Should I get a perm?

[radiantquest]

I know that many would say that perms should have left with the 80''s, but my current hairstyle is curly. It would save much time and money from hair care products if it would curl on its own instead of me standing there in the mirror with the curling iron. My hairstyle is very similar to this. Except my hair is dark brown with red mixed in. Not highlights. Would it be possible for a perm to help with the curling.

 

[elrohwen]

Don''t do it!!! There are way way too many horror stories.

 

[kama_s]

I posted a similar thread a while ago. Let me try and dig it up for you.

ETA: Here you go:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-vanity-related-question-body-wave-perms.137134/

 

[Steel]

When I wanted to get as perm a number of years ago, I could not find a hair salon to do it for me. They all refused because it could go wrong and is, well, permanent.

I know what you are saying about the hours in front of a mirror, but better that, than wearing a hat

. Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.

BTW, that is a foxy hairstyle.

 

[mrscushion]

Wait -- do you have naturally wavy hair? Or completely straight hair you are turning into curls every day?

If you have wavy hair / at least some natural curls, there is a lot you can do with product to create stronger curls. I would advise against getting a perm. Way too harsh.

 

[radiantquest]

My high school best friend is the one that does my hair. She knows my hair well since she has been doing it for over 10 years. I think I will go in there with my hair styled and ask if she can do it. Not only does my friend do my hair, but my next door neighbor owns it. We are all pretty close and if they mess it up they will fix it. Even when it isnt messed up and my color didnt come out they way I want they fix it for free. My friend will tell me what she can and cannot do. Correct me if I''m wrong...If the curl is too tight they can put a mild relaxer in it???

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

I never yet saw a perm that looked attractive (my own experiments included, to say the least). Don''t do it!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Ugh, I''ve never had good luck with perms. The curls never look the way you want them too and you always look like one of three things. 1. A poodle, 2. a throwback to the 80s or 3. my grandmother. Please don''t. Have you considered using hot rollers instead of a curling iron? They might take as much time as curling but at least you can go about doing other stuff while you have them in your hair.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 4/19/2010 1:59:27 PM
Author: radiantquest
My high school best friend is the one that does my hair. She knows my hair well since she has been doing it for over 10 years. I think I will go in there with my hair styled and ask if she can do it. Not only does my friend do my hair, but my next door neighbor owns it. We are all pretty close and if they mess it up they will fix it. Even when it isnt messed up and my color didnt come out they way I want they fix it for free. My friend will tell me what she can and cannot do. Correct me if I'm wrong...If the curl is too tight they can put a mild relaxer in it???

I don't think you can really "fix" perms since they are "permanent". You can probably relax it, but your hair will be fried and destroyed by that point until it grows out. And I don't think it really matters that someone you trust is doing it - it's more about the chance it can turn out horribly no matter who does it. I wouldn't pay a NY stylist $500 to perm my hair, because it could still end up a mess.

 

[Steel]

Date: 4/19/2010 1:59:27 PM
Author: radiantquest
My high school best friend is the one that does my hair. She knows my hair well since she has been doing it for over 10 years. I think I will go in there with my hair styled and ask if she can do it. Not only does my friend do my hair, but my next door neighbor owns it. We are all pretty close and if they mess it up they will fix it. Even when it isnt messed up and my color didnt come out they way I want they fix it for free. My friend will tell me what she can and cannot do. Correct me if I''m wrong...If the curl is too tight they can put a mild relaxer in it???

If you are friends then it would be great to ask her opinion. Ask her to be honest with you and if they are happy to do it and feel they can meet your expectations then maybe you could consider it further...

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 4/19/2010 1:56:59 PM
Author: mscushion
Wait -- do you have naturally wavy hair? Or completely straight hair you are turning into curls every day?

If you have wavy hair / at least some natural curls, there is a lot you can do with product to create stronger curls. I would advise against getting a perm. Way too harsh.

This is what I''m wondering also ..

 

[kenny]

Why do they call perms?
Shouldn't they be called temps?

