Kansas Barber Practice Exam

What chemical reaction occurs when hair is permed?

1. Oxidation of hair strands

2. Breakage and reformation of disulfide bonds

3. Hydrogenation of hair proteins

4. Conditioning of hair fibers

The correct answer is: Breakage and reformation of disulfide bonds

The process of perming hair involves the breakage and reformation of disulfide bonds, which are strong chemical links between cysteine amino acids in the hair structure. The perming solution typically contains a chemical agent such as ammonium thioglycolate or a similar compound that breaks these disulfide bonds, allowing the hair to be reshaped into new curls or waves. Once the hair is shaped around rods or curlers, a neutralizing solution is applied. This neutralizer oxidizes and reforms the disulfide bonds in their new configuration, thus setting the hairstyle. This understanding of the perming process highlights the importance of chemical interactions in altering hair structure, making option B the most accurate description of what occurs during this chemical treatment. Other options, while related to hair chemistry, do not specifically capture the critical aspect of disulfide bond restructuring that is foundational to the perming technique.