Thinking about getting a perm

[MAO]

I am pondering getting my hair permed again. I permed it back in '03? '04? And I seem to remember having an issue with it (I think I ended up with the dreaded poodle look). Anywayyssss, as some of you already know I prefer my hair curly and the top of my hair is flat and mostly straight. The only way to get my hair to curl nicely is to gel/mousse it and scrunch the hell out of it and blow dry if I want any body on the top. Since I now know (finally!) that my scalp and frizz digs CO I am thinking I will perm my hair and be done with the gel/blowdryer and save myself a lot of hair angst everyday. So I guess what I want to know is, are there any ladies out there that are digging their perms right now? Do you love or hate your perm? Please share!:)

[spidermom]

Do you mind losing length to cut out damage? 30 inches isn't so terribly long; your permed hair might grow that much. Or it might get extremely brittle and break off every time you comb it. If you are willing for your hair to stay right about the same length that it is right now or maybe 4-5 inches longer - go ahead - because that is most likely what will happen. And all your new growth will still be flat at the scalp.

[SpecialKitty]

I think your hair looks lovely just as it is. You indicate that your hair type is both fine and thin. If that is the case, a perm is more likely to cause irreparable damage. If you want long hair, you might consider learning to love your hair type rather than wishing for a different hair type. :twocents:

[LadyEliza]

As soon as you get your perm your hair will still be growing and any new growth will be straight.

What you would be better off doing (for the sake of length and healthy hair) is to learn to love it as it is!

From your photo, what I would do (and this is me, not you, so take it or leave it!) is to wear it up as much as possible until I had more growth. That will make styles easier and you will probably find that your desire for the perm is gone

[Honey39]

I love the hair that you have!! I wouldn't perm if I were you - it *can* work, but it can also be pretty brutal on your hair. You have such pretty, silky hair, lovely colour.

For me, when I want curlier or straighter hair than I have, it helps me to look at the pics of other people here with hair that is more like my own, and to see the beauty of their hair. My hair definitely started to perk up once I treated it as it was, not how I wanted it to be.

If you do perm, I'm sure it will look lovely, but I would be prepared to nurture the heck out of it, and it still might be too harsh for your fine hair.

[KnightsLady]

I've permed my hair twice. I obviously didn't learn much the first time. Never again willingly. The poodle look seemed to be the inevitable result, plus I ended up with hair much shorter than I could ever have wished for.

Perming won't look like natural curls, because each curl on a natural head is slightly different. Hairdressers tend to do a "uniform" look. Rather like planting trees all in a straight line.

All I can say is "NOOOooooooooo!"

But it's your choice. :)

[Katze]

I echo the others. Your hair is lovely the way it is! :)

As someone with straighter hair than yours who is always looking for more wave, I find that sleeping with my hair held loosely coiled in a claw clip gives me amazing body and waves, as does going to bed with it damp and in a towel. When I get up, I scrunch gel into it, and get lovely spiral ringlets (that do soften over the day).

You say you CO wash - does that help encourage your wave, or does it make your hair lay flatter at the scalp from the extra moisture? For my fine hair, CO was too much, and it ended up getting dull and lifeless. Yours does NOT seem to have this problem!

When I look at your sig pic I see hair that maybe has not had a chance to grow its wave pattern fully. My BF has similar hair to yours, though a bit wavier, and his ringlets really come out now that he is between APL and BSL.

At any rate, I personally find perms yucky, and think there is no reason to damage your lovely hair!

[edensapples]

All I can echo is "NOOOooooooooo!"

But it is your choice. :)

[Chanterelle]

MAO, your hair looks like mine when it was shorter. The longer my hair grows the more defined the waves are. So I suggest you wait some time to see if it happens to you.

Just like you I prefer my hair curly :) I got a perm a few years ago. I loved the results, the culrs looked incredible and absolutely natural but it ruined my hair completely so I had to cut from below APL to very short. There was no way to repair the damage.

[paper]

I used to perm my hair alot in the 80's :D What I didn't like about was the new growth would come in straight. I would always end up trimming alot off.

[Ranee]

I permed it one when I was 11 years old. It destroyed my hair.
Consider the negative qonsequences like dry hair that breaks of first and then make a choice.

[Tap Dancer]

I am pondering getting my hair permed again. I permed it back in '03? '04? And I seem to remember having an issue with it (I think I ended up with the dreaded poodle look).

Then I would advise against it. Perms are very tricky; you never know how it'll turn out.

