A composition for permanent hair shaping comprising:
(i) about 0.5% by weight to about 30% by weight of a N-alkyl-2-mercaptoacetamide of formula
or the salt thereof, wherein R1 is a straight chain alkyl residue with about 3 to about 6 carbon atoms or a straight chain hydroxyalkyl with about 3 to about 6 carbon atoms, R2 and R3 are, independently from each other, hydrogen or straight chain alkyl residues with about 1 to about 3 carbon atoms;
(ii) about 0.1% by weight to about 20% by weight of at least one further hair keratin reducing agent selected from the group consisting of thioglycolic acid, thiolactic acid, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, 2-hydroxy-3-mercaptopropionic acid, cysteine, cysteamine, alkyl- or acylcysteamine with about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl residue, or the salt thereof; cysteine-(2-hydroxyethyl)ester, L-cysteine glycerine ester, and glycerine mono thioglycolate; and (iii) about 5% by weight to about 95% by weight of water and a method of permanently shaping hair using said composition.