In the rule of perm maintenace, is it true that are not supposed to wet your hair for at least twenty-four hours, at the risk of deactivating the amoniam tylotholate?

Yes, it is true because your hair can become all nappy again.

You are not supposed to answer your own question, monk.

Must've seen "Legally Blonde".

Perhaps it would be a good idea to even answer it correctly....

The action of a perm comes from changing cystine bonds to cysteine, which is the effect of reducing the cystine bonds. This process allows the polypeptide chains to slip along side of each other to conform to the rods used to curl the hair.

Ammonium Thioglycolate which is one type of alkaline wave is a type of reducing agent required for this procedure-- Two hydrogen atoms are released by two thiodiglycolate molecules which combine with the sulfur atoms that form the cystine bond—thus creating cysteine.

Simply put, water by itself breaks down the hydrogen bonds only but the chemical agents break the sulphur bonds which permanently change the shape and re-fix it to the rod the hair is wound around. Neutralizing agents are then applied (after rinsing) to oxidize the hair (containing hydrogen peroxide) to form the new cystine bond.

To answer the question, wetting the hair makes no difference what so ever to chemically reformed hair 5 minutes after, 24 hours after or a week after. Water just breaks the hydrogen bonds and does not affect the sulphur bonds at all. Applying shampoo, however is not recommended as shampooing the hair opens the hair cuticles and as the hair is still in a fragile state from the harsh chemicals it has the potential to weaken the hair structure and lose its firmness of the newly created curl.