[MsBubbles]

Another 80s serial-permer here (but it was all my Mother's fault). I don't see how you will be able to keep perming - which is what you'll need to do to avoid the flat top layer - and achieve 30" total. Your hair looks lovely already but I do understand you wanting height at the crown. Mine's flatter than a pancake.

When it's longer you will be able to try bee-butt buns, which made my flat hair look like it was permed and it almost stayed in all day on a very humid day. You could try them now but don't plan on it if you're going out in public :D. My coworkers laughed at me:o but I couldn't believe the waves actually stayed in all day without a perm!

[cindy58]

I wouldn't do it -- aside from all the other reasons, each time your hair is wet you get that stinky perm smell again.

[scalawaggirl]

Echoing the sentiments here with another NO vote but, of course, do what you feel is right. I do think there are better ways to try to get waves (braiding, plopping, products and so on) or you could get more comfortable with what you have (lovely, BTW).

My hair is wavy and a lot of the time, I wish it was straight. :) The most important thing, I believe, is to keep it happy and healthy.

[Redvelvetdragon]

I used to perm a lot in the late 80s and early 90s. I fried my hair. I've grown to really relish, now, the straight silky shine I have naturally. The kind of shine people go to salons for. And that people destroy their hair with a flat iron for.

It's odd because now that I'm a little older and don't mess with my hair too much I've found a slight wave. It's just wavy enough to swing nicely. (if I get caught out in the rain sometimes I get a few spiral curls. I was so surprised to see that!)

I would recommend not to get a perm. Is your hair naturally red? Is it hennaed? Perms may not work with the color you've got if you're coloring it. It just makes the perm more damaging.

Good luck!

[HildeMV]

I was thinking about getting a perm as well. I'm afraid it'll damage my hair too much though.

[going gray]

I'm far from any hair expert or able to give any advice. But I do know you shouldn't perm your hair, especially if you plan on growing it long.

[lora410]

I agree with spidermom. The chemicals are extremely harsh in perming solutions, and you will probably have alot of breakage

[Babyfine]

I was a serial permer in the 80's and 90's. I would perm my hair every 12 months. I loved the extra body in my fine hair. but I had damage, too.
My hair does have some natural wave so it would hold for several months. I often had damage and brittle hair, though, and forget growing much longer than APL- but I wasn't going for long then, anyway.
My last perm was in 2001. Part of the reason I quit was because I was doing infrequent lowlights to hide greys, and my fragile hair won't take more than one treatment.
My hair is much healthier and shinier now that I don't perm.
when I read that perms actually break down the disulfide bonds in your hair and re-form them in order to get the desired curl, I decided to never do them again, and I won't.
I read that perms make your hair 30% weaker, and my hair is fragile enough as it is.

[MAO]

Thank you ladies. See, this is why I love this place. I needed a voice of reason. My friend at work and I were discussing me getting a perm b/c I was complaining about my hair as usual and when she mentioned it, I was like OH YEAHhhh lets get a perm!! I am very spontaneous about doing stupid things to my hair without thinking it through and was totally ready to make the phone call to my hair lady today. I know you ladies are all right and I would probably regret it immediately afterwards.

[Deborah]

MAO,

Wise choice. Your hair will thank you. :)

[manderly]

Give it time, looking at your siggy it looks like you will have some very pretty waves which you can easily coax into soft curls when it gets longer :D

[Denebi]

Ohoo.... yes the perm... The hope to get beautiful, curly, thick hair with a basis of thin and fine hair...
I did this several times. Always hoped to get along with the breakage, frizz, straight hair coming out of my head....

At the moment, my last perm sits in the very last inch of hair. And hopefully I get rid of it soon. It damaged my hair a lot. Every time I comb through it, the ends are falling down in small pieces. There is nothing, I can do to prevent it, the damage is there and won't go. The only thing that helps is cutting.

My hair is very straight. I have 1b, fine hair. When I want to have curls, I do a figure-8 or french twist with damp hair, and after that I got something like this:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tY1hGv3U2vU/SZCdODLJ--I/AAAAAAAABms/J-WEAUwbbr0/s400/Bananenlocken2.JPG
It's not the same as natural curly hair, and it lasts only for one evening. But you can do something similar with your hair to make it a bit more curly. When your hair gets longer the waves will show better.

I'm glad you did not do the perm! :)

[Honey39]

Ohoo.... yes the perm... The hope to get beautiful, curly, thick hair with a basis of thin and fine hair...
I did this several times. Always hoped to get along with the breakage, frizz, straight hair coming out of my head....

At the moment, my last perm sits in the very last inch of hair. And hopefully I get rid of it soon. It damaged my hair a lot. Every time I comb through it, the ends are falling down in small pieces. There is nothing, I can do to prevent it, the damage is there and won't go. The only thing that helps is cutting.

