Spiral Perm on waist length hair, anybody have experiences with it?

[Sterlyn]

Ok here is a thread I didn't envision starting. Before those with strong opinions lose their s***, please read before leaping in.

I am contemplating hair changes, have been fighting a strong urge to cut since June, so this isn't a sudden impulse. One of the things I am contemplating is a spiral perm. I'll skip the things reasons why, because the final decision is mine and I'm not looking for opinions on whether to change my hair or not. That's for me to figure out.

What I'm asking is if anyone on the forum has had experience this spiral perms on waist length hair, because if anyplace has practical experience with this it would be here. :flower: What were your experiences, positive or negative, hair's condition and care etc. Did you feel the damage was worth the change in hair texture? Did you end up cutting back due to damage or were you able to keep a longer length with good care?

My hair is fine, wavy and nearly waist length. I had a spiral perm about 12 years ago on shoulder length hair and it took amazingly well, much to my surprise, since they fell out in a week when I was younger, I can only assume it's my hair texture change that came with the silver. I kept the curl for better than a year, looked really good, was easy as anything and didn't really seem to damage my hair much more than the color did.

My apologies if my opening paragraph sounds a little defensive, but trying to head off a debate about whether this is a good practice for long hair, I'm aware that it isn't.

[Johannah]

I don't have experience with perms, but I know fiðrildi has. I haven't seen her much around lately though.

[Sterlyn]

Thank you Johannah, I remember reading she doesn't have access to the internet all the time with her change in living condition. Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll check in.

[lapushka]

I had a spiral perm on hair that was about BSL when I was 16. It was a nice result and I enjoyed it while it lasted. It wasn't such a big deal because I have waves of my own so the grow-out period wasn't a total disaster - you have to take that into account, you know, the structure and texture of your own hair. Otherwise it will be a month of joy and several months of... hell.

[Sterlyn]

I had a spiral perm on hair that was about BSL when I was 16. It was a nice result and I enjoyed it while it lasted. It wasn't such a big deal because I have waves of my own so the grow-out period wasn't a total disaster - you have to take that into account, you know, the structure and texture of your own hair. Otherwise it will be a month of joy and several months of... hell.

My hair has some wave of it's own, it's just really weak, doesn't stay after being fingercombed. I'm pretty sure the grow out won't leave me with 2 totally different textures on my head, at least I hope so.

[ravenreed]

I did it once on waist length hair. I didn't really know how to care for it properly and didn't want to go in and have roots touched up so once was it. IIRC, this was about 20 some years ago, my hair was super dry and actually got lighter in color before it all grew out again. My hair is fairly resilient to color lifting and dye damage, but I would say that the damage was a lot worse with the perm. Of course, now I would know how to care for it a little better. It was worth trying once, but I wouldn't do it again. Especially since it turned out that the curls I wanted weren't spiral curls and aren't quite possible with a perm anyway.

[Dickiebow]

I had 3 perms on BSL hair between ages 13 and 17. I didn't notice any damage and actually had far more damage from bleaching/colouring years later. I found that the curls looked great on a wash day but were quite hard to revive unless my hair was wet each day. I could never just wake up and brush. I also think they need a little bit of layering to sit properly but that may just be my hair. You may also want to invest in a diffuser attachment. I didn't like the look of it drying naturally and found the diffuser added a bit more oomph to the curls. Like lapushka I also have some waves so never had a grow out problem.

[RavenRose]

I had a perm about 18months ago (well actually 2 since the first didn't take, but my hair had always been hard to dye, plus I had Henna) I have baby fine easily damaged hair, My hair was BSL at the time, and didn't know how to properly care for the damaged hair, (plus a whole ton of work related stressors), so ended up chopping back to collar 4 months later. All of this Pre LHC

I did like the curls It gave me, although it required lots of scrunching and spray/setting lotions to get them to stay decent after wash day. The perm made it so that I did use virtually no product when I actually found the time to do the vintage styles I love. After a year the perm had relaxed to the point of soft beachy waves, and now the perm causes my ends to hold shape more when braiding/buns/pin curls, but otherwise is almost back to it's normal texture if allowed to dry free.

If I thought my hair would handle another perm, now that I know how to better care for it, and have less work issues going on I might think about another one, but in reality I am low maintenance and not sure I want to deal with the up keep, or the price. I can get similar results for occasional use with wets sets and setting lotions.

[DollyDagger]

hi Sterlyn,
I had a spiral perm (smallest rods) on nearly MBL hair when i was around 14 years old. The length shrank up considerably. Went from MBL-ish to well above BSL.
At age 14 I didnt really know how to care for it all that well. The result was a frizzy dried mess. I did end up getting it cut several months later at the insistance of a really jerky hairdresser my mom dragged me to. One of my worst hair cuts ever (this was the hairdressers fault not necessarily the perm) he insisted it was damaged and needed to all go and gave me a mullet! Looking back it probably wasnt that bad at all and just in need of some TLC.
I dont know if with fine hair you should get a spiral (does this automatically mean smallest rods?) because i think your hair might want to be tangling incessantly. Maybe using bigger size rods would have better results. I think the hairs porosity also should be taken into consideration. My hairs porosity is somewhat high..or doesnt stand up well to chemical processes. I have a neighbour on the otherhand who is blonde and perms her hair all the time. She naturally has very straight and low porosity hair and her hair never looks damaged at all. Maybe these days olaplex can be used with perms?..that might help.

[meteor]

Maybe these days olaplex can be used with perms?..that might help.

Oh yes. :agree: Reducing damage from perms was one of the original purposes of Olaplex. Directions for using it with perms can be found here: http://www.olaplex.com/pages/faq-public

[lapushka]

My hair has some wave of it's own, it's just really weak, doesn't stay after being fingercombed. I'm pretty sure the grow out won't leave me with 2 totally different textures on my head, at least I hope so.

I'm not so sure, if you're barely a 2 that the growout is going to be that painless, as spiral perms can be pretty tightly coiled!

[Sterlyn]

I did it once on waist length hair. I didn't really know how to care for it properly and didn't want to go in and have roots touched up so once was it. IIRC, this was about 20 some years ago, my hair was super dry and actually got lighter in color before it all grew out again. My hair is fairly resilient to color lifting and dye damage, but I would say that the damage was a lot worse with the perm. Of course, now I would know how to care for it a little better. It was worth trying once, but I wouldn't do it again. Especially since it turned out that the curls I wanted weren't spiral curls and aren't quite possible with a perm anyway.

I was fortunate to get spiral waves with it, and it did change the texture, which required different handling. I don't remember the damage being any worse than the color. Of course it was only a little past shoulder too. Could be a different ball game with all the extra length.


I had 3 perms on BSL hair between ages 13 and 17. I didn't notice any damage and actually had far more damage from bleaching/colouring years later. I found that the curls looked great on a wash day but were quite hard to revive unless my hair was wet each day. I could never just wake up and brush. I also think they need a little bit of layering to sit properly but that may just be my hair. You may also want to invest in a diffuser attachment. I didn't like the look of it drying naturally and found the diffuser added a bit more oomph to the curls. Like lapushka I also have some waves so never had a grow out problem.

I do have a diffuser, I used it daily in my pre LHC, Curly Girl days. And I agree I will probably still need product and diffuser if I want to wear it down and curly.


I had a perm about 18months ago (well actually 2 since the first didn't take, but my hair had always been hard to dye, plus I had Henna) I have baby fine easily damaged hair, My hair was BSL at the time, and didn't know how to properly care for the damaged hair, (plus a whole ton of work related stressors), so ended up chopping back to collar 4 months later. All of this Pre LHC

I did like the curls It gave me, although it required lots of scrunching and spray/setting lotions to get them to stay decent after wash day. The perm made it so that I did use virtually no product when I actually found the time to do the vintage styles I love. After a year the perm had relaxed to the point of soft beachy waves, and now the perm causes my ends to hold shape more when braiding/buns/pin curls, but otherwise is almost back to it's normal texture if allowed to dry free.

