Sun, 03 May 2026 05:37:52 +0000

The Shocking Truth About How Long a Hair Perm Touches Down If you’ve ever walked into a salon eager for salon-soft, curly locks, you’ve likely experienced the relaxing transformation of a hair perm. But one question many stylists gently educate clients on is: How long does the hair perm actually touch down—during the chemical treatment—and why does it matter? The short answer may surprise you: the “touchdown time”—the moment the hair is submerged in relaxer and allowed to set—plays a crucial role in achieving salon-quality curls, with implications for both durability and hair health. ### What Exactly Is Hair Perm "Touchdown"? The term touchdown refers to the precise moment when fresh, freshly cut hair is loaded into the perming solution and left in contact with the hair shaft until the perming process is complete. This phase is not just about immersion—it’s where science meets technique. The chemical formulation (typically a mix of relaxers containing furnesone, thioglycolates, or other alkaline agents) works to break and reform the hair’s disulfide bonds to create permanent waves or curls. But timing and contact are vital.