What is the proper sequence of steps in a basic chemical perm process?

• A. Wrap hair around rods, apply waving lotion, rinse, apply neutralizer
• B. Apply waving lotion, wrap hair, rinse, apply neutralizer
• C. Rinse, wrap, apply waving lotion, apply neutralizer
• D. Wrap hair around rods, apply neutralizer, apply waving lotion, rinse

Answer: (A)

In a basic chemical perm, the goal is to break and then reform the hair’s disulfide bonds so it holds a new shape. The proper sequence starts with wrapping the hair around perm rods to set the desired pattern. This gives you the physical mold for the curl. Next, apply waving lotion to soften and break the disulfide bonds so the hair can take on the new form while held on the rods. After the processing time, rinse thoroughly to remove the waving lotion and stop its action, which prevents over-processing. Finally, apply neutralizer to re-form and lock the bonds in the new configuration, fixing the curl.

If you try to rinse first, you’d remove the processing agent before you could reshape the bonds, and if you apply neutralizer before the bonds are broken, the hair wouldn’t set into the new shape. Similarly, applying waving lotion after not wrapping would fail to produce a uniform pattern because the hair wouldn’t be held in the intended form during chemical reshaping.