Perms are not evil!
May 25, 2008
I became a hairdresser in the late 1980s. It was the era of the spiral perm. As a new hairdresser, I had no clients, therefore I had plenty of time to spend four hours perming long hair. I was good at it. I was creative and thorough. (These happen to be the same things that make me a good colorist.)
So the nineties came and brought with them the flat iron. It’s a lovely tool. But enough, already! Step away from your flat iron! You think a perm is damaging? I have seem hair beat to hell by flat iron abuse!
Every once in a while I will mention that I have a perm client on the books and people look at me like I have grown an additional head and say ” People still get perms?”
Yes, Virginia. People still get perms. Some people have such crappy hair that it needs the boost a perm can give it. Some people just like not looking like Morticia Adams.
Here is this week’s before and after.
May 25, 2008 at 10:52 am
My friend just got a perm and it looks awesome. I definitely wouldn’t mind a shift in hair trends away from flat irons to perms.
May 25, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I would give anything to have hair that looks like your client’s. :sigh: Since my hair is highligted so heavily, it would totally be my luck that it would fall out in the bowl…
May 26, 2008 at 8:59 am
@Judie: There are perms for bleached hair. They are very weak (to minimize the risk of “oh shit, the rods fell off with her hair still on them!”) but they do give you some nice movement. I wouldn’t do it twice on the same bleached hair, but once might be nice, just for something different.
June 16, 2008 at 12:11 am
Hey, maybe that’s what I need! My hair is getting way skinnier than I will ever be.
June 16, 2008 at 10:23 am
@Abby: I read your comment on my phone and totally thought you said “shinier” instead of “skinnier!” I was touched that you wanted to feel as shiny as your hair. I am a moron!
June 24, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Hi! I have fine hair that is at the end of my shoulder blades. I will be getting a “body wave” on Sat. I really liked how you did her hair!! How was it done so I can explain it to my stylist. Thanks so much!!
June 24, 2008 at 4:39 pm
@Kari: This was a standard perm wrap with aqua colored rods (most people would call it a body wave.) Remember that any perm will relax up to 30% in the first 3 weeks.
July 22, 2008 at 1:47 am
Hello. I am thinking about getting a perm. My hair is fine, but medium thickness. Not the fine that you can see through, like sparse fine fine hair. Fine texture, medium strands, but alot. And it is straight. Not stick stick straight, like 5% wave if i let it dry naturally. But that is prob because it sits on my clothes.
And i am in very dry climate. When i go to a full humid place, after a while ( like 2 weeks or more, my little baby hair, tendrils start to curl.) Also i can curl my hair, and hair spry, doesn’t stay for very long. It goes into a sorta kinky wave.
Then the length. The longest layer goes to right above my bra strap then the shortest to a couple centimeters below my ear. I have a oval/square face, cant figure out which one. 20, caucasian. I highlight my hair, but at most twice a year.
SOOO with all the info, should a get a perm. not bouncy very tight curls. But a bigger rod, one size bigger than the very curly more natural looking curl. I have been looking at the pics on google, and there are a couple that look limp and lifeless curl. i dont want that. I understand the majority of the pictures out there are of people who have had there hair curled with a iron.
July 22, 2008 at 8:43 am
@tracey: I can’t test the elasticity of your hair, but assuming that it is in permable condition, brown rods sound like a good choice for you, perhaps mixed with orange which is one size larger (and one size smaller than the rods used in this perm.) You may need to adjust the angles of your cut a few weeks after the perm depending on how the curls settle around your head.
September 6, 2008 at 3:54 am
HEY, LOVE THIS STYLE. MY HAIR IS A FEW INCHES SHORTER THAN THIS. PROBLEM IS, I LIVE IN OKINAWA, JAPAN. MY HUBBY IS MILITARY. HE IS COMING HOME IN ONE MONTH FROM IRAQ. I WANT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO MY HAIR. IN OKINAWA, THE HUMIDITY IS SO HIGH, I HAVE TO PULL MY HAIR UP EVERY DAY. MAY OF 2007, I GOT A JAPANESE STRAIGHTNER. TALKING ABOUT STRAIGHT HAIR. STRAIGHT AS A STICK. WELL, BEFORE MY HUBBY DEPLOYED IN JAN. 2008, HE WANTED ME TO HIGHLIGHT MY HAIR. SO I DID. IT RUINED MY JAPANESE STRAIGHTNER. NOW, I AM LEFT WITH UNMANAGEABLE HAIR IN A HUMID ENVIRONMENT. WE STILL HAVE 18 MONTHS LEFT OVER HERE. SO I THOUGHT, WHY WORK AGAINST MY HAIR. WORK WITH IT. IF MY HAIR WANTS TO CURL, THEN GET A PERM. WHAT DO YOU THINK? I DON’T WANT TO LOOK A MESS WHEN MY HUBBY COMES HOME. HOW DO I EXPLAIN TO THE STYLIST WHAT YOU DID TO THIS GIRLS HAIR? IS IT A SPIRAL PERM? THANKS
September 6, 2008 at 7:28 am
@Amy: I wish I could answer your question, but I have little real-world information about the Japanese straighteners. I am inclined to think that trying to perm the hair would be a bad idea, but that is based on instinct, not cold, hard facts.
