What is the main ingredient in alkaline perms?

• A. Thioglycolic acid or its derivatives, and ammonium hydroxide.
• B. Water
• C. Sodium hydroxide
• D. Hydrogen peroxide

Answer: (A)

Alkaline perms rely on a reducing agent that breaks the hair’s disulfide bonds so it can be reshaped, and this reducing agent is thioglycolic acid or its derivatives. The high pH environment provided by ammonium hydroxide is essential because it opens the cuticle and helps the reducing agent penetrate the cortex. Together, these ingredients are what drive the perming reaction in an alkaline system. Water is just the solvent, not an active component; hydrogen peroxide is used later as the neutralizer to rebuild disulfide bonds after the hair is set. Sodium hydroxide isn’t the standard main ingredient in typical alkaline perm formulations, so it isn’t the correct primary component here.