Highlights and Perms: Which Should Come First?

Question
My hair is partially highlighted and permed.  I'm due for another perm in a couple of months and wanted to ask you if it's best to highlight first and then perm or vice versa?  Every hairdresser seems to have a different opinion.  My hair is brown and partially foiled with kind of blonde highlights.  Think she uses 10 volume and then puts me under the dryer to speed process up.  Also when I do highlight would I be better off using 20 volume and not going under dryer or sticking with 10 volume and just let it stay on longer?  I usually wait two weeks in between perm and highlights as that's what I've always been told to wait 1-2 weeks.

Answer
Ali,
 It really depends on the hair and the stylist. If your hair was not yet highlighted and you were considering both I would suggest perming first as it is easier to do on natural hair than on highlighted. However, as long as your stylist is maintaining decent condition with your highlights, then I would suggest foiling first and then perming. The reason is that if you have highlights with regrowth, this would present an additional issue, as you would have natural regrowth and highlighted ends, each with very different needs when perming. If it is all highlighted you are contending with the same scenario throughout.
Now, I must comment on your highlights. I don't agree with the reasoning behind using a lower volume for highlights if they are going to place you under a dryer. The dryer heat creates a much more violent chemical reaction than using a higher developer volume and room temperature. The room temp option will leave the hair in much better condition, especially a consideration when perming also.
 For perming, they will want to use a perm suited to multiple porosity hair and after rinsing give at least a 20-30 minute waiting period with frequent blotting before neutralizing to allow the hair to stabilize better, giving a firmer result.
Best of luck to you.
Stephe (hairman)