If I thought my hair would handle another perm, now that I know how to better care for it, and have less work issues going on I might think about another one, but in reality I am low maintenance and not sure I want to deal with the up keep, or the price. I can get similar results for occasional use with wets sets and setting lotions.

I think I am ready for hair that is just a little shorter and a little more daily styling work. I want to keep enough length so that I can pull it up and get it out of my way when I need to. Hopefully it won't need to be chopped to shoulder due to damage within 6 months, but if it goes that way, I'm ready to accept it. I've considered cutting as short as APL or even shoulder all summer.


hi Sterlyn,
I had a spiral perm (smallest rods) on nearly MBL hair when i was around 14 years old. The length shrank up considerably. Went from MBL-ish to well above BSL.
At age 14 I didnt really know how to care for it all that well. The result was a frizzy dried mess. I did end up getting it cut several months later at the insistance of a really jerky hairdresser my mom dragged me to. One of my worst hair cuts ever (this was the hairdressers fault not necessarily the perm) he insisted it was damaged and needed to all go and gave me a mullet! Looking back it probably wasnt that bad at all and just in need of some TLC.
I dont know if with fine hair you should get a spiral (does this automatically mean smallest rods?) because i think your hair might want to be tangling incessantly. Maybe using bigger size rods would have better results. I think the hairs porosity also should be taken into consideration. My hairs porosity is somewhat high..or doesnt stand up well to chemical processes. I have a neighbour on the otherhand who is blonde and perms her hair all the time. She naturally has very straight and low porosity hair and her hair never looks damaged at all. Maybe these days olaplex can be used with perms?..that might help.

The last spiral I had done, was done using the biggest rods and it came out nice. The hairdresser, who is also a good friend, did the first one and she's who would do this one if I go through with it.


Thank you all for your input. :flowers: The appt is made for next week, but with the understanding that I might cancel it because I'm still wrestling with the decision.

[Sterlyn]

Oh yes. :agree: Reducing damage from perms was one of the original purposes of Olaplex. Directions for using it with perms can be found here: http://www.olaplex.com/pages/faq-public

I have never heard of this product before, thanks for the link. :)

[meteor]

I have never heard of this product before, thanks for the link. :)

No problem! ;) There is an on-going thread about it here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=124721
It's a professional product, so you may want to check with your hairdresser if they do this during chemical treatments at their salon. :)

By the way, does anybody know of any other ways of reducing damage from perming? I know coconut oil pre-treatments (and, to a lesser extent, argan oil) help with buffering some bleach/dye damage (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10495), but I'm not 100% certain if they help with perms.
(Hydrolyzed protein treatments and oils do help after the perm a bit.)

[Sterlyn]

Meteor I think coconut oil and other pre treatments would be a no for perms (at least according to my hairdresser). She wanted it washed with no conditioner if I did it at home, she said conditioners make it slippery, hard to roll and could interfere with the perm solution. We decided on her washing it in the shop, and I'm gonna finger detangle. I informed her would be less than fun without conditioner. :/, but I'd make it work.

[meteor]

^ Good to know! :D Thanks a lot, Sterlyn! :flowers:

[Vanilla]

I actually have experience with this! My hair was a bit longer then waist when I got a spiral perm 12 years ago. It looked gorgeous, and I loved it. I remember having a hard time with my moisture/protein balance thereafter though, and it got worse when I had to re-do the entire perm after it grew out a few inches (my roots are very straight).

My hair was breaking all the time after the 2nd perm, no matter what I did. I kept cutting more and more and didn't get another perm after the 2nd one. Because my roots were really straight, I started blow drying my hair straight every few days to try to hide the line of demarcation. Which ended up making things way worse as far as damage.

If I were to get another perm today, I would likely get a much looser one, and only perm the bottom 1/3 of my hair, similar to Kate Middleton.

[Sterlyn]

Thank you Vanilla for sharing. :flowers: I never heard of only perming the bottom third, that's something I may ask about.

[LauraAlaina]

Oh please let us know how it goes if you decide to go through with it! I'm all for it, my only advice would be to REALLY research the stylist doing it. I know some salons don't offer it, most stylists don't even really know how to properly do one, and just make sure you get someone who can roll the rods correctly. And also, make sure you are absolutely certain you want this done...it structurally changes your hair, so to avoid potential cutting and regret make sure sure!! Otherwise, stay in touch with your stylist afterwards and keep up with your appointments and it should be gorgeous!

[Sterlyn]

LauraAlaina The hairdresser/friend/neighbor who is doing it is wonderful with perms, she gave me the first spiral perm. I talked to her tonight, we were out horseback riding and I told her I was on the fence about doing it, not sure about the damage down the road I would deal with and she basically told me exactly what you did.

[Crystawni]

Must be something in the water as I've been cruising for a change over the past few months, too. Something with a little more style, not just a blanket to put up in buns. I ended up layering mine a lot more than it was, which resulted in a feathery effect with less waves. I was hoping my waves would curl up more... bah! But it's growing on me... hehehe.

It's been 25 odd years since I had a spiral perm. At the time I didn't know/embrace my own texture, so had had a few perms over the preceding years. I adored the spiral perm (much more betters than the frizzfest perms of the 80s). It gave me heaps more hair (the boing effect) and the coils were fun to style in random dos. And no damage. I did work in pharmacy, though, so had my finger on all the hair goodies at the time. The grow-out was barely noticeable--it felt like the perm was very long lasting. What was really going on was my own outgrowing curlies were blending well with the relaxing perm. This is when I actually found out I had natural waves that didn't need "help". Rollers..! Gah. Muuuum! I love the idea of a half-perm (fiðrildi's has looked great growing out). Whatever you do or don't do, Sterlyn, I'll be here with :popcorn:

[Vanilla]

Thank you Vanilla for sharing. :flowers: I never heard of only perming the bottom third, that's something I may ask about.

I believe it's called a "digital perm". I looked it up just now on google.

[butterflybutton]

You could even collect your shed hairs to make a sample and wind that around the rod and process it so you can see how your hair will cope with the perming solution?

It might help you with your decision too.

[Sterlyn]

Thank you Crystawni for sharing. I would love to see a pic of your layers :). I would love to get layers, but I know my hair would be too thin looking. Back in my curly girl days I had layers put in too thinking it would increase the wave, and it didn't really for me either.

After much bouncing around back and forth in my head about it, I'm going to keep my appt (it's on friday). I was seriously considering cutting my hair between APL and shoulder then perming, but I'm going to put that on the back burner and keep my length and just go for the spiral perm. The plan is to baby the length with lots of DC and some protein treatments and see how it goes. Hopefully I won't need to cut much length off due to damage down the road and more hoping I will find some comfortable space in my head about my hair at its current length. I still love my hair long and most days want to keep it but dealing with it on a daily basis is starting to wear on me. I'm getting tired of always having it in a bun but wearing it down is getting difficult too. I think this is the where the urge to cut comes from. My hair has never been this long in my life and I think I need to give myself some time to adjust to it before throwing away 4 years of growing. :)

Thanks to all who chimed in and I will be sure and post pics. Also I am planning on getting some purple streaks put in as well, but I'm not sure how long after I'll have to wait. I'm sure they won't stay too long, but I'm feeling the need for purple in my hair too. :p

[DollyDagger]

Sterlyn
a purple streak sounds way cool..do it !:cheer:
Im glad youre not cutting the length right away.. i bet you can baby them back into tip top shape real soon. Also there bound to shrink up abit i would imagine.
have fun with it all :)

[Sterlyn]

Well I did it and wow did that curl take. I decided to go with rods just a step down from the largest, since after a bit of considering I decided wanted the curl a bit tighter, hoping it would hold up longer. As far as tighter curl I certainly got my wish :p, remains to be seen if it will last longer. It took 3 boxes to do all the curls, hairdresser (and good friend) said she's done a lot of perms but this was the first time she ever needed more than 2 boxes. Also my hair has bounced up to BSL! O.O! She did take off less than 1/4" after the fact, I had some straggles, but I kept most of my length. It is a little over the top curly at the moment, but I think when it relaxes a bit I'm gonna love it. :) Anyway on to the pics.

