be stored), and a chemical reaction occurs with a large release of heat, and the composition warms up to 40 degrees C. The peculiarity of the acid composition is that due to the low swelling of the hair, the hairstyle is less afraid of moisture and weather influences, and looks more natural. The disadvantage is that the product is less stable and the curl does not last very long.

Soft alkaline permanent - a gentle solution, when used, the hair also receives a protein course of treatment, due to which the hair structure improves and the curl becomes more durable. Has no smell. Disadvantage: It often causes allergies.

Gel-like product for permanent - used for curling the roots of short hair, for example, curling the temporal zones in men's short haircuts. To do this, use a comb, not bobbins.

Foam permanent - the most harmless preparation for hair curling. It is so soft that the result is hair with volume and virtually no frizz. As mentioned above, great importance when perm is given fasteners which have oxidizing properties. Such preparations must contain hydrogen peroxide, but not more than 3%. Fixators perform the final operation in the hair curling procedure, ensure stabilization of the resulting curl, and return the internal structure of the hair to its previous state. Fixatives can be of the following type and consistency:

• concentrated fixatives(they are diluted with water in a ratio of one to one, their packaging bears the inscription “1+1”),
• non-concentrated fixative(ready to eat),
• foam solution(it is foamed with a sponge and applied to the hair, but it must be remembered that in this case it is the foam that “works”)
• non-foam solution(it is applied from the spout of the bottle separately to each bobbin).

Perm stages

Ideally, it is better to do the “chemistry” in a hairdressing salon with an experienced hairdresser, but if you want to do the perm yourself, then strictly follow the instructions. First of all, you need to carefully examine the scalp and find out if there are any inflammations, scratches or abrasions on the scalp. If so, then with perm You should wait until the skin heals. Perm should be performed in the following sequence:

1. Wash your hair with shampoo, squeeze out the moisture and dry with a towel.
2. Determine the method of applying the chemical to the hair.
3. Curl your hair into bobbins.
4. Soak your hair with the chemical composition.
5. Put on an insulating cap (option: cover your head with polyethylene, wrap it in a towel).
6. Record the start time of exposure on the clock.
7. Check the quality of the curl.
8. Rinse off the drug, without removing the bobbins, with running warm water for 5-7 minutes.
9. Apply the fixative for the first time for 5-8 minutes.
10. Remove the bobbins.
11. Apply the fixative a second time for 5 minutes.
12. Rinse the fixative with running water and squeeze out the water.
13. Rinse your hair with an acidic solution to neutralize the fixer.
14. Dry your hair with a towel.
15. Apply a medicinal product to restore hair structure.

When performing these procedures, there are several important points that you should definitely pay attention to and in no case neglect them.

Determining the condition of hair and scalp before curling

As mentioned above, if there is any damage to the skin on the head, perm better to reschedule. It is also necessary to check whether you have an allergic reaction to the drugs. It appears most quickly on the thin, delicate skin behind the ear. To check, you need to apply the composition with a cotton swab to the skin and after 10-15 minutes it will be clear whether there is an allergy or not (redness, rash, itching may appear).

You need to be especially careful with blonde (bleached) hair. If, after immersion in curling lotion, they do not break, but lose their original appearance, the composition must be diluted with water in a one-to-one ratio.

Choosing a curling composition

It is very important to assess the condition of the hair and make the right choice of the appropriate drug, since the degree of impact of different drugs differs from each other. First of all, we need to determine hair structure .

Let us remind you that hair can be soft, medium, or hard.

How to determine this?

If your hair feels soft and limp to the touch, then you have soft hair; if it is coarse and thick, it means it’s coarse; and if it’s neither, then you have normal hair. Then it is determined hair quality - thin, thick or normal. As a rule, hair structure and its quality are closely interrelated. If your hair is soft, it means it is thin. Blondes are more likely to have this type of hair, while brunettes are more likely to have thick, thick hair. In addition, it is very important type of previous hair treatment - dyed, bleached, with permanent residue, untreated. The fact is that the previous method of processing hair increases its porosity; it can also increase under the influence of sunlight, salt water, and hot air. In these cases, it is necessary to select the optimal chemical composition and means of protection, and in case of severe damage to the hair structure, it is better to carry out preliminary treatment. There are several permanent rules for damaged hair:

• when curling the roots that have grown after the perm, you should try not to apply the composition to previously curled hair;
• For heavily bleached hair and a large percentage of highlighted (partially dyed) strands, hair protection products must be used to even out the structure of dyed and sectioned hair and ensure uniformity perm. Keep in mind that every company that produces formulations for perm, usually offers several types of drugs:
• for healthy, previously untreated, difficult-to-treat hair,
• for normal hair,
• for porous hair that has previously been exposed to oxidizing agents,
• for blond and highlighted hair.