Here is what I understand about the Japanese straighteners:
Much like a perm, a solution is applied to the hair which breaks the internal bonds.
While the hair is in this compromised state, it is flat ironed and then neutralized which reforms some of the bonds in the new, straight pattern.
So, logically, one would assume that your hair has at least as much (if not more) damage from broken bonds as the same hair would be if it had been aggressively permed.
This makes I ponder whether your hair has the strength (enough remaining bonds) to be permed and still be structurally sound (attached to your head!)
Even if it is in permable condition, I doubt that your end result would resemble the photo you saw because this was its first perm. (Repeatedly perming the same hair decreases the number of internal bonds and the hair loses it’s ability to reform to the new shape.)
If you have a salon you trust, ask them to do a porosity and elasticity test to see if they think a perm is a wise choice for your hair in its current state.
In the mean time, invest in some high moisture, low protein shampoo, treatment and leave-in conditioner and see if your curl doesn’t find it’s own way.
Alternately, see if there are any salons there doing the Brazilian (keratin) straighteners. They are beautiful, conditioning and will not cause further damage.
Good luck!
October 14, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I have really thin hair that is usually super straight, though it has a bit of curl to it having had a botched perm as a child (mind you, only when it’s dried sans-blow dryer). My hair is 3 and 1/2 inches past my shoulders and it is coloured blonde.
I’ve been thinking about a perm because I love the look of wavy, light curls. Kind of similiar to Paris Hilton’s hairdo at the moment (I can’t believe I’m using her as a point of reference) I don’t like the look of “moussed, gelled, scrimped up, diffused” curls. I’m more a fan of loose, classy waves and casual curls. I’m wondering with my hair type, and with root touch ups, if a perm is even possible for me. My hair is fairly damaged due to dyeing back to my natural colour, and flat ironing or curling.
October 15, 2008 at 9:07 am
@Hailey:
First let me clarify that the perm you had as a child has no impact on your curl pattern now. Perms only control the hair on the outside of the scalp, not how it grows out. Our curl patterns change over our lifetime. It is normal.
Second, the degree of damage done from thermal tools and coloring may or may not preclude you from getting a perm. There are elasticity and porosity tests that can be done in the salon to get a better idea of the potential success.
Third, the “loose, classy waves and casual curls” look would be helped by a perm, but mostly it is a result of curling iron work. And the challenge most fine-haired people have is due to sheer lack of hair. If there isn’t much (like Paris without her extensions) then the style looks sparse and empty because there may only be enough hair for two curls on each side of the head!
I feel your pain, sister. Best of luck to you!
October 30, 2008 at 12:57 pm
How do perms work…
how long do they stay?
can you sleep on them or what?
can you wash your hair and not ruin the curls?
I usally scrunch my hair and straighten my bangs if i got a perm done would i be able to straighten my bans and not ruin the rest of the perm?
Thanks
October 30, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Bangs*
October 30, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Everything (and more) you ever wanted to know about perms can be found at various online sources. Search for “what is a perm” or “how do perms work”.
I found a wikipedia page. Read it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_wave
or try this one:
http://beauty.about.com/od/hairbasics/a/perms.htm
November 19, 2008 at 9:04 pm
ok. I might actually need you to e-mail me so maybe i can send you pictures. BUT:
I’ve been SO majorly excited to get a perm. I’ve been saving up money just for that and I even went to go get my hair dyed professionally.
PROBLEM!
THAT was before I knew that you can’t have bleached hair and get a perm. So far I’ve bleached my hair twice.
Once in August of 08 and the next in October of 08.
The only part of my hair they bleached was the top. The bottom half of my head was left brown.
[i know i'm a lil weird, but i love it]
After the last bleach job i asked about my perm and she told me no way. I about cried right on the spot. I know I should have done research, so don’t ridicule me pretty please. :[
My hair grows pretty fast and I pretty much have an inch/ inch and a half of my natural grown hair grown in and its only the end of november.
i CANT wait for my hair to grow out all the way to get it permed. What can i do? I’ve read all of your posts so far on here and at the top you said theres a kind of very fine perm that can be used on bleached hair? I wonder if THAT would even be possible.
Please give me information. I can send you pics to see if my hair is just too blonde to be permed and what I should do.
p.s. I was thinking of dying my hair all one color from now on since i might want to keep getting perms after my first one. I was going to get Henna and do it.
If there is ANY possible way of me getting a perm should a even dye my hair with Henna?