Wet, fresh from the shop;

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/wet_zpsqajwxf1w.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/wet_zpsqajwxf1w.jpg)

Dry with a bit of fingercombing and the gel scrunched with a bit of curl cream.

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/rearview_zpsrwpghboo.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/rearview_zpsrwpghboo.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/side%20view_zpsjsj6ataw.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/side%20view_zpsjsj6ataw.jpg)

I said my goodbyes to the BSL to Waist thread, LOL I may have to go back and hang around for a while. It's ironic that I was kicking around cutting my hair back for a while, and right now it feels significantly shorter.

[Clarkie]

Looks lovely. :)

[DollyDagger]

It looks great Sterlyn..! :applause:cheer:I love it. First thing I thought was how the length barely gotten taken up. I know it did a few inches but not very drastically at all.
Enjoy it ! :)

ETA..Don't forget to update us with that purple streak if/when you do it! :)

[Groovy Granny]

Very pretty :thumbsup:

Still thinking about the purple too?

[DollyDagger]

Very pretty :thumbsup:

Still thinking about the purple too?

Purple haze all in my brain..lately days dont seem the same..actin funny but I dont know why ....skuse me while I kiss the sky! :)

I couldn t resist GG :) itll be cool if she did eh. You should too. KNock those parishiners socks off ..:)

[Groovy Granny]

Purple haze all in my brain..lately days dont seem the same..actin funny but I dont know why ....skuse me while I kiss the sky! :)

I couldn t resist GG :) itll be cool if she did eh. You should too. KNock those parishiners socks off ..:)

LOL @ Hendrix ;)

Purple would be great on her....not on me; my coloring days were over almost 14 years ago :p

The parishioners would be thrilled I'm sure = she is :crazyq:

And hubby.....uh... no :couch: LOL

[Sterlyn]

Oh yes purple is still in the works :p, I just can't decide if I want to dye the bottom few inches or put in streaks as you would do highlights..........

ETA; thank you all for the kind words :flowers:

LOL compared to my previous look, I feel a little bit of a wild women, but I know it will settle down. This morning it was brushing against my elbows down, now it's on my upper arm, kinda like a temporary haircut, lol.

I'm looking forward to some roller sets too, I've done them and they looked nice but they didn't hold long even with quite a bit of gel. It's the reason I wanted a perm in the first place, the last time I had one the curl would hold for a day or two.

[Groovy Granny]

Oh yes purple is still in the works :p, I just can't decide if I want to dye the bottom few inches or put in streaks as you would do highlights..........

Cool ~ can't wait to see your pics ;) :popcorn:

[RavenRose]

Very Pretty!

[lunalocks]

I LOVE it! Enjoy!

[ladyfey]

I had spiral perms on waist length hair back in the dark ages when I was a teenager. It looked very nice and I didn't get a lot of damage, but they never lasted long at all. The weight of the hair pulled the curl out within just a couple weeks. So I gave it up as not worth the effort and money.

[Sterlyn]

I had spiral perms on waist length hair back in the dark ages when I was a teenager. It looked very nice and I didn't get a lot of damage, but they never lasted long at all. The weight of the hair pulled the curl out within just a couple weeks. So I gave it up as not worth the effort and money.

Well I can only hope that this relaxes in a few weeks, my hairdresser and I both were kinda shocked at the way my hair curled up. We both had concerns that the fine hair plus the length would keep it from getting a lot of curl. Hindsight is 20/20 and I could have gone with bigger rollers for looser curl, but I was afraid the same thing would happen with my hair that did with yours.

Time will tell how long this stays, but the last spiral perm I had, still had plenty of curl nearly a year later, granted that was hair that was a little longer than shoulder. It seems my new silver hair, which is fairly wavy, takes perms much better than the stick straight brunette hair I had when I was younger.

It would be discouraging if this completely disappeared in few weeks, if it does I don't have any plans to repeat it anytime soon. :p

[DollyDagger]

@Sterlyn
Great new avatar..!.showcasing the new do just perfectly :) :cheer:

[Groovy Granny]

@Sterlyn
Great new avatar..!.showcasing the new do just perfectly :) :cheer:

I agree;beautiful!
It stops me in my tracks, then I realize it is STERLYN lol

[lapushka]

Those are pretty tight curls! Hope you enjoy your perm! :D

[Sterlyn]

Thank you Dolly and GG, it's quite a change but I really like it. I'm sure it will settle down in a few weeks but I'm enjoying it. I washed it this morning, did a DC with heat and then layered product on it. It came out great, it put it in a half up and it's held up all day.

Lapushka my hairdresser was floored by how much curl I got considering the length I started with and I guess I was too, but yes I'm having fun with it. :)

Updos are have become very easy, my hair is so "grippy" I put it in a knotted bun and it just stayed put, no hair stick. :p

ETA pics;

Curls after washing have loosened up a bit, but still more BSL than waist

http://http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18862&d=1441593350


The no hair toys needed bun

http://http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18863&d=1441594045

And a pic just because I liked it :)

http://http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18859&d=1441592956

[Groovy Granny]

That is gorgeous!

[emilynella]

Wow your hair looks gorgeous like that!Goals!

[yahirwaO.o]

That looks lovely.Curly hair has a lot of grip, right the opoosite of me! Enjoy and rock that perm!!! :guns:

[DollyDagger]

Woweee..just gorgeous Sterlyn!! :) Dude thats definitely more waist the BSL! :) look at that bun! :crush::heart::!:

[MissPetite2010]

I actually had a perm done. The reason for the curls. It actually helped my hair. Although my hair is naturally curly/wavy. Helps with frizz. Especially using the paul mitchell awapuhi wild ginger hydrowhip creme works wonders. But my hair dresser told me that depending on who you go to a lot of salons no longer use the old spiral rods. Because depending on how much hair you have the rods and the weight of the spiral rods can break hair off, especially long hair. She used to different types of perm rods on me to give hair a spiral look. If u decide on the perm, just ask the stylist. I'm sure they'll be able to help you. I had a Paul Mitchell perm done.

[MissPetite2010]

Hope the info helped :-)

[diddiedaisy]

Gorgeous colour, makes your hair look stunning :)

[meteor]

Wow! It looks absolutely gorgeous, Sterlyn! :thud:
Such stunning waves! :crush: You look like a mermaid princess! :applause

[Sterlyn]

Thank you all for your kind words, :blushing: it did turn out better than I had hoped.

MissPetite2010 I did end up getting a perm, pics are a bit up thread. I did notice that now that I'm able to use more product (curl cream etc) I'm having less issues with frizz than with my wavy hair. My fine wavy hair was always a difficult line to walk with product, not enough and I had poufy hair, too much and it was lank and weighed down. It's not nearly as difficult now, my hair can handle more product than ever and the frizz seems much more controlled.

[pastina]

STERLYN!!!! OH MY GOSHHHH!!!!!!!

I am totally in LOVE with your hair right now!! :thud:

[lapushka]

Thank you all for your kind words, :blushing: it did turn out better than I had hoped.

MissPetite2010 I did end up getting a perm, pics are a bit up thread. I did notice that now that I'm able to use more product (curl cream etc) I'm having less issues with frizz than with my wavy hair. My fine wavy hair was always a difficult line to walk with product, not enough and I had poufy hair, too much and it was lank and weighed down. It's not nearly as difficult now, my hair can handle more product than ever and the frizz seems much more controlled.

