Q: When I perm elderly nursing home patients with thin hair it never lasts long. Is it maybe tablets?
A: It’s possible that medications that are being taken can affect the way the hair responds to the perming process, because of this it’s generally accepted practice to use a clarifying shampoo immediately
prior to wrapping the hair for a perm.
Of course, it is even likelier that the problem you’re having comes from the hair being resistant. My guess is that a lot of the clients with whom you’re having difficulties
are ones with gray hair. Often when the hair goes gray, the cuticle layer becomes more compact and lies more tightly along the hair shaft. This makes it more difficult for the perming solutions to penetrate the
hair shaft and affect the changes in the chemical side bonds.
You should be able to overcome this by increasing the processing time for your perm slightly. (As always, carefully monitor the hair during processing.) You might also look
for perm formulas designed for resistant hair which will better penetrate the hair and process more readily.
