How to Shampoo Hair After a Permanent. Shampooing your hair after a permanent is a delicate process. Washing your hair too soon after the treatment can deactivate the chemicals, causing a waste of time, money and damage to your hair. Using shampoos that are designed for permed and color-treated hair is a good idea, too.

Check the home permanent supplies you got in the perm kit. Sometimes there will be a shampoo included in the kit. If so, this shampoo should be the first you use after the perm has set. It is specially formulated for that specific brand and chemical used.

Choose a shampoo wisely for your newly permed hair. You should never choose a shampoo with a built-in conditioner. You need to find a shampoo specifically for chemically treated hair, otherwise you could damage your hair with whatever additive is in the shampoo.

Consult with a hair care professional for recommendations on specific shampoos that are safe to use with chemically treated hair. Visit your local salon to find some of the best shampoos in the business. The stylist can also give you great tips on maintaining your perm and the products to get the best results out of the style of your perm.

Follow the general rules of permed hair. Do not wash your hair for the first 48 hours after the perm treatment is done. Wait 2 weeks after the perm treatment before wearing your hair straight. This will allow time for the perm to become its most permanent, before the pulling and flattening that straightening can do (or undo, as the case may be) to some of the curl from the perm.