When I got my perms a few years ago, I found it a lot easier to handle than my wavy hair as well. Wavy hair is a difficult beast. Seems like 1s and 3s have all the good stuff goin' on. ;)

[Sterlyn]

Lapushka that is the truth, wavy hair is a real pain sometimes. I'm finding my man made curls a lot easier to deal with.

Pastina LOL, well you will probably like purple streaks that are next on the agenda :p

[yogagirl]

Sterlyn, your new curls look fantastic!! Congrats! I've always been curious about perms, but I was always worried they might come out wonky if the stylist places them wrong and then you're stuck with it. So I never had the guts. Yours are totally making me reconsider though. I'd also love some more grippiness. Wish I lived close to you so I could get your stylist's name :)

[MissPetite2010]

When I get perms I usually wait about a yr or a lil longer to get it done again. Hair being naturally curly/wavy helps to hold the perm longer for me which I'm thankful for. Your spiral perm looks awesome by the way. When I had my perm done back in April it cost me $100. Had it done before the New Kids On The Block concert. Had 5* VIP :-) Anyway Paul Mitchell sells amazing products to help fight frizz. Before I had perm frizz was my #1 enemy! Had to stop a lady from almost doing a thin-out. Anyway again your hair is beautiful perm looks awesome!

[Sterlyn]

Sterlyn, your new curls look fantastic!! Congrats! I've always been curious about perms, but I was always worried they might come out wonky if the stylist places them wrong and then you're stuck with it. So I never had the guts. Yours are totally making me reconsider though. I'd also love some more grippiness. Wish I lived close to you so I could get your stylist's name :)

I understand the concern of a badly done perm. The stylist that did mine has been a good friend for many years, she is pure magic with color and perms. Probably helps that she's been doing hair since the 80's when perms were big business. She said this was the first spiral she'd done quite in a while, since the younger generation is all about straight and the older gals want the traditional perms.


When I get perms I usually wait about a yr or a lil longer to get it done again. Hair being naturally curly/wavy helps to hold the perm longer for me which I'm thankful for. Your spiral perm looks awesome by the way. When I had my perm done back in April it cost me $100. Had it done before the New Kids On The Block concert. Had 5* VIP :-) Anyway Paul Mitchell sells amazing products to help fight frizz. Before I had perm frizz was my #1 enemy! Had to stop a lady from almost doing a thin-out. Anyway again your hair is beautiful perm looks awesome!

I hear ya on the frizz, it's a constant with my hair. Seems much better now that I can slather on the product.

I have a question for you, I saw your pics on another thread and your hair is waist length while curly (and gorgeous by the way) but have you been getting perms regularly while growing out your hair? I ask because I'd be curious to know how hard this is on your hair. If I permed again in 2 years, a lot of my length would be getting a repeat of the perm, I'm not sure how well my fine hair would hold up to that. I'd be curious to know how yours has done with it.

Either way thanks for chiming in with your experiences. Even if I do see some damage down the road, I'm still glad I did it. :)

[TrapperCreekD]

:thudpile: Your curls turned out gorgeous!

[meteor]

I understand the concern of a badly done perm. The stylist that did mine has been a good friend for many years, she is pure magic with color and perms. Probably helps that she's been doing hair since the 80's when perms were big business. She said this was the first spiral she'd done quite in a while, since the younger generation is all about straight and the older gals want the traditional perms.

Oh yes, she does sound like magic! :magic:
Your hair is so incredibly stunning, Sterlyn! That wave pattern is glorious! :thud:


I'm curious (and sorry if it's a stupid question :oops:) : are spiral perms any different from traditional ones in terms of effect on hair's internal structure, damage or maintenance? Or is it just the shape that's different, but no different effect on hair cuticle?
And are tighter curl perms more damaging than looser, wavy-ish patterns? Thank you! :flower:

[Sterlyn]

As far as I understand, the difference with spiral perms is the way they are wrapped. The hair is sort of wound around the rod in a spiral fashion, it gives a different curl pattern, versus traditional perms put in more as you would do a roller set. The rods and perm solution are the same, I know she did reach for a different perm box (s) because of the length. I would think whatever damage or stress to the cuticle would be the same for both, as they both use perm solution and neutralizer put on the hair, the exception of course of the longer hair being more fragile since it's much older.

Here's a pic I dug up of the way the wrapping is done.. My perm rods were put in just like this, although I didn't have as many I don't think because the gal in the pic seems to have more hair than I do. http://http://www.freewebs.com/viccoria/photos/Hair-Styles/DSC07051.JPG (http://www.freewebs.com/viccoria/photos/Hair-Styles/DSC07051.JPG)

Regular perms, the rods look like this. http://http://www.eurweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/cooper-perm-rods.jpg (http://www.eurweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/cooper-perm-rods.jpg)

Keep in mind this is my, not a hairstylist by profession explanation, so I may have some of the details a bit off.

[Mustang Suzy]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18888&d=1441736144

This purple pattern might be pretty with Sterlyn's new curls (photo source Chelsea Robb Facebook)

[Sterlyn]

^^^^ :crush:OMGosh I love that, similar to what I was thinking, maybe not quite as much purple, but put in the same pattern highlights would be ......

[MissPetite2010]

I understand the concern of a badly done perm. The stylist that did mine has been a good friend for many years, she is pure magic with color and perms. Probably helps that she's been doing hair since the 80's when perms were big business. She said this was the first spiral she'd done quite in a while, since the younger generation is all about straight and the older gals want the traditional perms.



I hear ya on the frizz, it's a constant with my hair. Seems much better now that I can slather on the product.

I have a question for you, I saw your pics on another thread and your hair is waist length while curly (and gorgeous by the way) but have you been getting perms regularly while growing out your hair? I ask because I'd be curious to know how hard this is on your hair. If I permed again in 2 years, a lot of my length would be getting a repeat of the perm, I'm not sure how well my fine hair would hold up to that. I'd be curious to know how yours has done with it.

Either way thanks for chiming in with your experiences. Even if I do see some damage down the road, I'm still glad I did it. :) Off and on I've gotten perms since '09. With breaks in between. As I've been getting perms I've been growing out my hair. Besides using vitamins and also workouts. Which I need to start getting back in the habit of workouts again. Big stress reliever. For some reason I don't know why my hair does better with perms. :-)

[meteor]

As far as I understand, the difference with spiral perms is the way they are wrapped. The hair is sort of wound around the rod in a spiral fashion, it gives a different curl pattern, versus traditional perms put in more as you would do a roller set. The rods and perm solution are the same, I know she did reach for a different perm box (s) because of the length. I would think whatever damage or stress to the cuticle would be the same for both, as they both use perm solution and neutralizer put on the hair, the exception of course of the longer hair being more fragile since it's much older.

Here's a pic I dug up of the way the wrapping is done.. My perm rods were put in just like this, although I didn't have as many I don't think because the gal in the pic seems to have more hair than I do. http://http://www.freewebs.com/viccoria/photos/Hair-Styles/DSC07051.JPG (http://www.freewebs.com/viccoria/photos/Hair-Styles/DSC07051.JPG)

Regular perms, the rods look like this. http://http://www.eurweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/cooper-perm-rods.jpg (http://www.eurweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/cooper-perm-rods.jpg)

Keep in mind this is my, not a hairstylist by profession explanation, so I may have some of the details a bit off.

Thanks a lot, Sterlyn, for all the details and the clear pictures! :flowers: That's an awesome explanation! :thumbsup:

[ladyfey]

The curls turned out beautifully!

[Vanilla]

Love the curls!

