North Dakota Cosmetology Practice Exam 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A relaxed perm is specifically designed to straighten and relax overly curly or frizzy hair, making it more manageable while still retaining some softness and body. This technique reduces the curliness in the hair rather than enhancing it. In contrast, a soft curl perm is intended to create loose, soft waves. It uses a different method and set of perming solutions that allow the hair to maintain a more relaxed curl pattern instead of completely straightening it.

Thus, the distinction lies in the outcomes they produce; the relaxed perm aims to reduce curliness for easier styling, while the soft curl perm enhances natural waves or creates new ones without making the hair straight. It's important to understand how the chemical processes and rod sizes in these techniques differ to achieve the intended transformation of hair texture.