Having chosen a composition, you must strictly adhere to the instructions for use, since there may be differences not only between drugs from different companies, but also between the next generation of the composition from the same company.

Hair washing

There is a rule: perm Performed only on clean hair! Therefore, before curling, you must wash them, regardless of the last time you did this. This will slightly open the scales, which will speed up the penetration of the curling composition into the hair. The hair is washed once, and the scalp does not need to be massaged in order to preserve the fat layer on it, which will protect it from excessive exposure to acids and alkalis. After drying your hair with a towel, comb it, but you should not use a hair brush either before or after washing, so as not to damage the cuticle (the top layer of hair).

Curling hair with bobbins

Depending on the hair type, bobbins are chosen. If the hair is hard and elastic, then it is wound in thin strands on large bobbins. Medium-bodied hair is best curled with medium-sized curlers. Thin hair is wound into small bobbins, separating very thin strands. In this case, the strands must be separated with zigzag partings so that clear parting lines do not form, and the bobbins must be placed in a checkerboard pattern. It must be taken into account that the thickness and width of the strand must correspond to the thickness and length of the bobbin. The process of winding strands of hair onto a bobbin is as follows: the strands are separated from each other with a comb-tail, combed out, pulled perpendicular to the head and wound onto the bobbins. Make sure that the ends of the strands are carefully twisted and do not bristle or stand out from the general mass. The direction of hair curling depends on:

1. on the direction of hair growth (if this is not taken into account, the hair can be broken at the root),
2. from the future hairstyle (it is better to place the bobbins in the direction in which the hair will lie in the future),
3. from a haircut, which can be emphasized using curlers of different diameters.

The angle of tension of the strand can be different: the higher the strand is moved relative to its base, the more magnificent it will be later. If volume at the roots is not required, then the bobbin is placed as low as possible to the base of the strand. The securing elastic should not be tight, pressed into the hair or located close to the roots, so that there are no creases that can lead to hair breakage. The elastic band can be at the top of the curler or placed crosswise. You can also use hairpins to secure your hair - wooden or plastic.

Hair curling methods

Direct method. The hair is first moistened with the composition and then curled: first from the lower part of the back of the head, since this is the coldest zone and the healthiest hair grows there. To get an even curl, you need to curl your hair very quickly. They are pre-wetted in the composition, then, after winding, they are impregnated with it two more times. Indirect method. Wet hair is rolled into curlers and then moistened with a curling solution, and as it dries, it is moistened with a spray bottle. Winding is done in any sequence. This method is most preferable, since wet hair absorbs the solution faster and better retains its original structure. Mixed method. It is used for hair longer than 20 cm. Before curling, only the ends of the hair should be moistened with the composition, retreating 2/3 from the roots. In this way, the bobbins are wound around the entire head, and then all the hair is wetted. According to the way the bobbins are placed on the head, the curl is divided into horizontal and vertical. At horizontal way the hair is wound onto a bobbin located horizontally in relation to the base of the strand, from the end of the strand to its base. The disadvantage of this method is that a high-quality curl is obtained only on the first revolutions of the bobbin, then it weakens due to the increase in the diameter of the bobbin with each revolution. At vertical way the hair is wound in the reverse order - from the roots of the hair to its ends - and the bobbin is located vertically on the head. The main advantage of this type of curling is that the curl is uniform along the entire length of the strand. But at the same time, the hair does not come into contact with the head and there is not always enough internal heat for the curling process. One more note: if the hair has been permed several times and the ends of the hair are completely lifeless, then you can wrap the ends of the hair in paper. In this case, the ends will not suffer so much.

