I want to perm my hair...

[HalcyonDays]

I know it'd be horrible to my hair, but I want to get the experimenting out of my system before my hair gets really long. But I've got a few questions before I destroy my virgin hair with chemicals.

The perm won't do anything to the actual hair follicle, will it? So the hair that grows after the perm will be as healthy as before?

Do I have to get regular touch-ups? This'll probably be the deciding factor for me - I don't go to the hairdressers very often because I'm so lazy, and I don't want to have to start going every 2 weeks or whatever.

How much care does it take in the mornings or straight after you wash it? How much longer/shorter does it take than unpermed hair?

If I get a perm, are there some chemicals that cannot touch my hair? eg - normal hair dyes, henna, cassia, honey etc

Is there anything else you think I ought to know? I know I'm not to touch it for a couple of days after, and that's fine. I'm more worried about the after-care. But I so want curly hair!

Thanks!

[FrannyG]

If you go ahead and get a perm, the hair that is permed is the hair that is altered, not the follicles, so when the perm grows out and is cut off, the damage is cut off too. A hair stylist will generally not want to touch up your perm any more than every three to four months, and if you do get touch-ups, make sure that you have a stylist qualified to do a roots-only perm. Hair that has been permed more than once is not a pretty sight.

I've had several perms in my life, and they always required a fair bit of work. However, some people have hair types and perm types that allow them to just wash and go. I had to use hot rollers or a curling iron to make my perms look nice, so that was even more damage that I inflicted on my hair.

You do not want to put chemical colour anywhere near your hair if you have a perm. I suggest you go to the henna experts about henna and cassia. Regarding honey, I'd ask in the honey thread.

I've had my days of experimentation, so I fully understand that need, and I agree that it's better to do it while your hair is shorter than when it's longer.

As long as you go into it with your eyes wide open and know that it really is a damaging process, and you're prepared for that, then go and have fun! :)

I hope you have instituted the two week rule, and remember to report back to us--with photos. :wink:

[Tap Dancer]

You might want to talk to AquaViolet1973. She perms her hair and it looks great. :flower:

[Daoine Sidhe]

I had my hair permed for 2 years. I had a new one every 6 months. (so that were 4 perms).

Some things I wan't you to know:

- On some hairtypes perms don't work or the curls may only stay for 3 weeks. => a lot of hair damage without anything in return...

- The first time my hair was permed it looked EXPLODED. It was horrible!

- If you want to perm your hair again after some time (I did it after 6 months): only do the virgin roots!!
I made the mistake to let them perm my hair completely. Don't perm hair twice! It will destroy your hair even more and there's a big chance you're hair will break off (that's what my hair did)

- I lost a lot of hair because of perming. I'm not only talking about breakage. My hair really thinned out at the roots too. Probably because my scalp got in contact with the perm product. (thank god ver much new babyhairs grew back after I stopped perming)

-The curls will start to fade after 6 to 12 months. And as I said: do not perm the same hair twice.
So I don't recommend perming of your hair is much longer than shoulder length (I forgot to look how long your hair is)

-You'll probably have to trim your hair every 6 weeks. Permed hair splits very easily. (you'll have to stay at the same length)

-A perm gives you very dry hair. You will have to moisture the hell out of your hair and... it will still be dry :p

-Don't perm your hair if you're planning on growing it longer afterwards.

-Also don't do it if you have fragile fine hair like I have.

For the rest, I DID like my perm at that time! I didn't regret it. (except for the first time when it looked exploded :p)
BUT in that time, I didn't really care about the health of my hair like I do now...
If I cared as much about the health of my hair as I do now, I would be totally frustrated by the dryness and the frizz it gives.

[BlackfootHair]

Hairdressers always try to get you to go with a smaller rod than what kind of curls you actually want. They say if you go bigger your curl will fall out soon and you won't like it...Don't let them talk you into something other than what you want! Of course, I have naturally curly hair, so the two times in my life I did get a perm my hair took really really well...and I looked like a poodle both times till it started to finally relax...several months later.

I've also worked in a few different salons over the years and they recommend holding off on the coloring until two weeks after the perm. Perms will lighten chemically colored hair, so one, it doesn't make sense to color before, and two, you need to wait at least two weeks after so your hair has time to adjust to the perm.

