How to Fix a Disastrous Overcrisped Hair Perm

My hair has always been rather dry and frizzy, so to control it, I've often had a hair permanent. My worst experience with a hair permanent was not a home hair permanent. Instead my worst hair disaster was caused by a hair stylist working too hard by overbooking herself. She set my hair, put on the permanent solution, set the timer, and went to work cutting someone else's hair, because after all, I didn't need any more help for twenty minutes. Besides, I was just getting a hair wave not a hair curl. Hair waves often use large rollers and the benefit often was increased control and shine.

I have kinky hair of a type that hair stylists called beaded hair. Beaded hair looks like a string of beads under the microscope, I am told. I also have quite a lot of it. My experience has been that my hair shapes well, soaks up conditioner, perms and colors and doesn't have the shine many people do. So I've experimented with many, many products in my efforts to have a normal hairdo.

So when the hair stylist removed all of the rollers, rinsed my hair, then dried it, my hair kinked very tightly for the full twelve inch length. I touched it and if felt like a brillo pad. I was mad, and by the time I got home, I was in tears. It took several weeks, where my shoulders were covered with little bits of hair ends all the time, but finally I found the cure.

Step One to Curing a Disastrous Overcrisped Hair Perm: Don't Use a Hair Dryer

Rub your hair dry and if possible, dry it under a heating lamp instead of a hair dryer. More of the conditioner will stay put.

Step Two to Curing a Disastrous Overcrisped Hair Perm: Condition It

Ignore anything a hairstylist has to say about not immediately washing your hair. Immediately, dampen your hair and put on a hot hair treatment, the oilier the better. Put on as much of the conditioner as possible, cover your hair with a bag and let it sink in at least ten minutes, even longer if you have the time. I often use a product with Cholestrol.

Step Three to Curing a Disastrous Overcrisped Hair Perm: Condition It Again

After rinsing out the hot hair treatment, use an everyday dry hair conditioner on your hair and rinse again. Pat your hair dry. I often use Neutrogena's Triple Moisture, both the deep conditioner and the leave in hair conditioner.

Step Four to Curing a Disastrous Overcrisped Hair Perm: Use Leave in Conditioner

To smooth your hair, use a leave in hair conditioner and a very wide toothed comb on your hair to spread it. Your hair will break less. I use "It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Hair Product" especially since I moved to Florida since my hair often feels thick and dull and it makes my hair smooth and shine. It's expensive for a 10 oz. bottle it cost $30, but I have used it for at least a year and still have some left.

Step Five to Curing a Disastrous Overcrisped Hair Perm: Air Dry and Don't Use Hair Accessories

Let your hair dry naturally, a slight breeze helps. If it is cold outside, stand beside a furnace outlet or in front of a fire. Don't use hair bands, hair barrettes or hair clips, they will cause more hair to break. Hats are okay to help your hair dry flat instead of spring up into a bush.

FYI -- I use most of the hair products just because of my hair type, but when my hair was disastrously permed, I loaded on the conditioners to help repair and protect the hair strands and make them relax.