Applying the curling compound

When all the hair is twisted into bobbins, the composition is applied to each bobbin from above and below with a brush. This must be done quickly and evenly. You cannot apply a very large amount of the composition at once, since the upper layers of the hair, having absorbed too much moisture, will swell and will not allow the composition to pass into the lower layers, which will remain uncurled; in addition, the composition may begin to flow off, which is not always pleasant. The first time you need to apply the composition very sparingly. The second time you can apply a little more. And the third time it is applied until the liquid stops being absorbed. In this case, you cannot save the composition or fixative, since the hair must be soaked very well. Before applying the composition, the scalp along the hairline should be lubricated with a protective cream, and a napkin rolled up should be tied around the head. After impregnation of the hair with the composition, the tourniquet is removed. After the hair is evenly moistened, a warming cap is very carefully placed on the head, being careful not to move the bobbins. To preserve heat, the cap must be tightly secured, otherwise the curling process will be lengthened.

Exposure time

The holding time is always individual, on average from 10 to 30 minutes, as it depends on the structure of the hair and the desire to have a curl of one or another elasticity. To determine it, it is necessary to untwist the strands in different parts of the head during the curling process. (It's important to remember to twist the strands back!) A sign of a good curl is a bouncy and moist curl. After rinsing and fixing, the degree of curl in the hair will increase slightly, and if the exposure time is too short, the curl will not have time to form completely and will be short-lived; if exposed to the curling composition for too long, the hair can be severely damaged.

Rinse

Without removing the bobbins, you need to rinse your hair very thoroughly in the shower. Rinse time depends on hair length. So hair up to 10 cm in length is washed for at least 1 minute, 10-20 cm - 2 minutes or more, and hair longer than 20 cm must be washed for at least 3 minutes.

Fixation

Bottom line perm depends on proper fixation, which restores the damaged hair structure. If the fixation is done superficially, the molecular bonds of the hair will remain partially split and the hair will be inelastic. After thoroughly washing your hair and patting it with a towel, apply the fixative.

The holding time is determined according to the following table:

After applying the fixative and the required holding time, the bobbins are carefully removed, trying not to pull back the curl. Then the fixative is applied again. After re-fixation, the hair is thoroughly washed and treated with a preparation to neutralize and stabilize.

At the final stage, a biological fixative is applied, which instantly strengthens the hair keratin, makes the hair elastic, and affects the duration of preservation. perm and elasticity of curls. After thoroughly washing your hair after fixing, you need to blot it with a towel and apply the product evenly to it. After 3 minutes, the hair is thoroughly washed again. After this, you can use a rinse balm, which will restore the natural acid pH of the hair and scalp and make combing easier.

Hair care after perm

It takes at least 48 hours for the hair keratin to strengthen. Therefore, it is advisable not to dry or blow-dry your hair during this time, or curl it with curlers. For hair care with perm there are rules:

• You need to wash your hair only with special shampoos, and also use special hair balms with perm.
• If the hair is very dry, you should carry out intensive treatment that will restore the hair structure: you can use medicinal products, masks for weakened hair. The course of treatment is at least 10 sessions.
• After every 3-4 hair washes, it is advisable to use medicinal preparations, and for long hair, a preparation for the ends of the hair is necessary, because they will become drier after curling.
• In order for the “chemistry” to last as long as possible, you should not pull your hair while it is wet or twist it with a towel. You can comb them only with a sparse comb, and immediately shape them with your hands. Don't go to bed with a wet head.
• It is necessary to protect your hair from exposure to direct sunlight, salt and cold water, and in the summer to protect it with special preparations with ultraviolet protection.
• Laying is done in a more gentle way. It is important not to overdry your hair or damage it with backcombing. For styling you should use a nourishing foam balm.

And after all these manipulations, you can finally enjoy the result. The efforts of the home hairdresser will not be in vain: with perm morning styling becomes easier, because the hair has become more pliable and soft, holds its shape better and makes it possible to try many different hairstyles.

Perm is a chemical treatment of hair that causes hair to become wavy or curly. Any perm consists of two stages: winding the hair onto bobbins and applying a chemical composition. The process may take several hours, but the results are worth the effort.

Steps

Prepare and section your hair

Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo. This will remove grease and dirt and give you a clean base to work with. Don't use conditioner or the chemical won't work. After washing, pat dry your hair with a clean towel or an old T-shirt.

• A moisturizing shampoo will also work.
• The hair may be damp, but it should not be wet.
• Comb your hair before washing. After washing, run a wide-tooth comb through your hair.