My hair is very straight. I have 1b, fine hair. When I want to have curls, I do a figure-8 or french twist with damp hair, and after that I got something like this:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tY1hGv3U2vU/SZCdODLJ--I/AAAAAAAABms/J-WEAUwbbr0/s400/Bananenlocken2.JPG
It's not the same as natural curly hair, and it lasts only for one evening. But you can do something similar with your hair to make it a bit more curly. When your hair gets longer the waves will show better.

I'm glad you did not do the perm! :)

Ooooh, pretty hair! That's the thing, you can always do temporary things to your hair to make it curly/straight - this is a gazillion times nicer than a perm would ever be, shiny hair gently twisting into curls at the ends.

[MadPirateBippy]

Plopping a la the curly girls and rag curls (your length is just about PERFECT for rag curls and they are soooo much nicer looking than perms, in my not so humble experience) will probably give you what you want without the damage of perming.

Perms are pretty nasty- they actually dissolve your hair so that it will re-form in the curls, but that leaves it brittle, dry, easy to break, and it reacts with just about anything on the planet.

I'd say, do it if you really want to and you really love it, but consider trying the rag curls for a month and plopping for a month, each, first. You can't do anything with perm damage but cut it.

[Susana]

I have thought about this before...but always chickened out at the last minute. Think it through though. If you'd be ok with cutting back damage, then maybe, if you don't want to suffer damage and having to cut your hair I wouldn't risk it....

[jeniffer]

never had one myself, but my freind once did, I have to tell you, at first she loved it! The beautifull curls! But it had damaged her air so much that buy the time the perm go less curly she really had to chop it all short. I was so sad for her

[Sherri]

I am thnking of getting one myself. It has been years but alas I really want one again. I know they are damaging. I am just so tired of it being so flat all the time.

[ktani]

I had acid perms in the 80's by a stylist who knew what he was doing and my hair was not damaged, as I recall (I had a disaster of a perm in the 70's). The acidic perms grew out well (my hair is wavy and I liked them. They did tend to smell a bit like cat urine at first but that did not last and my hair looked great. Acid perms, if they are still around, are much gentler on the hair than other perms.

It is up to you but before you do anyting, if you do, go for a consultation and research.

Here are some links.

http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/bn_hair_What_Is_a_Permanent.htm

http://www.hairfinder.com/info/permanent-waves.htm

The acid perms I had were by Redken,
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/REDKEN-CREATIVE-CURL-ACID-PERM-for-Bleached-Hair-Gentle_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ350143637088.

[Sherri]

I had acid perms in the 80's by a stylist who knew what he was doing and my hair was not damaged as I recall. They grew out well (my hair is wavy and I liked them. They did tend to smell a bit like cat urine at first but that did not last and my hair looked great. Acid perms, if they are still around, are much gentler on the hair than other perms.

It is up to you but before you do anyting, if you do, go for a consultation and research.

Here are some links.

http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/bn_hair_What_Is_a_Permanent.htm

The acid perms I had were by Redken,
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/REDKEN-CREATIVE-CURL-ACID-PERM-for-Bleached-Hair-Gentle_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ350143637088.
Does anyone here have permed long hair?

[ktani]

Does anyone here have permed long hair?

Research the salons you want to go to, talk to stylists and ask questions via a consultation. You may be able to choose a brand of perm you like. A stylist may also be able to do a test strand. It can be like conventional hair colouring, in that any damage can be minimized. A lot depends on the state of, and type of hair you have, as to the results.

There are also root perms, http://www.dorismollerhairstyling.com/root-perming.html, and you should be able to choose a type of perm for that too.

If it is just flatness that you have, a change of conditioner can help or switching to herbal rinses.

[Sissy]

Personally, I wouldn't ever consider a perm... although I've never wanted curly hair.

[Sissy]

Also, I think using a blowdryer on cool setting along with protective serum would be much less damaging than a perm. That being said though... you should of course do what you are comfortable with and what's in your heart.

[feralnature]

I had many perms in the 80s too. Big hair and lots of gel. I loved it. So full around my face and lots of volume. If I were to get a perm now, I would ask for long, loose curls so that the straight hair growing out of my scalp would blend in. I would let it air dry and scrunch it. Also, I never had a spiral but I would want one if I did it again. But nowadays, I prefer straight hair.:)

[Oskimosa]

I had a perm when I was about 12 on hair just past my shoulders, then again when I was 19 on BSL hair. YUCK! Both times, it took just around my face and had horrible flat spots all over. Even though the stylist worked really hard and even used some sort of extra-strength stuff. I do have tough hair, but, it was just like bleaching my hair. It got lighter and wouldn't take color. During the day, I had to mist my hair to keep the curls defined and HEAVEN FORBID a brush get near my head! Hm, I don't have any pics on my computer, but I do have some printed photos.

