The good news is that perm formulas experienced a glow-up over the years. As a result, today's salon perms are gentler than in the past, according to Well + Good, who chatted with hairstylist Trey Gillen about this process. 

As with most hair-related decisions, Gillen advises those considering a perm to chat with a professional hair stylist first. Generally, people with virgin hair — that has never been colored — are great candidates for modern-day hair perming. But he's clear that colored, bleached, or thin hair might not be strong enough to be permed safely.

It's definitely a moving target. Nuances such as the texture, thickness, and overall health of your hair should be evaluated by a salon expert. Once a consultation has been done, a stylist will usually review the options. "Alkaline perms are the most damaging to your hair because our hair lives on the acid side of the pH scale," Gillen explained.

If you've consulted with a stylist and are still wanting to perm your bleached hair, proceed with caution. This is echoed by beauty outlets and scientists alike. A study done in association with McMaster University in Canada, published by PeerJ, showed that perming previously processed tresses might result in breakage of the hair. And that same caveat is heard from Style Craze — it is possible to perm bleached hair, but it must be done carefully.