I wouldn't color it if you perm it. Maybe with only semi permanent colors if you are really determined. Your hair will already be porous from the perm, so even if you use permanent color, it might not hold to your hair anyway...thus leaving you wanting to re-color it again. Oh, and if you straighten it after you perm it, don't hope for it to look anything like your original healthy hair...My hair looked nasty when I tried to straighten it.

Perms can be fun........but if and when you decide to stop perming and go back to your natural, you'll have to cut all that perm out eventually....Not fun.

My second, and last perm ever, I ended up straightening it with a gentle relaxer kit from Sally's not even a week after I had it permed because I looked like I had really really short 3C/4A curls, and some places even tighter than that. My hair was super short after the perm,...it was just not a good look for me at all! After I straightened it I ended up cutting it short because the hair looked like poo. Not shiny or healthy at all. So...think long and hard.
:flowers:

[Daoine Sidhe]

Jep, same here. I looked like a poodle the first weeks :p After that, the curs become looser and more beautiful.

[lora410]

From the perms I remember they are alot of work in the morning, esp if you get a tight spiral perm. Think wetting, detangling etc. And as far as I know I would not dye the hair, or apply any other chemicals.

[Daoine Sidhe]

From the perms I remember they are alot of work in the morning, esp if you get a tight spiral perm. Think wetting, detangling etc. And as far as I know I would not dye the hair, or apply any other chemicals.

It depends, my perm was really not much work.
I remember my hairdresses let me choose: did I want to do some work to my hair in the morning or not?
So there were 2 different things I could choose. I chose one where I didn't have to do anything to my hair.

[bex487]

I had a perm on two separate occassions. One I loved, one I hated. It came down to what was already mentioned-stylists will always try to put a smaller rod on than what you want.

The first perm I got was a body wave (so more wavy than curly). It came out great! All I had to do was scrunch my damp hair with some mousse with my head flipped over. It lasted for about 6 months until I really saw it starting to straighten all over. By that point, I let my straight hair be.

Fast-forward three years, I wanted to try a perm again. The stylist did NOT listen to my request for a body wave and I came out with VERY tight curls. It was awful. I even bought a kit at Sally's that relaxed it a lot so it was wavy. My hair was a lot frizzier this time around (probably because I did two chemical processes on it within a week). I also dyed it about 3 weeks later...what a mistake.

At any rate, I did like it when I had it. It was fun for a different look.

What I would suggest: Try using rollers for a week to get a similar effect, and see if you even like it. My best friend got one, hated it, and promptly straightened her hair EVERY DAY until it eventually grew out.

[yogachic]

I've had many perms, I decided a year ago I am not getting a perm again. My hair is quite dry from the perm, lots of splits all the time.
Yes, you will look like a frizz monster for at least a week or two after the perm, and then, if you don't gel or mousse it there after, you will have frizz.

The folicles won't be affected.

[melrose1985]

Wow.... I should have posted something before perming my hair three weeks ago...

I had my hair permed, which the lady tried put tiny rods in but i caught her and made her use larger ones. I have VERY tick hair so i didnt want to look like a poodle. At anyrate 4 days later i decided that i didnt like it and i missed my straight hair. So i had my mom use a chemmical straighten kit to fix it. WHat a big mistake! i damaged my hair so bad that i had to cut 1 1/2" to 2" off all over.

My personal experience was not a good one and i will never do it again. I would say like some others told me, sit on the idea for like 2 weeks and then see how you feel. I mean you might get a perm and love it, but it totally wasnt for me.

[melrose1985]

I just want to apologize for misspelling and errors in my post above. I cant edited yet and to forgot to spell check.

[ChloeDharma]

As far as i'm aware you can't perm over henna'd hair, so if you want both i'd perm first then henna a few weeks later.

But, perming can really weaken the hair....i've heard it described as cosmetic surgery for hair, as it involves breaking the bonds that keep a hairs shape with the perming solution, then resetting them in the new position with the neutraliser.

I think if you are really that curious then you should do it now rather than wait until say, hiplength then let curiosity get the better of you. But do some research, try to find out what treatments would be needed to counter common problems with permed hair before getting it done so that you are prepared. And go to someone who is a specialist in chemical processes....it might mean paying more but i think it's worth it as a bad perm can ruin your hair.

My mother used to have perms roughly every 6 months, and coloured her hair reasonably regularly using a tint for a lift of about 4 shades and her hair looked nice even a bit past shoulderlength, although it did start splitting and breaking around that length.
Good luck whatever you decide

[sipnsun]

I love my hair permed (when it's done correctly), but I hate the damage that comes with it(and there is always some amount of damage.) Just be careful that it's not curled too tight or you'll be stuck rolling it everyday (or straightening it like I did). Personally I wouldn't do it again because I'm still growing out damage. (My hair is permed in my profile pic and hot rolled because it was so kinky!)

