Black and white editorial portrait of a man with sleek, flat side hair

🇰🇷 The Korean down perm, at home

Side hair that finally stays down.

For thick, coarse hair that sticks straight out. One treatment relaxes it flat for 3+ weeks: no gel, no skin fade every two weeks, no salon bill.

3+ weeksfrom one 30-min treatment
3–4 treatmentsper 120 mL kit
Free shippingacross North America
30-day hold guaranteeor your money back

The results speak for themselves

Guys who said no to a fade every 2 weeks, more gel, and hiding under a hat.

Before and after photos from DPERM customers with thick, stubborn side hair.

Customer 1: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 11: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Juan: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
"It's been 2 weeks and my puffy hair is still holding down."Juan
Customer 2: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 12: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 3: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Jules: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
"No greasy feelings and I love how it makes me look."Jules
Customer 13: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 4: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 5: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 14: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Jonathan: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
"It keeps my sides down making my face look slimmer and sharper."Jonathan
Customer 6: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM
Customer 7: side hair before and after DPERM Before After DPERM

Get these results · $44

By the numbers

One kit. Weeks of flat sides.

3+ weeks of flat sides from one treatment
30 min start to finish, at home
3–4 treatments in every kit
4.5/5 average from 122 verified reviews

Results vary with hair type and how generously you apply.

DPERM Serum Concentrate tube and box

🇰🇷 The DPERM Kit

Everything you need for 3–4 treatments.

One box, no salon chair. The serum, the brush and the end-papers: the same three things a Korean salon uses for a down perm.

$44≈ $11 per treatment
Get the kit

Free shipping across North America · 30-day hold guarantee

What's in the box

Everything in the DPERM kit laid out
  1. 1
    Serum Concentrate 120 mL

    Enough for 3–4 side treatments. Relaxes the bonds that make thick hair stick out, conditioned with baobab, jojoba and keratin.

  2. 2
    Application brush ×1

    Comb end to section your hair, brush end to coat every strand evenly.

  3. 3
    End-papers 16 sheets

    Press the treated hair flat against your head while it sets.

The problem

Your hair isn't messy. It's built stiff.

Thick, round, coarse strands grow out of the scalp almost straight. On the sides, that means hair that sticks out at 90° the moment it passes a centimetre — and nothing you put on it holds.

01

The porcupine effect

Side hair puffs out a week after a cut, widening your head and your face in every photo.

02

Too short for gel, too long to ignore

Wax and gel can't grip 1–3 cm side hair. It springs back by lunch, or by the first humid day.

03

A skin fade every two weeks

So you shave the sides — not because you like it, but because it's the only way they stay tidy.

04

No way through the grow-out

Want a two-block or longer style? The awkward puffy phase in between makes most guys give up.

"I used to have the same struggle any other Asian guy has with puffy annoying side hairs… No longer need to do skin fades." Calvin Y. · verified DPERM customer

Under the microscope

What the serum actually does to each strand.

Gel sits on the outside of the hair, so stiff strands spring right back. DPERM works inside the strand and resets the shape the strand holds. 🇰🇷 It's the same idea as a Korean salon down perm.

After DPERM
Before
Before After DPERM

Drag the slider to compare

Cross-section of a thick hair strand showing cuticle, cortex and medulla CuticleCortex · keratinMedulla

The science, up close

Why your sides stick out — at the molecular level.

Every strand is mostly keratin, a protein whose chains are tied together by sulfur–sulfur links called disulfide bonds. In thick, coarse hair there are a lot of them, and they lock the strand in the shape it grew: straight out.

  • CuticleOverlapping protective scales on the outside. The serum's oils help keep them smooth.
  • CortexThe bulk of the strand: bundles of keratin chains held by disulfide bonds. This is where shape lives — and where DPERM works.
  • MedullaThe soft core. Common in thick hair, part of why it's so stiff.

What one treatment does

Unlock. Press. Relock — flat.

Keratin chains Disulfide (S–S) bonds Oxygen (O₂)
Bonds hold the strand rigid
Before · Locked

Bonds hold the strand rigid

Disulfide bonds bridge the keratin chains and fix the hair in its natural, outward-pointing shape. Gel only coats the outside, so the strand springs back.

The serum unlocks them
Step 1 · Release

The serum unlocks them

Ethanolamine thioglycolate in the serum gently breaks a portion of the bonds, so the strand becomes flexible. Baobab, jojoba and keratin help condition it while it works.

Oxygen sets them flat
Step 2 · Relock

Oxygen sets them flat

With the hair pressed down under end-papers, bonds re-form in the new position. Our low-pH formula lets oxygen in the air do the neutralizing — no second chemical needed.