1. Wrap a towel around your neck, then put on a plastic cape and gloves. This will protect your skin from the chemical. First, wrap a towel around your neck and then put on a cape, as if you were to dye your hair. Finally, put on plastic or vinyl gloves.

   • Gloves and a cape can be purchased at a hairdressing supply store.
   • The cape should be plastic so that the chemical composition cannot leak through it.
   • It's better to wear old clothes that you won't mind ruining.

2. Divide your hair into three sections. You should have three parts: one in the middle and two on the sides. Section your hair with the back of the comb. The section in the middle should start from the forehead and end at the bottom of the back of the head. Twist the side strands and pin them to keep them out of the way.

   • The central part should be narrower than the bobbin. The width can be any.
   • Divide the central part into two more: front and back.

3. Apply the solution close to the roots using small circular motions. Choose the section you'll start with: center, left, or right. Bring the bottle to the top edge of the bobbin and begin applying the compound in small circular motions. Coat one bobbin at a time until all bobbins in one section have been coated. Then move on to the next section. Use all the solution in the bottle.

   • Don't try to cover all the hairs throughout the entire bobbin. Under gravity, the solution will distribute itself throughout the hair.

4. Check your curls every few minutes. First, wait 5 minutes. Take one bobbin and lightly twist your hair. Look at the hair. If the curl has not yet formed, curl your hair and wait another 2 minutes. If after this there is no curl, curl your hair again and check the condition of the curl every minute until the curl is formed.

   • Don't wait 10-15 minutes, otherwise you may damage your hair. Everyone's hair is different, and the solution affects everyone differently.
   • When the curl is formed, proceed to the next stage.

5. Rinse your hair for three minutes without removing the bobbin. It is important. Leave the bobbins in your hair. Lean over the sink and rinse your hair or do it in the shower. Rinse off the solution for 3 minutes.

   • Cotton strips will get wet, so they need to be removed after rinsing.
   • If you have very thick hair, rinse each bobbin separately to remove all the solution.

6. Dry your hair without removing the bobbin. It's best to let your hair dry on its own, but if you're in a hurry, use a hair dryer. Do not remove the bobbins.

   Apply neutralizer and wait 10 minutes. Then rinse off the neutralizer for 3 minutes. Repeat everything you did with the curling compound. The neutralizer has a less aggressive effect on the hair, so you can leave it on your hair for 10 minutes without checking the condition of the curls. After 10 minutes, rinse your hair.

   • Keep the bobbins in place throughout the entire process.

7. Dry your hair and remove bobbins. It's best to let your hair dry on its own, but you can use a hair dryer if necessary. When you remove the bobbins, do not touch the hair. Do not comb them, otherwise you may ruin the curls.

   • If necessary, lightly style your hair with your fingers.

Curl care

1. Wash your hair no earlier than every 3 days. This can be difficult, but it is an important step. Curled hair does not need to be washed too often. If you wash your hair too early after curling, you can ruin the curl - your hair will unwind.

   • After the first three days, you can wash your hair twice a week.

2. Use shampoo and conditioner for chemically treated hair. This will help maintain the beauty of your hair and its curl. Use conditioner every time you wash your hair. Use conditioner from time to time to deeply nourish your hair. A natural conditioner (for example, argan oil) will also work.

3. Do not style or comb your hair for 7 days. You can gently separate the hair with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, but the comb will only be usable after a week. It is important not to do anything with your hair all week: do not curl, straighten, or tie it in a ponytail or braid.

   • Gather your hair in a silk scarf before going to bed. This will prevent your hair from tangling.

4. Try to heat style less often. This applies to both blow-drying and straightening. Dry your hair naturally as often as possible. If you must use a hairdryer, wait until your hair is 90% dry naturally and dry your hair with a hairdryer and diffuser. Try not to straighten your hair.

   • If you need to straighten your hair, apply a heat protectant and set the temperature to the lowest setting.

Rinse with water

To ensure that there is no curling agent left on the hair, rinse the head with a copious stream of warm running water for 4-5 minutes. Considering that the hair is curled, the procedure should be performed very carefully.

