What pH range characterizes alkaline perms?

• A. Approximately pH 9.0 to 9.5.
• B. pH 4-5.
• C. pH 6.5-7.5.
• D. pH 12-13.

Answer: (A)

Alkaline perms rely on a high-pH environment to open the hair cuticle and allow the reducing agent to penetrate and break disulfide bonds in the cortex. This strong alkaline condition is typically around pH 9.0 to 9.5, which is why these perms are formulated to be highly basic. After reshaping, the neutralizer rebuilds the bonds in the new configuration, setting the curl. An acidic range (4–5) wouldn’t sufficiently open the cuticle or reduce bonds; a near-neutral range (6.5–7.5) is too mild for an alkaline perm; and an extremely high range (12–13) would be unnecessarily harsh and more likely to damage hair or irritate skin.