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 4/19/2010 2:57:36 PM
Author: kenny
Why do they call perms?
Shouldn''t they be called temps?

They''re called perms because they''re permanent. They don''t go away until all of the hair grows back out (which is as permanent as you can get).

 

[kenny]

Date: 4/19/2010 3:00:24 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 4/19/2010 2:57:36 PM
Author: kenny
Why do they call perms?
Shouldn't they be called temps?

They're called perms because they're permanent. They don't go away until all of the hair grows back out (which is as permanent as you can get).

The hair now on your head is temporary to 99.9999% of the people, since we get it cut.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 4/19/2010 3:03:32 PM
Author: kenny

Date: 4/19/2010 3:00:24 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 4/19/2010 2:57:36 PM
Author: kenny
Why do they call perms?
Shouldn''t they be called temps?

They''re called perms because they''re permanent. They don''t go away until all of the hair grows back out (which is as permanent as you can get).

The hair now on your head is temporary.

But wouldn''t calling it a "temp" imply that it would relax and go away after a period of time? It''s permanent for the hair currently on your head. Everyone knows the hair on your head is temporary.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/19/2010 3:04:34 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 4/19/2010 3:03:32 PM
Author: kenny

Date: 4/19/2010 3:00:24 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 4/19/2010 2:57:36 PM
Author: kenny
Why do they call perms?
Shouldn''t they be called temps?

They''re called perms because they''re permanent. They don''t go away until all of the hair grows back out (which is as permanent as you can get).

The hair now on your head is temporary.

But wouldn''t calling it a ''temp'' imply that it would relax and go away after a period of time? It''s permanent for the hair currently on your head. Everyone knows the hair on your head is temporary.

Ditto, Elro!

Maybe that was supposed to be a joke or something?

Anyway - even when the hair falls out of your head its still permanently curled. So yes, a "perm" is appropiate.

 

[vintagelover229]

DONT DO IT! I did mine (because I wanted a change but was afraid to go red!) and now have to flat iron my hair. I''ve cut my hair SO SHORT compared to what it would be because I''m trying to get rid of it. It damaged my hair so bad! I hated it and cried after I got it done. I showered that same day. Now I have about 6 inches left in my hair, but it''s grown out, so when I wash my hair, half of its flat, the other is frizzy and damanged and curly. I look like a goofball and have to flat iron the bottom half, and not the top. Please don''t do it!

 

[kenny]

Thanks I learned something.

As to whether you should get a perm I think it depends on your particular appearance and you should consult a pro with the question. (not a person who makes money doing perms BTW)

 

[4ever]

Yes, Watch this and then do it!

Live a little

 

[PumpkinPie]

I would vote no - it''s almost always a bad idea/turns out badly

 

[Dancing Fire]

my last perm was 25 yrs ago.

 

[lightningbug]

If perms looked as good as the hair in that picture, we''d all have them.

I regularly had perms + color as a teen in the late 80s/early 90s, but I always ADDITIONALLY used hot rollers to ''smooth'' the frizz of the perm. The perms never looked good on their own ~ they just gave the hair a good base for holding curls made deliberately with rollers or a curling iron. The color provided additional volume, lol. This 3-step method was very popular in some parts of the south.

Thank goodness those days are over, lol. I can''t believe my hair didn''t fall out.

 

[HVVS]

I'd say yes. Perms work if done right. I used to have my hair permed, like from the '80s through 2004. The damage comes from either the wrong solution for your type of hair, inattention on the part of the stylist who needs to be checking the texture and "feel" so as to not get the rinse and neutralizer done too late, and / or improper rolling technique. Color treating + perm is very harsh to hair. Usually they say either perm or color but don't do both.

I've had spirals, piggybacks, ect. If you want it to look natural, then pick big rollers like peach and purple. And use two different sizes mixed, to make the curls a little more random and not systematic. Personally, a loose spiral on a peach roller was what gave me big loose waves that looked natural.

The key to this is to go to a good salon with very experienced operators.

