February 2008
I have very fine, straight, and thinning hair. My hairdresser wants to give me a perm that she swears will not in any way damage my hair, as the effects are not permanent and last only about three months. I can’t find any info on it and wonder if you know anything about it. It is called Texture Fusion. After 40 years of frosting my hair, I let it go gray. Although I love it, I miss the little bit of body I received from color-treating it. I do not like the feel of styling products as they just make my hair feel dirty. Is Texture Fusion a non-damaging option for my hair?

Karen, via email

Dear Karen,

First, to be absolutely clear, there is no such thing as a non-damaging perm. If chemicals applied to hair are strong enough to alter its shape for a period of months (or even weeks), they’re causing damage, no two ways about it. This is because of the way in which both perm and relaxer solutions work, since they have to break the very strong disulfide bonds that provide your hair’s natural shape before it can be curled or straightened. There is no gentle way to go about doing this. If there was, it would be sort of like being able to smash a window and then tape it back together and still get the same protection against drafts and the elements.

You’re right, it is difficult to find information about the texture fusion perm (which on line is marketed as a perm that provides texture but not curl). It appears that hair-care company Scruples is the main manufacturer of this type of perm (sold as Scruples Renewal). I reviewed the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this perm’s solution because it lists the main ingredients in the product (essentially, it indicates which chemicals are doing the processing). The Scruples Renewal perm contains ammonium thioglycolate and diammonium dithioglycolate in a range of 5–10% each. Both of these ingredients are commonly used in acid perms and work to chemically change the shape of the hair by, you guessed it, breaking the disulfide bonds. The pH of this perm is 9.2, which is alkaline, but less so than many others, whose pH typically ranges from 12 to 14 (perms labeled “acid perms,” which is a misnomer, typically have an alkaline pH of 9 to 11). Therefore, the Scruples Renewal perm is labeled an acid perm.

Although these types of perms are gentler for hair (gentle being a relative term), it is a blatant falsehood to state that they don’t “damage hair in any way.” Your hairdresser may not know any better or may simply be repeating what is indicated in the marketing materials hairdressers see to decide which perms to use in their salon. Either way, although you’ll get results with this perm, they’ll come with the tradeoff of some amount of damage (and the damage may be more obvious given your fine, thinning hair).

Instead of getting this perm, I urge you to rethink your dismissal of styling products. There are so many outstanding options available for your hair type, and the best ones won’t make your hair feel dirty (how much you apply makes the difference in that respect, so be sure to use any styling product sparingly until you know how your hair responds). The liquid-to-foam mousses are excellent for your hair type. They allow you (with the aid of a blow dryer) to add soft shape, body, and smoothness without noticeable buildup. Some good ones to try include Aveda Phomollient ($13 for 6.7 ounces), Wella Liquid Hair Energy Styler Volumizing Mousse ($11.50 for 10.6 ounces), and L’Oreal Amped Up Mega Mousse Volumizing Mousse ($3.99 for 7.1 ounces).