Mississippi Cosmetology Board Practice Exam

The correct choice is alkaline solutions because they effectively soften and break down the protein structure of the hair, allowing for the reshaping process necessary for chemical waving. Alkaline agents, such as ammonium thioglycolate, increase the hair's pH level, which opens the cuticle layers and alters the disulfide bonds in the hair's keratin structure. This reaction is crucial during a perm process, where the hair needs to be malleable enough to take on new shapes.

Other types of solutions, such as acidic ones, may work in different hair treatments but do not provide the necessary action required to soften the hair's protein structure effectively. Neutral solutions typically maintain the current state of the hair without the necessary chemical alteration for waving. In contrast, sulfate solutions are not typically associated with the chemical waving process and can be more about cleansing or clarifying rather than altering hair structure.