Which term describes hair that is particularly difficult to process with perms?

• A. Resistant hair
• B. Normal hair
• C. Fine hair
• D. Thin hair

Answer: (A)

In perms, how hair takes in chemical processing depends a lot on porosity. Hair that is particularly hard to process has low porosity with a tight, compact cuticle, so the waving solution can’t penetrate easily. This is described by the term resistant hair. Because the chemicals struggle to reach the core of the strand, processing times may need to be longer or formulations adjusted per guidelines, and you have to be careful not to overdo it and damage the hair.

Normal hair processes as expected because its cuticle and porosity are typical. Fine hair refers to the diameter of the individual strands and can be delicate or prone to damage, but isn’t by itself harder to process. Thin hair describes density, not how readily it accepts chemical processing. So the word that best fits “difficult to process with perms” is resistant hair.