Perms can vary greatly in their intensity. Sometimes perms produce loose, gentle waves, whereas other perms may create tight, spiraled curls. If you find that your perm is too tight and you wish to relax it, you can do so with a variety of home remedies.

Wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo. If you received your perm within the past 72 hours, shampoo your hair as soon as possible. This will help to remove some of the perm's chemicals from your hair before they fully set the curl.

Apply moisturizing conditioner to your hair.

Comb your hair completely straight while the conditioner is still in your hair. Wait 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing it out. Continue combing your hair while you wait.

Rinse your hair and then repeat the process. Shampoo, condition, comb, wait and rinse again.

Put a hot oil treatment on your hair. This will help to add weight and gloss to your hair, thus relaxing the perm's curls. Use a hot oil treatment two times a week for more relaxation.

Soak your hair in olive oil. This will add lots of shine to your hair while also weighing down the curls. The result will be looser, gentler curls and very shiny hair.