"Perms can give curl, lift, bounce, and texture to the hair fibre."
What does "lift" mean in this context?
And I'd like to make sure what "texture" means here. Because ... I thought perms harm the texture of our hair instead.![]()
The outer layer of a strand of hair is covered by what is called the "cuticle", which overlaps like shingles on a roof. A perm causes the hair shaft to swell and the cuticle expands and lifts up away from the shaft. Overall, the hair no longer lays flat against the head and this is referred to as "lift" - it looks thicker and fuller as a result. The same effect from the perm - the swelling of the hair shaft and lifting of the cuticle - is also what changes the texture of the hair. And you're right, perming can be damaging to the hair, particularly if your hair is very fine or fragile.