[spidermom]

I've noticed that perms on straight-haired people tend to look a lot like braid waves. Do you like the way your hair looks if you braid it wet and let it dry? Also, if the waves don't hold for very long, the perm likely won't either. There will be a sharp change in texture between your perm and your own hair type as it grows out.

[HalcyonDays]

My hair is almost APL - so relatively short in comparison to what I'm ultimately aiming for. That's why I wouldn't mind so much if I had to chop a lot of it off.

If I got a perm, I'd want it to be the sort where I didn't have to do too much to it in the morning. Is that just done by having a looser curl? I want the curls to be quite loose anyway, rather than ringlets.

I've waited a week thinking about it, so I guess I have another week before I've obeyed the 2 week rule.

spidermom - braid waves scarcely hold at all in my hair - that's why I wanted a perm, because I thought that would hold better than other methods of curling. Do you think the perm wouldn't hold either, and I'm doomed to have "sort-of straightish" hair for ever?

[serenitygal]

How the perm takes on your hair really depends on your hair type.
I've seen really nice-looking perms, and then I've seen plenty that absolutely boggle the mind in terms of how ghastly they look.
I would suggest going to a stylist who you KNOW to be good with perms; if you have friends with nice-looking perms, ask them where to go. Even a stylist who is good with cutting/styling may not be as talented with perms. F
Know EXACTLY what you want when you walk in, and don't let them tell you differently. Be nice but very firm.
Have you tried braiding your hair when it is damp, applying a gel or mouse to the braids, and then sleeping on them? Braid waves don't hold in my curly/wurly hair if it is braided dry, but if braided and allowed to dry in the braids it comes out wavy rather than curly, so I imagine that with a gel or mousse your hair MIGHT hold those waves longer.
Good luck, in any case! :flowers:

[EvaSimone]

I had a tighter perm for about 1 1/2 years when I was around 12. I remember it being very easy to care for and my hair usually looked nice. I did have to use lots of moisture in my hair and then I would use a pick on my wet hair, add some gel, scrunch and voila! I would say that I had 3b curls.

It sounds like you want something more like a body wave than a perm, body waves look really nice (IMO) but they usually don't last more than a year. Considering your hair is 1a/1b I would be really surprised if it lasted more than a year on you.

If you want a perm go for it but seriously think long and hard because most likely you are going to either have to chop once you get bored or wear it up when you get a years worth of growth because straight roots with curly hair don't look good. It's good that you aren't worried about chopping so you can try a perm and see if you like it.

I would really be worried if you had written a post like, "I really want a perm but I don't want the damage." But since you are being realistic, good for you! :flower:

It was fun for a while and not much work, when I got bored and had about 8 months of new growth I chopped my hair into a page boy which wasn't nearly as cute.

Good luck with whatever you decide and remember post pictures!! :D

[spidermom]

I have a friend who permed her 1A hair, and it held for about 3 weeks. Then she went back and got another perm, which held for much longer, but it completely trashed the ends. However, we have a member here at LHC who gets her hair 1A or 1B hair permed about every 2 years, and she is very happy with it.

I guess you won't know until you try it out, so whenever you're ready - go for it, and have fun. But be sure; there are few things more frustrating than waiting for a bad perm to grow out.

[happymommy]

I'm a 1a/F and I too have permed my hair in the past. But only twice. I hated having to take care of it. And it only lasted for two weeks, three max. Then I would end up growing out fragile brittle hair. Curly hair care is totally different from straight care. I was seriously ignorant on how to care for and manage the curls.

If you choose to get one, do some research on products to use, combing techniques (believe it or not, I really screwed this one up, lol), hairstyles and care routines. These will help the longevity of your curly-headedness :)

How well does your hair hold a curl from hot rollers or a curling iron? My hair only held those type curls for a couple of hours before resorting to it's natural stick-like state. Even when using the highest heat setting and sizzling my hair with hairspray before and after curling. Thank goodness I don't do that anymore! The length of time your hair can hold curls from these may indicate if you can hold a perm.

