A heat generating hair permanent composition is disclosed. The composition has a pH of about 6.8 to 10. It is the reaction product of a mixture of about 6 to 10 parts of an aqueous hair reducing composition containing from 5 to 20 weight percent reducing agent with about 0.5 to 3 parts of an aqueous oxidizing solution which contains 1 to 6 weight percent hydrogen peroxide.

A method for enhancing the body of hair comprising applying to the hair a composition comprising as essential ingredients in certain critical amounts an alkali metal or ammonium bisulfite, an alkanolamine, a guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, a certain quaternary ammonium conditioner, an alkali metal or ammonium carbonate or an alkali metal phosphate when the bisulfite is alkali metal bisulfite and water; working the composition into the hair, lifting the hair with, e.g., the finger tips, a hair pick or the tail of a comb, allowing the composition to remain in contact with the hair for about 20 to 30 minutes, rinsing the hair and drying the hair.

A method of setting hair or fur comprises applying to the hair or fur a composition for reducing keratin disulfide bonds, allowing the hair or fur to stand in a desired configuration, applying to the hair or fur a composition to set the hair or fur in a desired wave or straightened configuration, and washing or drying the hair or fur, where the composition to set the hair or fur is an ionic, water-soluble compound, which is substantially non-oxidizing to the products of keratin reduction and which reforms substantially all the keratin disulfide bonds, while substantially avoiding precipitation. The kit comprising and facilitating the same method is included.