A perm can be an excellent method for styling your hair, and getting it done at a hair salon (as opposed to doing it yourself) can usually ensure it’s taken care of using quality products by a professional hair stylist. Once you step out of the salon, however, you should know how to take care of your perm at home to keep your hair looking good and staying healthy.

Here are five tips from the professionals at Kellogg, MN’s 151 Hair Company on how to care for your perm outside of the hair salon:

• Use The Right Shampoo: While you shouldn’t wash your permed hair for the first 24-48 hours immediately after leaving the hair salon, a wash about once a week after that is a good way to maintain your perm. Use dry shampoo in between to keep your roots fresh. Just make sure you’re using the right products. Choose shampoos specifically meant for chemically treated hair, as they contain ingredients that are less harsh on your curled locks than regular shampoos.
• Skip The Blow Dryer: Blow drying your hair can straighten out all those curls you spent money to get or even worse, make those curls frizzy. Instead, let your hair air-dry or use a blow dryer with a diffuser setting, and use the cool setting, as letting all that heat get to your permed hair can be extra damaging.
• Scrunch, Don’t’ Brush: Like a blow dryer, a brush running through your hair can cause unwanted static and frizz. Instead, wet your fingers slightly, then gently to “scrunch” your hair into the desired position and style. This helps maintain the bounce and shape of your permed curls or waves.
• Sun Protection: Permed hair is already sensitive, so strong rays from the sun can wreak havoc on it. Protect your perm from sun damage by wearing a hat if you’re out on a bright day or using a swimming cap if you’re at an outdoor pool.
• Regular Touch Ups & Trims: When your curls grow out, they can get limp and tired-looking. Trim them every month or so to keep them tight and springy. Also, since perms only last between a month and a half and eight months, it’s a good idea to visit your hair salon once in a while, so your hair stylist can touch up your root tips and keep your perm looking as good as new.

For more information on perms or to make an appointment with a professional hair stylist in the area, call 151 Hair Company at (608) 783-6191 or visit the website.