Permanent Wave, which is commonly referred to as a perm, involves a chemical process that breaks and reforms the bonds of your hair to create a beautiful, natural, and permanent curl. But what makes the curl "permanent"? It happens through the magic of chemistry. 97% of your hair is protein (keratin) and contains three important bonds (disulphide bonds, hydrogen bonds, and salt bonds) that give your hair its strength. These chemicals make human hair extremely strong, while also making the hair very versatile. This combination allows hair stylist to easily change the phycial and chemical properties of our hair.