My hair was a mix of curls and waves when I was a kid. Through my teens and later, it went straight and that's why I had it permed. About 2004, I started getting grays and my hair went into a gorgeous natural wave all by itself. Yay. Just in time to start coloring.

What they used on my hair was a Apple perm of some type (smelled like apple) and later they used a Quantum perm for color treated hair even though I didn't color. So you might ask what would happen if you got the color treated formula. Never get the cheapest perm solution. I think those are what fry people's hair. I never had my hair fried except by some dufus at J.C. Penney's perm sale. Lesson learned. Almost had my head shaved to fix that one.

eta: I used the Regis line of hair products for my permed hair. Their shampoo for permed hair, their ProFusion scrunch spray that might be DesineLine Sculpting Spray now. Humectress conditioner, and Joico's K-Pak deep treatment if things started getting a little dry. If it's dry and/or split, have it trimmed off. I also used that hot oil stuff that comes in a tube. Pick your shampoos and conditioners and hair colors carefully if you have a perm. L'Oreal Preferance worked great, but anything Revlon cooked my permed hair to a crisp.

For my natural curly head now, I really like TRESemme' Curl Definition jelly, and VO5 Curvaceous Curls mousse, both of which I got cheap at Big Lots, lol.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

If and only if you trust your hair stylist I say yes. I got one recently for something more low maintenance. I am LOVING it!!

My hair stylist did a REALLY loose curl and didn''t go all the way to the scalp. The funny thing is I started a trend..my friends are getting perms left and right now.

Here is my hair soon after having it done:

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Sorry the pic was so big ack!!!

Here is one I just took less than 5 minutes ago..my hair is like half wet and frizzy, but this about 2 months later so it gives you an idea of how it looks so far. It is important to note my hair is very thick and heavy and long..so a perm turns into a wave. And no I am not naked I have a nightgown on, lol.

ETA: P.S. My hair is not styled pretty much either. Just wanted to give you an idea that it is possible to get a loose perm that does not look 80s.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Nnnooooooooo.......

I went in for a wave perm two years ago and the gal fried my hair! Sadly I then ended up with a pixie cut because of all the damage

I have not heard good things, and they''re such a pain as they start to grow out.

 

[HVVS]

That perm looks great.

I thought some more, and I recall light green, peach, and purple at the smallest are the straight perm rods used on my hair. Can't remember what the spirals were. They were all large diameters. But my hair has natural wave and takes curl well, so huge rollers were all I needed. I never had a "body wave" perm intentionally. Many women have told me that it produced a loose wave that looked great at first by quickly straightened out. "It didn't last," in other words.
http://www.hairfinder.com/techniques/permrods.htm

 

[radiantquest]

I have an appt for 12 tomorrow. I completely trust her. I took in my curling iron and told her that I did not want a roller smaller than the barrel of the iron. She said that she is going to alternate between peach and she also has a larger blue. So blue is the biggest and peach is the smallest. Keep in mind guys that my hair is short so I will be putting mouse to control frizz and then drying it with a defuser(sp?). It will give me the body and volume that I am after and will help the areas that will not keep curl. I am actually very excited about it. I will post a pic afterwards. Another thing is that I ALWAYS wash my hair as soon as I get home from getting a perm. I have had about 3 in my life and have always washed. My mother is a cosmotologist, my high school best friend and my sister is going to school for it now. I have complete faith. She has assured me that it will be what I want. She knows how my hair reacts to chemicals.

 

[Steel]

I hope it all goes well and you have a super perm! You sound like you feel you are in safe hands! Please post a pic if you can.

 

[decodelighted]

I can''t believe these are coming back!??!!! I had the "80''s perm" back in the actual Eighties!

And what I was going for was exactly the like the picture you posted Radiantquest -- only mine had Molly Ringwald''s face in it.

I hope technology has come further in the last 25 years ... the real life recent perm pix above look very cute! Loose, lovely waves.

Am kinda sad. I *finally* naturally had what was in style -- stick straight hair, for a good couple of decades now. Those days are over I guess ...

Back to the curling irons & hot rollers for me.