[DreamSheep]

Wow, that turned out gorgeous Sterlyn!! :)
Love it! Thank you for sharing the journey with us :)

[Jennah]

Amazing transformation Sterlyn! That was a bold move! Love the wild and big factor and they turned out great! :happydance: Thanks for updating us with pictures!

[parkmikii]

It looks amazing! :)

[Kina]

yeesh. Kina is suggestible. Kina now remembers her perms that helped to even the texture out and made her hair easier to manage. Kina now wants a perm because Sterlyn's is drop dead :thud: gorgeous.

(why is Kina typing in the third person? :shrug: Kina doesn't know)

[Sterlyn]

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my curls. :blushing:

Kina :rollin: LOL you crack me up. I am loving the texture that a perm has given my fine, wavy hair. I can load it down with product and it sucks it all up and looks good. No worries about limp hair weighed down by too much product. And the frizz is so much better. There may be a price to be paid for this down the road, but I'll worry about that down the road.


Well.......... I did it, on top of the perm, I went PURPLE, screaming in your face purple. I told her I wanted nothing subtle and if I was going purple, I wanted it to be noticed I had her do them as you would do highlights (or I guess lowlights) and weaving and then coloring all those strands was challenging I think since I have a lot of hair. Took her a while.

I think she was afraid it would be too much when she saw it, the purple overwhelms the silver, but I told her it was perfect. The only sadness is that this won't last long, it's deposit only color and I probably won't repeat it (or at least not often). No way could I duplicate this myself. I might do a couple streaks myself, but it will never look like this........

I am in love......:crush:

Anyway pics or it didn't happen.....



http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/length%20_zpscopri0w7.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/length%20_zpscopri0w7.jpg)


In sunlight

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/close%20up_zpsnrzlcjso.jpg (http://s1353.photobucket.com/user/sterlyn1/media/Hair%202015/close%20up_zpsnrzlcjso.jpg.html)


I have to post this and run, Hubby and I are going out to eat and run some errands, and show off this amazing purple hair. :cool:

[lapushka]

WOW, that is gorgeous. Even though, I do like your gray. ;)

[Kina]

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my curls. :blushing:

Kina :rollin: LOL you crack me up. I am loving the texture that a perm has given my fine, wavy hair. I can load it down with product and it sucks it all up and looks good. No worries about limp hair weighed down by too much product. And the frizz is so much better. There may be a price to be paid for this down the road, but I'll worry about that down the road.


Well.......... I did it, on top of the perm, I went PURPLE, screaming in your face purple. I told her I wanted nothing subtle and if I was going purple, I wanted it to be noticed I had her do them as you would do highlights (or I guess lowlights) and weaving and then coloring then all those strands was challenging I think since I have a lot of hair. Took her a while.

I think she was afraid it would be too much when she saw it, the purple overwhelms the silver, but I told her it was perfect. The only sadness is that this won't last long, it's deposit only color and I probably won't repeat it (or at least not often). No way could I duplicate this myself. I might do a couple streaks myself, but it will never look like this........

I am in love......:crush:

Anyway pics or it didn't happen.....



http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/length%20_zpscopri0w7.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/length%20_zpscopri0w7.jpg)


In sunlight

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/close%20up_zpsnrzlcjso.jpg (http://s1353.photobucket.com/user/sterlyn1/media/Hair%202015/close%20up_zpsnrzlcjso.jpg.html)


I have to post this and run, Hubby and I are going out to eat and run some errands, and show off this amazing purple hair. :cool:

Holy colorwheel Batman THAT'S GORGEOUS!!!! I'm hyperventilating here, wow!

[meteor]

^ OH. MY. GOD!!! :thudpile:

Sterlyn, I almost fell off the chair here! Your hair is even more amazing and mermaid-like with that perfect purple in it! It's insanely gorgeous!!! :applause

If that's not massively enabling to go platinum and then purple than I don't know what is!

[Jennah]

That´s insane!!! I love it! :rockerdud

[Groovy Granny]

:agape: I just about had a stroke; I thought you were just getting a few highlights :laugh:

You are one gutsy lady ..... and it looks amazing ...... you can wear anything :thumbsup:

[meteor]

Seriously, Sterlyn, prepare to cause traffic accidents with that gorgeousness wherever you go! Phenomenal mane! :thudpile:

[LemonFizzy]

Woah! Are you a character in Marvel? Looks fantastic!

[Sterlyn]

Thank you all for the hair love :) I have to give much of the credit to my stylist, she truly went above and beyond. This pain in the ass hair that I fought with and hated for so many years, my hair and I, we have found our happy zone. Well at least I am happy, and hopefully my hair will continue to stay that way.




:agape: I just about had a stroke; I thought you were just getting a few highlights :laugh:

You are one gutsy lady ..... and it looks amazing ...... you can wear anything :thumbsup:

I was only going to do a few streaks initially, but the more I thought about it the less I wanted understated. When I went in today I went for bold as I could get without coloring my whole head purple. The dark purple does overwhelm the silver in color right now but as it fades the silver will be more noticeable.




Seriously, Sterlyn, prepare to cause traffic accidents with that gorgeousness wherever you go! Phenomenal mane! :thudpile:


No traffic accidents LOL but it seems I am insanely popular with the under 25 crowd. Our waitress came to take our order and the conversation went something like this, "Can I take your ord--OMG, I LOVE YOUR HAIR!" It made me laugh. The older women (as in my age and up) are giving me raised eyebrows or the "what the hell is going on with your hair women?" kinda looks. Even that makes me laugh.


My new mission is to see how many days I can go between washes with my dry shampoo for the scalp and misting on the length......

[pastina]

Do I even need to tell you that I love this? ...Beyond love, honestly. :crush:

Eta-- Use cool-cold water to wash-- that'll help keep the color from fading too. <3

[Groovy Granny]

Thank you all for the hair love :) I have to give much of the credit to my stylist, she truly went above and beyond. This pain in the ass hair that I fought with and hated for so many years, my hair and I, we have found our happy zone. Well at least I am happy, and hopefully my hair will continue to stay that way.

I was only going to do a few streaks initially, but the more I thought about it the less I wanted understated. When I went in today I went for bold as I could get without coloring my whole head purple. The dark purple does overwhelm the silver in color right now but as it fades the silver will be more noticeable.

No traffic accidents LOL but it seems I am insanely popular with the under 25 crowd. Our waitress came to take our order and the conversation went something like this, "Can I take your ord--OMG, I LOVE YOUR HAIR!" It made me laugh. The older women (as in my age and up) are giving me raised eyebrows or the "what the hell is going on with your hair women?" kinda looks. Even that makes me laugh.


My new mission is to see how many days I can go between washes with my dry shampoo for the scalp and misting on the length......

It looks amazing; so happy you are happy :)

[DollyDagger]

Total rockstar Sterlyn.! :rockerdud dam girl! lol :) Thats great youre having so much fun with it!

Sterlyn what lipstick shade did you wear with it ? Just out of total curiosity :)

[Clarkie]

Woah! Are you a character in Marvel? Looks fantastic!

That's EXACTLY what I thought!! You look like some awesome superhero! Freakin A

[pamrlyn]

Sterlyn - that is gorgeous! the woman with the guts gets the glory! amazing curls & purples!
:applause:cheer::bowtome:

[Crystawni]

Violyn! hehehe

Oh, that is the best shade of purple, and mixed with your silver and coils--wowsers! :heartbeat :inlove:

[DollyDagger]

Sterlyns breaking the internet with that hair almost..lol

[Sterlyn]

Do I even need to tell you that I love this? ...Beyond love, honestly. :crush:

Eta-- Use cool-cold water to wash-- that'll help keep the color from fading too. <3


Yes cold water washes, I remember these from way back when I colored my hair red. It will be much easier now that I wash my hair leaning over the tub with the sprayer, I hated those cold rinses when in the shower....brrr.


