It is disheartening when you get a perm with hopes and dreams of beautiful, luxurious curls only to be left with damaged, broken hair. A perm (permanent) is a chemical solution that breaks the natural bond of the hair and creates curls--from soft waves to tight ringlets. Perms can look great and give you a completely new style, but they are also drying and damaging on the hair. It takes extra special conditioning and treatment to care for hair that has been damaged by a perm. If you have already chemically treated your hair--bleaching, repeated dyeing, additional perms or relaxers--your hair is even more prone to damage. The person who applies the perm may also leave it on too long, causing broken hair. Breakage at the roots is the worst problem with a perm and requires a lot of conditioning.
Step 1
Examine how much damage is done. The problem with breakage at the roots--the part of your hair that is closest to your scalp--is you cannot simply get a haircut to remove the damage like you can with split ends. If there is minimal breakage, no one will probably notice. If there is a lot of breakage your hair will look frizzy or you may experience significant hair loss.
Step 2
Visit a salon. The hair stylist can find a style to hide the damage. If you got your perm at a salon, show the manager your hair and ask for a refund, and then go to another stylist.
Step 3
Moisturize and condition your hair to restore some vitality and avoid further breakage. Use a bi-weekly deep conditioning treatment. Only wash your hair when necessary --once every other day or two--to avoid drying it out more. Use hair products that were designed for chemically treated hair. Always use a strengthening conditioner after shampooing your hair.
Step 4
Use hair accessories to hide breakage. Wearing a headband with a large flower can hide a damaged section of hair. Hats and scarves are also good ways to hide problems.
Step 5
Consider getting a wig or sporting an extremely short hair style if your hair is badly damaged or if a lot has broken off. Luckily, there are many styles and types of wigs and it can be fun to experiment with wigs while you wait for your hair to grow out.
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