If so how long do i wait?
OR do i do it before the perm?
Please help i’m so sad.
I’m about to go do the float
January 3, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I have been a big fan of perms forever. I used to wear my hair tight at the nape of my neck, sides tucked behind ears, and longer on the crown and bangs. My hairdresser (who has since moved from WI to AZ) used to give me what she called the “no perm, perm” basically a body wave with peach and orange rods. It was great!! Get out of the shower, throw in some product, blowdry for a few seconds just to dry the roots and out the door. I’ve since let my hair grow out, it’s down to the top of my shoulder blades now, thin and fine. I want to get another perm but am terrified it will be too tight for my liking (the pic on this page is a little too wavy for me). There is a pic on your 8-14-08 entry titled Keratin Straightner, the caption reads ‘Carrie – week 3, air dried’. Is that a perm? If yes, what size rods? Thanks for your time.
February 27, 2009 at 8:30 pm
hi i use to bleach my hair and i got a perm im happy with it, so now i use sunin on my hair for a golden blond it seems to be in better shape when i us sun in, so can i still perm my hair over sunin?
February 27, 2009 at 8:58 pm
i wont to unsubcribed
March 13, 2009 at 11:48 am
I have hair that is naturally wavy in the back and much straighter on the sides. In high schools (late 80s) I always had a body perm to even things out. I am thinking about getting another body perm to give me, well, so body…but my question is, can you still use a flat iron on permed hair? I remember back in the day using crimpers…but I would like to wear my hair both straight and wavy if I got a perm.
March 13, 2009 at 1:47 pm
You can use a flat iron (or any other hot tool) on permed hair, but here is what you need to keep in mind:
The structural component of the hair that gives it texture is also what holds it together. These bonds can be altered with heat, water and chemicals. Heat and chemicals will always do some amount of damage. Using both will cause more breakage of these bonds and therefore more damage.
Used in moderation, this is manageable; but remember that the more you break the bonds with heat to straighten it, the fewer bonds will remain to make the curls or wave created by the perm.
Hope this answers your question.
May 24, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I LOVE PERMS! My local stylist will NOT do one! She says I wont like it and its too out dated! But I have had board straight hair my whole life! I want curls EVERYWHERE! I want to get up in the morn put some gel in my hair and a flower clip and go!
I got a perm as a child, my mom followed all directions but the perm fell. My hair hardly holds curl when I try to set it with hot rollers.
What type of perm do you recommend?
what type of perm is this?
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wwbeautystore.com/images/ad_hair_perm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wwbeautystore.com/hair-perm-info.shtml&usg=__69OhnReC2fSQ9PjlWXQs1rH2ftA=&h=219&w=200&sz=15&hl=en&start=38&sig2=yTLDBzyCttCMaM_zkI_oIQ&um=1&tbnid=txvyoRMSDChbgM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dat%2Bhome%2Bspiral%2Bperm%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENUS289%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1&ei=MsMZSpmLC9PKlQeFlp3iCw
I would love a perm JUST LIKE IT!
May 26, 2009 at 10:28 am
Tawny, your link doesn’t work so I can’t see the picture you mean. If your hair is very resistant and not damaged, there are perms that are stronger and more effective. Perms are great tools for helping styles to last longer. You may still need to use the hot rollers, but the curls should hold up much longer than it does now.
This is not the first time I have heard of a hairstylist declining to do a perm. It is possible that she has permed people in the past who have been unhappy with the results and that has colored her perspective.
Dated is an unfair term to use. So all the people with god-given curls are walking around looking dated? I think it is more the other end of the pendulum. Maybe I think stick straight hair is dated and some people should step away from the flat iron!
Style is a personal choice and expression and should be embraced. Maybe a perm won’t give you the curls of your dreams, but it would be nice to give it a try.
November 4, 2009 at 8:48 am
I really liked the photo of the spiral perm and up til my last perm, mine generally looked like that.
Personally prefer the hoop type of rods for doing spirals, as mine can last for 6 – 7 months, if done exceptionally well. Booking with my usual stylist fell thru and no backup available at that salon so, I had to search out other salon options. I asked this one if they had the spiral rods and they told me that they did. I took them for their word, I guess that was my mistake. My top part is shorter so I’ve always had the regular perm rods but the length is done with the tube style. I found out as the stylist comes around half-way through and has a tray of these funny looking bendable rods. I thought I’d give them a chance. What a mistake. What a waste of my money too. Hardly looks and feels like the back part of my head ever got permed. The rest of the curl around my head just seems so weak looking. There’s more curl on the top of my head from the regular rods. Some people say, “oh, it looks okay” but then they’re not the ones who have to walk around like that. I’m just so disappointed and don’t feel like me. I don’t recall what style of rods you used other than doing it in a spiral curl.
November 4, 2009 at 8:52 am
Left long comment but think I forgot to click “notify”?