Total rockstar Sterlyn.! :rockerdud dam girl! lol :) Thats great youre having so much fun with it!

Sterlyn what lipstick shade did you wear with it ? Just out of total curiosity :)


LOL, oddly enough I almost never wear lipstick, only eye makeup. I can't imagine what color would go with the purple though......



Violyn! hehehe

Oh, that is the best shade of purple, and mixed with your silver and coils--wowsers! :heartbeat :inlove:


Yes, Violyn!! I love this, I think I'll add this to my signature.

[DollyDagger]

Crystawni's..."Violyn"..omg that is PERFECT!!!! :pegasus::magic:

[TrapperCreekD]

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/length%20_zpscopri0w7.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/length%20_zpscopri0w7.jpg)




Holy ****!!! :thudpile:

[Groovy Granny]

Holy ****!!! :thudpile:

LOL...... I said the same thing :p

Now if *I* did that....well they'd have me evaluated ;)

[LauraAlaina]

Looks amazing! Your hairstylist did a great job.

[parkmikii]

WOAH! That looks amazing! I'm joining the thudpile :thudpile::thudpile:

[rags]

:thudpile:

[Sterlyn]

I have to say, it does get some looks, even more than the long and silver does.

I went to the post office this morning to drop off a package. Gal at the counter looked up from her screen, froze for a second, blinked and then went back to processing my package. LOL I'll own that it isn't a look you see everyday, especially not in the neck of the woods that I live in. :p

I've not worn it up yet, it doesn't feel as long and in the way since the perm, so it's been down a lot. I'm sure I'll get at least a few interesting reactions to a squiggly purple bun...... :p

Hmmmm I'll have to now coordinate my hair accessories with my clothes and my hair...

[DollyDagger]

There wont be any laying low or blending into the crowd for you in the forseeable future. You'll be instantly recognizable from afar so make sure you're not up to anything ehhe :) and if you are..wear a bonnet! lol :p:

[Sterlyn]

There wont be any laying low or blending into the crowd for you in the forseeable future. You'll be instantly recognizable from afar so make sure you're not up to anything ehhe :) and if you are..wear a bonnet! lol :p:

Yup, I'll have to give up that life of crime I was considering...... too easy to identify that lady with the long purple/silver hair in a line up.....

[neko_kawaii]

OMG -- *squee*

[DollyDagger]

Yup, I'll have to give up that life of crime I was considering...... too easy to identify that lady with the long purple/silver hair in a line up.....
Exactly...the jig is up :)

[Sterlyn]

OMG -- *squee*

LOL, I know that's kinda the way I feel about it, I can't believe I did it........

[Groovy Granny]

LOL, I know that's kinda the way I feel about it, I can't believe I did it........

It must be a shock every time you pass by the mirror ROFLOL :Laugh:

[Sterlyn]

It must be a shock every time you pass by the mirror ROFLOL :Laugh:

Yup exactly :p

[Groovy Granny]

Yup exactly :p
LOL I can just imagine!

That happened to me when I had that stylist damage and another salon cut me back from below waist to chin...and dyed me back to my roots from light blonde to dark blonde/light brown.

The family's mouth dropped when I walked in; even my mother couldn't believe it was my natural color lol

But I was also 50 and thrilled to be ME :D

[Sterlyn]

GG a cut from waist to chin O.O ??? and then a color change on top of that..... wow that's right up there with what I did...

50 is a more comfortable place for me than many other stages of my life have been. Now if the hot flashes would settle down, I would feel really amazing :p

[DollyDagger]

lol Sterlyn and GG ..50 is do whatever the (*&^! you wanna do to make you happy age!

TMI coming up

Ive had the whackiest year or 2..still in peri I guess..I just turned 47 past month. I did have a really late arriving you know what for the very first time last month but it did show up.
..I haven't had discernable flashes as of yet..but alot of these have made an appearances this past while....

http://marybuchan.com/wp-content/uploads/th1.jpg

the joys of being a woman~

[Sterlyn]

lol Sterlyn and GG ..50 is do whatever the (*&^! you wanna do to make you happy age!

TMI coming up

Ive had the whackiest year or 2..still in peri I guess..I just turned 47 past month. I did have a really late arriving you know what for the very first time last month but it did show up.
..I haven't had discernable flashes as of yet..but alot of these have made an appearances this past while....

http://marybuchan.com/wp-content/uploads/th1.jpg

the joys of being a woman~

that link....OMG yes, I can identify. :p

LOL, I'm not shy about talking about TMI stuff like that. I haven't had a period since June :happydance:. In the last 2 years my cycle's been skipping around all over the place and so ridiculously heavy that I was anemic for most of those 2 years. Couldn't take enough iron.

So I'm glad for the break, and the hot flashes while annoying I figure are an acceptable trade off from bleeding nearly to death.:( But they do wake me up a lot at night, roasting, freezing, playing the covers on/covers off game all night. Some nights I don't sleep much, hoping this will pass eventually. Or it could all halt and I could get a few more cycles thrown in too.

Either way I'm glad that part of my life is finally winding down.

[yogagirl]

Oh YESSSSSS!!! That looks fantastic Sterlyn!! You certainly changed it up in the last couple of weeks :thumbsup:

[DollyDagger]

that link....OMG yes, I can identify. :p

LOL, I'm not shy about talking about TMI stuff like that. I haven't had a period since June :happydance:. In the last 2 years my cycle's been skipping around all over the place and so ridiculously heavy that I was anemic for most of those 2 years. Couldn't take enough iron.

So I'm glad for the break, and the hot flashes while annoying I figure are an acceptable trade off from bleeding nearly to death.:( But they do wake me up a lot at night, roasting, freezing, playing the covers on/covers off game all night. Some nights I don't sleep much, hoping this will pass eventually. Or it could all halt and I could get a few more cycles thrown in too.

Either way I'm glad that part of my life is finally winding down.


Oh dear a bit of a rough go with the anemia for you eh..arghh. I feel you with the no sleeping-I've always had difficulties falling asleep but the last couple years have been downright insomniac ridiculousness lol !!
I suspect that's what might be in store for me..(the skipping sporadic stuff)
My mom's always yapping how hers just went and never came back and she never had ANY of the usual issues blahblahblah..mind you she's never even had a pms cramp her whole life. Then theres my sister and I lol green in the face with nausea and cramping like crazy on a monthly basis!!
My sisters a bit younger so she doesnt get "it" yet..and my mom is just...IRONWOMAN strong..nothing phases her..just an energizer bunny so she doesnt really get feeling blue or anything like that.
So thanks for sharing :heart:and for not minding tmi-ness..its good to vent a little :)
Anywho.. lets hope it all winds down as painlessly as possible :)

When all those pesky dwarves eff off its a good trade after all.:)

http://marybuchan.com/wp-content/uploads/th1.jpg

[Finallymajor]

My experience is that you can do it and be very satisfied with the condition of your hair. You do lose some length and the grow out is rough... I know I'm not adding anything to the discussion but i have see it be done with larger rods and it looks great!

[Groovy Granny]

Yeah 50 was great; the year before I was deathly ill...so very happy to have survived it all....with a new doo and my natural color for the first time in 20 years to boot!

I had a hysterectomy at age 32 that caused early menopause at age 38; thought I'd die when my ovaries decided to quit on me!

Once I got hormones to kick in (needed monthly injections) I was good to go and felt great ;)

Been off the hormones for many years now.

LOL at the dwarfs Dolly :)

[DollyDagger]

Yeah 50 was great; the year before I was deathly ill...so very happy to have survived it all....with a new doo and my natural color for the first time in 20 years to boot!

I had a hysterectomy at age 32 that caused early menopause at age 38; thought I'd die when my ovaries decided to quit on me!