Curl fixation

After rinsing your hair, you can begin fixing the curls in a twisted position. For this purpose, the master prepares a special composition - a fixer, which is hydrogen peroxide of 3-5% concentration. You need to add a certain amount of soap shampoo to the fixer for viscosity. The fixer is prepared immediately before applying it to the hair and used immediately after preparation.

Fixer composition:

1. For short hair:

2 tablets of 6% hydroperite,

20 ml warm water,

15 ml shampoo.

2. For long hair:

4 tablets of 6% hydroperite,

40 ml warm water,

15 ml shampoo.

In the absence of hydroperite, perhydrol of 30% concentration is used.

Pour into a non-metallic container:

40 ml warm water,

15 ml shampoo,

8-10 ml of perhydrol 30% concentration.

The resulting solution should contain about 5% hydrogen peroxide.

Having again tied a towel twisted into a rope on the head to protect the face from the fixer, the latter is foamed with a foam sponge and each bobbin is carefully treated with it, generously moistening it with the solution. It is very important to evenly distribute the fixing composition between the bobbins. Since the component of the fixer - oxygen gas - evaporates very quickly, the fixing solution must be constantly foamed and moistened with it.

After applying approximately 1/3 of the entire solution and leaving the fixer on the hair for 5-10 minutes, carefully (so as not to unnecessarily stretch the curls) remove all the bobbins. Finally, apply the remaining fixer to the hair for another 5 minutes.

After this, rinse the hair thoroughly with water without shampoo.

Neutralization

The perm composition, whose pH is 8.5-9.5, acts on the hair like an alkali. If you leave a small amount of it on your hair, it will gradually destroy it. Rinsing your hair with water will not completely remove the curling compound. Therefore, the next important hair treatment operation during perm is neutralization with a weak solution of acetic or citric acid.

As is known, alkali is characterized by an excess of OH ions in a solution. The greater their relative amount, the higher the alkali concentration, i.e., with a neutral reaction of the medium, the pH of the solution is 7 and the relative amount of hydrogen ions H + and hydroxyl OH - is approximately the same. Some excess of one or other ions is inevitable, but in hairdressing practice there is no need to accurately determine it. An increase in the alkalinity of the solution begins with an increase in pH, i.e., when it begins to exceed 7. The composition for perm is a low concentration alkali with a pH of approximately 9. Acidic solutions, which include, in particular, citric or acetic acids, characterized by a predominant amount of hydrogen ions H +. The more of them in the solution, the lower the pH of the environment, i.e., an increase in the number of hydrogen ions entails a decrease in the pH of the environment, starting from 7.

What happens in the solution during neutralization? In solutions of any liquids in which water is present, continuous decomposition and combination of its molecules occurs.

One water molecule breaks down into one hydrogen ion H + and one hydroxyl ion OH -, which, when combined, again form a water molecule. If the reaction of the environment is neutral, i.e. There is an equal amount of both ions in the solution, and a continuous process of decomposition and reunification of water molecules occurs. If OH ions predominate, some of them do not participate in the process of water formation due to the lack of the required amount of H + ions. By adding an acid in which hydrogen ions predominate to an alkaline medium, the following picture can be observed: as the number of hydrogen ions increases, the number of hydroxyl ions will correspondingly decrease, which, when meeting each other, will form water. Thus, as soon as there is one hydrogen ion for each free hydroxyl ion, the reaction of the medium will become neutral. If there are slightly more hydrogen ions, the reaction of the medium will be slightly acidic. In hairdressing practice, due to the inability to accurately control the pH of the medium before and after neutralization, it is necessary to use compositions that approximately ensure complete neutralization of alkalis. Typically, a weakly acidic solution of acetic or citric acid is used for this.

To obtain a composition of such a weak concentration, you can take 2.5 g of citric acid and dissolve it in 1 liter of warm water. To better neutralize alkali residues on the hair, it is necessary to rinse it well with the prepared composition. Rinsing alone is not enough - the alkali remains on some areas of the hair. The operation must be repeated several times. Hair care. - M.: LLC TD "Publishing House World of Books", 2009.

After neutralization, the hair is wrung out, dried with a towel and curled with curlers.

When perming hair that has been bleached and significantly loosened by hydrogen peroxide, you need to increase the amount of water in the neutralization solution to 2 liters, leaving the amount of acid 2.5 g unchanged, or, conversely, halve the content of citric acid without changing the amount of water.