Treated hair stays down until it grows out, which is why results last 3+ weeks and you only re-treat the new growth. That's also why you avoid shampoo for 12 hours: the last bonds are still setting.

Real results

Guys who were done with gel.

4.5/5

from 122 verified reviews

Loading reviews…

Read all 122 reviews

How to use it

30 minutes. Once every few weeks.

No salon chair, no neutralizer step. Most of it is lying down.

Coat it generously
Step 01

Coat it generously

Brush the serum downward until every treated hair is fully covered.

Press on end-papers
Step 02

Press on end-papers

Lay the papers over the treated area and press them flat against the head.

Hold for 30 min
Step 03

Hold for 30 min

Lie back on a towel and let the end-papers press your hair flat while it sets.

Rinse with water only
Step 04

Rinse with water only

Rinse thoroughly, then skip shampoo for 12 hours while the bonds finish setting.

Tips for best results

Use more than you think.
The most common reason for patchy results is too little serum. Thick hair needs a heavy coat.
Papers not sticking?
Add a little more serum on top, then press. A snug sweatband or headband helps hold them.
About the smell.
All perms smell. Open a window, rinse well, and it fades within 1–3 days.

Watch the full tutorial

Ingredients

What's in it. What's not.

Conditioning oils and proteins look after your hair while the serum relaxes the bonds.

Contains

  • Baobab seed oil
  • Jojoba seed oil
  • Shea butter
  • Hydrolyzed silk
  • Hydrolyzed keratin
  • Green tea extract
  • Propolis extract
  • Rosemary leaf oil

Does not contain

  • Sulfates
  • Parabens
  • Animal testing
  • Neutralizer step

Full ingredient list in the FAQ below.

The options

Every way to deal with stubborn sides.

DPERM Kit 🇰🇷 Salon permGel / waxSkin fade
Holds short side hair ✓ ✓ ✕ Shaves it
Lasts 3+ weeks Weeks Until washed~2 weeks
Cost $44 for 3–4 uses $$ per visit OngoingEvery 2 weeks
Where At home, 30 min Salon, book ahead Every morningBarber chair
Grow hair out ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕

Our promise

Risk-free for 30 days.

If it doesn't hold your hair down, you get your money back.

30-day hold guarantee

Follow the instructions. If it doesn't hold your hair down, contact us within 30 days of purchase with the product less than 20% used and we'll refund you.

Read the refund policy
Down Perm Kit

Or start with one kit

Down Perm Kit

  • Lasts 3+ weeks
  • 30 min at home
  • 3–4 treatments

$44≈ $11 per treatment

Get the kit

Free shipping across North America

Questions

Before you try it.

Not sure it's right for your hair? Ask us at hello@dpermco.com.

What is a Korean down perm? 🇰🇷

A down perm is a Korean salon technique that relaxes stiff side and back hair so it lies flat against the head instead of sticking out. It's a staple at Korean barbershops and salons. DPERM is the same idea in a kit you use at home, made for thick, coarse hair.

Will it work on my hair?

DPERM is made for thick, coarse, straight hair that sticks out — the classic East Asian side-hair problem — and customers with thick Latino and other coarse hair types report great results too. It works best once side hair is about 1 cm or longer. It isn't designed for fine or thin hair.

How long does it last?

Treated hair stays down; new growth comes in with your natural texture. Most guys get 3+ weeks before they want to touch it up. Applying generously and holding the full 30 minutes makes the biggest difference.

Will it damage my hair?

DPERM is a real perm: it uses ethanolamine thioglycolate to reshape the bonds in your hair. Thick, coarse hair handles this well, and the serum is loaded with baobab, jojoba, shea, hydrolyzed silk and keratin to keep it conditioned. There's no separate neutralizer step.

Bleached or heavily lightened hair: check with your stylist first. It can discolor or weaken.

What about the smell?

Every perm smells — it's the sulfur chemistry doing its job. Apply with a window open, rinse thoroughly with water, and it fades within 1–3 days.

How many treatments are in a kit?

The 120 mL tube covers 3–4 treatments of the sides (fewer if you also do the back or top, since you should apply generously). The kit also includes the application brush and 16 end-papers.

What's the hold guarantee?

If it doesn't hold your hair down after following the instructions, contact us within 30 days of purchase with the product less than 20% used and we'll refund you. See the refund policy.

Shipping?

Free shipping across North America. We also ship internationally — choose your method at checkout.

Full ingredients

Water, Baobab Seed Oil, Green Tea Extract, Propolis Extract, Rosemary Leaf Oil, Shea Butter, Hydrolyzed Silk, Jojoba Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Ethanolamine Thioglycolate, Ethanolamine, Polyquaternium-10, Spinosa Kernel Oil. Sulfate-free, paraben-free, not tested on animals.