Once I got hormones to kick in (needed monthly injections) I was good to go and felt great ;)

Been off the hormones for many years now.

LOL at the dwarfs Dolly :)

so glad it all got sorted out GG ! :)
yeah those dwarfs or dwarves are funny ..and true!

[Groovy Granny]

so glad it all got sorted out GG ! :)
yeah those dwarfs or dwarves are funny ..and true!

Thanks ...me too :)

Yes...they are very true lol

[RavenRose]

Sterlyn - that is so Gorgeous! I love it! I have been contemplating doing a rose gold over my henna, but this OH my making me reconsider... that shade of purple is one of my favorites

[DreamSheep]

I saw your change of avatar in another thread and rushed over here!
Oh my God Sterlyn that is so amazing and you are making all of us wish we had spiral white hair to dye fantastic colours! (it is certainly making me think about maybe going to a hairsalon to get my hair dyed when I finally get round to it rather than doing it myself with a friend... )
Absolutely breathtaking, and I'm sure it will look fabulous as it slowly fades too! :3 You *so* cool!!!

[Nebulae]

Oh my God Sterlyn that is so amazing and you are making all of us wish we had spiral white hair to dye fantastic colours!

This. So much this. :thudpile: I'm pretty much speechless but that is so beautiful, awesome and kick-ass. :crush:

[jennyjb]

Sterlyn, I think that's the most fantastic hair I've ever seen!

I'd love to have hair like that but mine is still too dark and I won't bleach it, not even for purple. Plus, I need to have a reasonably professional appearance for my work. Maybe it'll be white enough by the time I retire :).

[Sterlyn]

Thank you Ravenrose, DreamSheep, Nebulae, and Jennyb for your kind words and all for the hair/color love :flowers: I love it too.

I haven't washed it yet, just misting the length a bit, trying to hold out until day 5, but I swear it's looking lighter. *cries a little

This is one of the few perks for me due to the silver, I know you guys don't believe me, but IRL, I am considered more than a bit odd for not hiding my silver and for letting it grow to what is normally considered a ridiculously long length. I think the purple takes that odd to a whole new level at least for those close to my age. Truthfully I've shocked the hell out of people that know me well, I'm usually fairly reserved and conservative, the long, curly, PURPLE, is LOL so out of character for me. Oddly enough, hubby loves the purple, who knew???

And if my hair was it's when I was much younger brunette color, I don't think I could bleach my hair, even as much as I love purple. My hair is fine and I think the spiral perm may be as far as it can be pushed and still keep most of the length.

But on a more positive note, this has been so much fun!!!!:cheese::disco::joy::bounce::wethree::rocke rdud:hollie:

[Isilme]

Oh, WOW! I'm late to the party but I LOVE your hair! I can see how that would turn quite a few heads. You rock that mane!

[spidermom]

That looks freaking awesome.

[KittyBird]

Oh my goodness! So pretty.. So purple.. :thudpile: x 1000!! Your hair is just magical! :magic:

[Sterlyn]

Thank you Isilme, Spidermom and KittyBird you are all on my list of hair idols I've admired since I've been on the forum....

My granddaughters reactions to my hair was beyond cute this morning. Oldest one who is soon to be 3, "Gigi, your hair is..is ... purple!?!?" Then big laugh and giggle. Younger granddaughter just smiled and kept running her hands through it....

Last evening I was puttering around, doing laundry and cleaning up supper dishes. Out of the blue hubby says, "I sure love watching that purple hair walk around. :p I'll have to get you some purple flowers to go with your hair." Of all the reactions I've had so far, IRL, his has been the most surprising to me. I expected DH to have mixed feelings about the color, obviously I didn't know him as well as I thought......

[Mustang Suzy]

So Beautiful Sterlyn! Love your silver but glad you are having fun with the purple!

[Crystawni]

Oh, that's adorable on all counts! I especially love how, even after years of knowing each other, there's always something deep and surprising to learn about your spouse.

[Zenity]

Love it!

I am bookmarking this thread as it is AMAZING how your grey hair took the perm and the color.

Totally in love with it!

I actually think perming would be a great way to give nasty, coarse, greys a way out to behave in long grey hair.

Thanks for posting your pictures and your results!

[Sterlyn]

Ok so an update..........

I am still really loving the purple, I've washed it twice and while it faded a little it's still pretty vibrant. After this washes out I have plans to put streaks back in myself. Not as many as I have now, eventually I think I'll get to the point where I'm going to miss seeing more of my silver. So fewer and more subtle streaks for next time.

When she did the streaks she got as close to the roots as she could but get too close and you can end up with globs of purple on your scalp and hair instead of streaks. Anyway I swear my hair shot out of my head right after I had it done and now I have a lot of silver showing on the top and where my bangs are. (This is one of the main reasons I gave up dying my hair.) Somehow this bugs me.... takes me back to my coloring days and looks like my roots need done. Yes folks, I might be just a little nuts and I admit it. :p

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/roots_zpsgfa45akb.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/roots_zpsgfa45akb.jpg)

I ventured down the mountain to Sally's today, bought a couple of jars of manic panic to dye the "roots". I mixed 2 shades together, cotton candy with just a touch of purple haze. I did not put it on freshly washed hair because I've never worked with this stuff and lighter and paler for a first try seemed better. Hoping it will give the silver next to my scalp a pale pastel purple, we shall see.


This is such an attractive look.:wigtongue

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/dye_zpsoeaknair.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/dye_zpsoeaknair.jpg)

Currently under my bonnet dryer on warm/cool. I may sleep on this tonight and rinse in the morning. But I'll be sure to post a pic when it's dry.

Also Updo's are really interesting, lots of streak-y-ness going on, but I do find my color choices limited, some colors just clash. My wooden hair toys are getting more use now.

This was how I wore my hair all day, got more than a few compliments (along with a few startled looks). The lavender ficcare I got from Rags, I love it.

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Forks%20and%20updos/updo_zpsgflz5sq5.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Forks%20and%20updos/updo_zpsgflz5sq5.jpg)

[DollyDagger]

Hey sterlyn-The ficcare looks really pretty tone on tone :) Just a thought-It might be nice to do ombered streaks concentrating the colour on the bottom then fading it upwards..:) Then you'd have the best of both worlds with a good amount of silver still showing:pegasus:

[Mimha]

(...) :thudpile: I'm pretty much speechless but that is so beautiful, awesome and kick-ass. :crush:

Couldn't find better words !! :) :) :)

Sterlyn, you are an amazing lady. If somebody would have told me only a few weeks ago that I would be in awe in front of spiral curl permed hair, dyed with large purple streaks, I would have called this person a total fool. But I have to admit that the result on you is simply... STUNNING !...

I have always loved the lavender Ficcare (but unfortunately it doesn't fit neither my skin tone, hair color, nor my clothes colors... :() but I have never seen a more perfect match than this Ficcare in YOUR AMAZING HAIR !! Just great ! :D :D

[Sterlyn]

Hey sterlyn-The ficcare looks really pretty tone on tone :) Just a thought-It might be nice to do ombered streaks concentrating the colour on the bottom then fading it upwards..:) Then you'd have the best of both worlds with a good amount of silver still showing:pegasus:

That's an interesting idea, kinda like it. I was also thinking that I might concentrate more of the streaks underneath the canopy so it's alot more subtle when down but easily seen when in updos. But then again I am a lot surprised at how much I am enjoying the not even a little subtle color I have right now. I assumed I would do this and then wait for it to fade, then move back to understated. Not so sure now....


Couldn't find better words !! :) :) :)

Sterlyn, you are an amazing lady. If somebody would have told me only a few weeks ago that I would be in awe in front of spiral curl permed hair, dyed with large purple streaks, I would have called this person a total fool. But I have to admit that the result on you is simply... STUNNING !...

