Perm, Co-Washing, questions I can't find answers to!

[enthused91]

I am not sure where to ask this question -- as far as on this site or anywhere for that matter... So if this is the wrong venue, I apologize --

Anways, I recently got a body wave perm (and I am Caucasian, which has made it much trickier to look up answers on the internet for whatever reason because much more often than not, internet inquiries about perms seem to be related to african american hair) and now I am wondering if conditioner-only washing my hair would be a good idea or not -- not that the damage from the perm is THAT terrible in my case, I am actually loving the added texture, being someone with VERY thin straight hair, however I was wondering if co washing would make my hair look a little less frazzled while still looking clean and a little more healthy -- and if co-washing isn't the best plan, any other helpful suggestions?

I am also worried about doing anything that might negate the effects of the perm, as I don't want to remove the body waves, I just want to keep them looking their best...

Any suggestions? Or am I totally in the wrong place to ask about chemically damaging treatments, being that this forum is about healthy hair?

~*~Courtney~*~

[spidermom]

Give it a try. Some like CO washing, some don't. As long as you wait the recommended amount of time after a perm, you're good to go.

I had the best results with CO when I'd generously apply conditioner and finger-comb through all the hair at my scalp, then coil my hair up under a shower cap, then cover that with a wool hat and let it marinate for 30-60 minutes. Then I'd get under the shower, get my head wet (but not soaking wet), and massage my scalp with my fingers following the direction of my hair (forehead to nape) over and over again, until I worked up a slight foam, then rinse and rinse and rinse. You can condition the length again if you want, but I usually didn't.

[marykatz]

I would give it a try because it certainly can't hurt your hair. It would probably help hold the perm even longer too.

[enthused91]

Cool -- Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions -- I'll give it a try and see how it works out!

~*~Courtney~*~