To me, perms just look so fake. I used white and grey rollers, the reccommended size for spiral perms. I ended up having to iron it out all the time rather than have spotty curls.

If you need any more assurance, just check out the "Worst Hair Advice" thread... it's all about layers and perms!

[Cinnamon Hair]

I had several perms when I was younger (read: elementary school age). My mother started me on them. I wanted long hair and she wanted curls. The two do not go together. Every 3 months I would perm my whole head, because after longer than that it would relax and turn into a a frizzy but not curly mess if I left it alone. Once hair is permed it is damaged for life. The only way to get rid of a perm is to cut the hair off. Yes, it will relax but even if it eventually goes straight that hair is still weak and prone to breakage due to the chemicals used to perm it.

I was told by two different stylists that a perm will not take on hair longer than bra strap length. The weight of the hair pulls out the curls. Plus, it is ridiculously expensive to perm long hair because it takes so long to roll and uses a lot of product.

Suffice it to say, if your goal is long hair then a perm is a really bad idea.

[GlassEyes]

Aquaviolet had one.

Suffice to say, she isn't currently pleased with it.

[ktani]

I had a perm disaster in the '70's and great perms in the '80's. Not all perms are evil or damaging just as not all conventional chemical processing of any kind is, necessarily.

There are variables and much consideration needs to be done, the right products used and the right person doing them, as in a professional.

That said, I had a friend who permed and cut her own hair for years and it always looked great. She kept her hair short but not too short on top, bought professional perms and she knew from experience, how to use the perms. She also had taken a course on how to apply perms and do hair from a stylist, who gave classes to women, who wanted to learn about those things.

She had fine hair that could not keep any wave or curl. The newer perms did not trash her hair. It all depends on how things are handled. With the newer perms, and her own expertise, her hair did not frizz. She had used the odd perm that did cause frizz but never repeated the mistake, of using the brands that did. There were many times over the years, that with her perms and not very much conditioning, her hair looked better than mine and my exhaustive efforts to be more natural with my haircare.

I am not promoting perms. I am just not dismissing them as evil because I know that under the right circumstances, just like bleach, or conventional peroxide or hair colour or Sun-In, they are definitely not evil.

My mom currently has a perm. Her hair is not trashed either. She has had her hair permed forever, it seems. Most of the family, including me, used to encourage her not to keep perming her hair. We all preferred her hair a little straighter. Some perms were better than others but at 87, the current perm has not resulted in frizzy, damaged hair at all, as far as I can tell and is not a tight curl. It is more of a loose wave and it looks very good. Her hair is short but not very, very short. She usually lets me know how badly her hair breaks off, if it does. No complaints as I write this, and she had this perm a while ago.

[ktani]

Not so oddly enough, the worst case of breakage my mom had that she complained about was caused by hairspray.

She had gone to visit my sister out West, and did not have her hair "done" or washed for about 2 weeks. My mom has had her hair "done" every week by a stylist for as long as I can remember. During those 2 weeks, she sprayed her hair every day.

When she got back from the trip she complained to me that her hair was breaking off. I told her to get her hair styled and that they would wash off the excess styling residue from the hairspray. She did, they did and her hair returned to "normal".

[fleurdelis]

I also prefer my hair curly at the bottom and straght at the top, and for that reason I braid it every night that kinda creates that effect, I think it could also work with yours, since your hair is fine.

[GlennaGirl]

I had perms in the 80s, and I liked having "big" hair, but at the time I wasn't trying to grow my hair long. For me, if I had been trying to grow at the time, I know it would have been a disappointment, because I remember putting my hair in a towel to "sop up" some of the wetness after washing it, then taking the towel down and seeing tiny pieces of hair all over the towel...it was breaking off. Again, at the time it didn't bother me so much because I expected some damage from perming and because I wasn't trying to grow it long.

I did know one or two people during that time period who didn't have any damage at all from perms, or didn't seem to, but they had at least medium hair (and one had coarse hair) and they trimmed regularly so I can't say for sure. But it's a gamble I wouldn't want to take now.

I do like wavy/curly hair so it's a shame.

[GlennaGirl]

By the way, your hair color is to die for, WOW.

[Für immer]

Perming your hair is your decision not mine,
but... I don't think you should do it.
Anyway your hair is nice the way it is, really ;)