I have always loved the lavender Ficcare (but unfortunately it doesn't fit neither my skin tone, hair color, nor my clothes colors... :() but I have never seen a more perfect match than this Ficcare in YOUR AMAZING HAIR !! Just great ! :D :D

Mimha, thank you for your kind words. I would have said the same thing myself, at least as far as the color was concerned. I had an idea the spiral perm would take well, since I'd had one before. The color has wowed me more than I thought possible..... I may have created a monster here. O.O

pics coming as soon as I can get photobucket to stop freezing up my computer.

[Sterlyn]

Ok after a computer restart and clearing my cookies and history, PB seems to be less of a poopoohead


I don't know if this will stay, I didn't wash my hair only rinsed. It wasn't applied to freshly washed hair, had conditioner and product on it, may need redone correctly after an actual shampoo. But I must say I love the result. :crush:

Essentially, I now have purple hair with a few silver streaks. I'm sure I'll get back to understated at some point, and I hope at some point I'll begin missing my silvers but today is not that day.

Shameless pic spam below: :p

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/back_zpsvxihpsr2.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/back_zpsvxihpsr2.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/crown_zps2zpwiqe2.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/crown_zps2zpwiqe2.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/tipped%20back_zpswb3hvngj.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/tipped%20back_zpswb3hvngj.jpg)

[Sterlyn]

More shameless pic spam :D

Just because I liked the way color showed up in the light. Love this color to pieces.


http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/profile_zpsqxlpjvgo.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Colors/profile_zpsqxlpjvgo.jpg)

[DollyDagger]

It looks great Sterlyn! Spam away:spam: - We don't mind :) appreciate you sharing it all!

[Sterlyn]

It looks great Sterlyn! Spam away:spam: - We don't mind :) appreciate you sharing it all!


LOL, I can say I appreciate a lovely head of hair with a good pic spam too, there are so many here (lovely heads of hair I mean) ;)

[DreamSheep]

Yess, Spam away!! :D

Gorgeous Sterlyn! :)

The colour is fantastic, and I really like how the purple and white intermingle :)

(but if you decide you do want to do ombre, that would look awesome too! and is also super-easy to maintain :3)

[HairFanson]

A girl in my office has hair to mid-thigh/fingertip and she spiral perms (comes to just under classic length with the curls). It looks amazing!
She has beautiful hair the whole length, and finds that her hair is easier to style and manage at that length with the perm. I recently got her started on CO-washing, and she loves her perm even more!

I personally can't/won't because my hair hates perms, just disintegrates on contact (horrid story), but if your hair has tolerated one before, and you get it done by an actual expert, then with proper care you should be fine.

[fiðrildi]

Oh, my,... Sterlyn!!!! Yours is the most amazing, wondrous, beautiful perm I have seen, EVER, ever :thud: :bowtome: :thudpile:

I was reading through the whole thread, I'm sorry I came across your post so late! The result you got is so wonderfully unique. Screaming in your face purple...!!! Coolest hair colour possible!! You rock, you know that, don't ya? :rockerdud
I already loved your hair before the perm, but I love it now even more :crush:
And your camera matches your hair colour now, haha! :p

The perm I got was not a spiral one, my curls were not as thigh as yours are (actually, yours were the ones I was hoping to get, hehe). My mistake was getting too many perms too often (around 2 per year), because I wanted more and more curls, and I never took proper care of them. As a result, my hair got "burnt" and dead all over. But I didn't know about the existence of LHC at that time :wink: If you keep looking after your mane with TLC, you won't notice a difference in the overall health of it. Are your curls as thigh as they were right after the perm? (And what did you think about the smell? I used to like it quite a lot).

I remember everyone telling me not to get the perm, and all the horrified faces when I told them I would do it anyway. I also remember how happy I was with it (for the first 2 years). Changes are good, and drastic changes can be glorious (like yours). I don't regret getting mine, I only regret not having taken care of it. But I also learnt a lot from that :wink:
Well done, Lady Violyn! Big applause for you :applause :thumbsup:

[Sterlyn]

HairFanson It's good to know that hair that long can tolerate a perm so well. :) My hair has bounced up from waist to just below BSL. I think that is my only regret with this perm, I wish my hair had been a little longer when I had done it. It's been nearly 3 weeks since the perm my hair still feels significantly shorter and I miss the longer length. I can't imagine rolling up hair at that's thigh length. My stylist would probably faint. :p

Also I guess this answers my question to myself about how I would have felt about cutting it shorter. Glad I didn't.

Fiorildi Thank you for your kind words :flowers:

I don't regret the perm in the least. The texture is so much more consistent, and I love not having to fuss with trying to apply just the perfect amount of product so it doesn't go flat and limp. I just slather a fair amount of everything on and my hair soaks it up.

My curls have relaxed a bit, but not really that much. I try not to stretch or pull it much when it's wet but other than that I don't do anything to enhance the curl and I don't need to. The curl is pretty much self sustaining. ;) I didn't mind the smell after the perm, some people complain about it being obnoxious but I didn't find it that bad.

I've been babying my hair with weekly deep conditioning treatments with some gentle heat, my hair seems fine. It does have to be handled differently, finger combing only and I do have some tangling now, but nothing that a little patience doesn't take care of. KCKT has been my HG product for detangling, that stuff is amazing and it never seems to make my hair greasy or heavy and I use a lot of it.

Depending on how my hair handles this down the road, I may repeat a perm down the road. I was thinking 2 years or more but it would be great if my curl was still in decent shape 2 years from now. :toast:

LOL, when you said about my hair color matching my camera, I was thinking "how does she know I have a purple camera??" *Derp, my camera is in several of my pics......:rolleyes:

[Sterlyn]

I haven't been on here for weeks, life has been busy, mostly good stuff.

Continuing on, patiently growing. Still love the perm, it can be challenging to manage the texture at times, and I know sometimes my hair looks wild and out of control but I have no regrets. The purple, which I loved has finally faded, it lasted much longer than I expected more than 2 months but a trip to the beach with lots of sun and salt water was the end of it. As much as I loved the color, I don't think I'll ever add so much color that it obscures my silvers. I got to a point that I missed them. I think from here on out I'll stick to dyeing the ends, or adding some streaks here and there.

Anyway this time I decided to try different colors to see how I like them. These are all manic panic so they'll fade fairly quickly, I really love the teal, pics don't capture the color very well. I think I'm going to talk to my hairdresser about putting in some new colors on just the bottom half of my hair. Pic spam to follow:

I used 3 colors Sirens Song (teal), Cotton Candy (pink) and Purple Dreams. I also added a little Purple Haze, mixed with pink to the root area where the streaks and bangs meet.

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/purple_zps7ucog2wi.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/purple_zps7ucog2wi.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/teal_zpszft0u0kf.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/teal_zpszft0u0kf.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/back_zpsom1xgbl1.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/back_zpsom1xgbl1.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/front_zpseeknkb9z.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/front_zpseeknkb9z.jpg)

[MsPharaohMoan]

Omg your bangs! So perfect! :thudpile:

[Sterlyn]

Omg your bangs! So perfect! :thudpile:

Thank you, I did like the way they came out. It was challenging to keep that dark purple separated from the pink.

[Sterlyn]

Two more pics and then I'm done photobombing, LOL well probably at least until the next round of colors. ;)

I find buns look really interesting now, this was just a messy sleep bun with spin pins. Second is a length shot, haven't done one of these in a while, hair is growing but I'm still waiting for waist when dry again, probably won't be until the spring. I'm ok with it, somehow in the past few years I have managed to find some patience when it comes to my hair.

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/Sleepbun_zps2yf1jdl9.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/Sleepbun_zps2yf1jdl9.jpg)

http://http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/Length_zpsqpavdk2x.jpg (http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q667/sterlyn1/Hair%202015/Length_zpsqpavdk2x.jpg)