[Morag]

I used to perm my hair, but the wave mostly fell out within about three weeks. I was also using henna, which may have caused some of the straightening, but I think maybe fine, straight hair just doesn't hold a perm well. Also, the perms were very drying, and since dryness is a problem for my hair anyway, I got a lot of breakage and thinning. So, perming wasn't worthwhile for me, even though for the first couple of weeks after a perm I had awesome flaxen fairytale waves. To much trouble, and lots of long term problems. for not so much good effect.

Someone mentioned above that you might be able to get a similar effect with braid waves. That would certainly be preferable for me - I've got to try it soon! :grin:

[Juneii]

ahh, my friend just had her hair permed this summer. I only saw her a few times but I'm sorry to say that she looks like a poodle with her hair sticking all over the place. it looked unhealthy and dry.
I never permed my hair before and even though I wanted to my mom never let me and I'm glad she didn't.
I really love curly hair so what I would do is either put my hair into 3 french braids [two on the sides and one in the back] or put it up in curlers and leave it overnight. my hair doesn't get damaged that way. it usually wears off within a day but it's worth it.
that may not be what you're after but it's safe experimenting to me.

[Shanarana]

I have had my share of perms as well, and only liked maybe two of the total I have had (maybe five total). I wouldn't perm my hair again, but that's just me.

Looks like you got some great advise here to take into account before taking the plunge. ;)

[AquaViolet1973]

You might want to talk to AquaViolet1973. She perms her hair and it looks great. :flower:

Thank you. :) Yes, I have a perm, and I've been perming my hair once every year or two for more than 20 years. I love my perm, and I'm glad I got it. I really like having wavy hair.

Perming my hair is my only hair transgression. I don't color my hair, or blowdry, or use any heat styling.

So I would say perms are not evil. Just baby your hair afterwards. Stay away from the blowdryer. I've been able to grow my hair long while getting perms.

[feralnature]

Take pics to your hairdresser of what you want.

Make sure your hairdresser is a GOOD one with experience, pay extra if you must...don't penny pinch here.

Get long loose curls rather than tight. Discuss with hairdresser that you don't want them to fall out but you don't want poodle effect either.

There are styling products that are great for perms. Spray leave in conditioners and such.

Have fun!

[ole gray mare]

Have you gone cone-free? I noticed that when I did, my own natural wave showed up much better. I used to think I was a 1a, and now realize that I'm not only a 1C, but a 1C that holds braid waves and bun waves all day.

So that's another thought for you. You may want to try going cone-free (for a while at least) and seeing if you don't have more natural wave than you thought!

Good luck with whatever you decide. :flowers:

[Dientje]

Since I was about 9 years old, I've had perms. I even managed to grow my hair until about waist while it was permed and hennaed. It was a bit frizzy, but I was not paying much attention to the health of my hair back then. So I assume that if you'd baby it, you could even manage to grow it long and keep it hennaed and nice-looking.

Then I decided to cut if off, until approximately shoulder length. Several years (and perms) later I decided to grow it long again. For two years now I have been combating the splits that I get in my permed ends. It was a nice-looking perm (I have one pic of it in my album), with three different sizes of rollers. But not very friendly to my hair :(

So to answer your questions:

It did not take me any more time in the shower in the morning, I would just wash, condition and let it air dry. It looked fine, maybe a little frizzy, but as I mentioned, I didn't really take very good care of my hair back then.

I personally have never had problems with henna and perms, I had perms on hennaed hair, and henna on permed hair, without problems.

I had a perm every one to two years. You could see the difference between the curls and the straighter hair, but it wasn't looking very strange, it just looked as if I let it dry in a ponytail :)

HTH!

[Juanita]

!0 years ago I had my then hip length hair permed into a spiral perm. Loved it then but as I was under a lot of stress at the time. It wasn't the best for my hair and I'm still trying to reach the length I was at when I got it permed.

[HalcyonDays]

Thanks for everyone's advice - I've decided I'm going to wait and see if I can make my hair curl without a perm, so I'm going to stop using cones and see if that makes a difference.

I tried using rag rollers to see if I could make my hair stay in curls, and to see whether I'd like the look full time - I looked like Shirley Temple!! I'm pretty sure I want looser curls than that...
I was amazed though - my hair that holds braid waves when put in wet for about 2 hours came out looking like Shirley Temple and stayed looking like Shirley Temple for 2 days (during which I stayed in the house so no one would see me) until I finally got sick of it and washed them out - my hair was still wavy even after washing though. It was incredible! Although I think my technique needs some refining before I'll be able to go out in public with it...