What do you think about digital perms?

[svea4]

I have been thinking about getting a digital perm, because of heard so many good things about it.
I have heard that the curls will be softer, more pretty and it would cause less damage to the hair.

so I would like to know if anyone has tried it, or if someone knows a lot about it?

this is the reason why i'm considering it:
my hair is something inbetween straight and wavy and I have a lot of layers that are hard to control.. and I can't cut them off because then I wouldn't have much hair left. also the upper layer of my hair is somehow really damaged (maybe because of the sun) so it looks really bad if I dont straigten it. And Im thinking that a perm will help with these problems.. I don't have the patience to wait a looong time for it to grow long.

[Shanarana]

I've never heard of a digital perm....how is that different from a regular perm?

[Mitzy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_perm

[manderly]

Ok, you're brand new here, only had 2 posts. My suggestion would be to explore LHC a bit.

You describe your hair as between wavy and straight. That's how I would call my hair (with lots of frizz) before I started doing common things like oiling and using shampoo bars. I can almost promise you that if you change the way you treat your hair you will be rewarded with waves almost like the digital perm.

Seriously, my hair almost looks like a digital perm (from my google image search), with a slightly tighter wave pattern.

In my opinion, a perm is a perm is a perm. And I have never in my life met someone (myself included) who has had a perm and didn't end up hating it and spending more time fighting the curl out of it.

HTH

[Anje]

It may also be that your top layer is damaged because you straighten it a lot. Straightening hair often tends to create a feedback loop where it looks worse and worse unstraightened. Adding chemicals that break down the sulfurous bonds in your hair is certainly not going to help the condition.

Before you get a perm, I think you need to consider what it will look like in several months when your relatively straight hair has grown out a few inches. Will you re-perm it?

Personally, I think perming your hair is asking for more damage. Why don't you poke around the forums here a little and try a few of the recipes that will make damaged hair look and feel more manageable while you grow it out to a point where it won't be so weird to trim it off.

[Feng-Shui]

I think a Perms is a Perms.

The manufacturers of these products have a problem because Perms have no good reputation.

Thus a thing gets simply a new name people it again buys.

Feng-Shui:flower:

[Dvips]

Ok, you're brand new here, only had 2 posts. My suggestion would be to explore LHC a bit. I agree with this. Svea4, give yourself a month, trying some of the things you find here first, to see how your hair behaves/looks when it is being treated differently.


And I have never in my life met someone (myself included) who has had a perm and didn't end up hating it and spending more time fighting the curl out of it. Well, now you have! :waving:

[Chromis]

I'd never heard of this either, but from the wiki article it sounds like it would be even more damaging than a normal perm with the additional heat! :eek:

[lora410]

sounds nice, but with heat and chemicals be prepared for fried hair :scared:

[Sherri]

I've never heard of a digital perm. Is it something new? I would agree I think a perm would be a perm. It would be like getting a body wave or a full out perm (there is no difference you are still perming)

[orangeeyecrayon]

i definately think you should think long and hard about getting a perm before you do, and when you think you are ready to get a perm than experiment with no heat and all the other healthy things that are discussed on the board.

i think you will be a lot happier if you try every other option before jumping to getting a perm

[jivete]

I agree with others here. My hair went from straight with a few sorta waves to full out wavy, just with change in routine and more moisture and less cones. Work with making the hair healthier first and you might be surprised to find a different texture. I certainly was.

[spidermom]

I notice that you have fine hair. It says in the article I just read that a digital perm is NOT recommended for fine hair. So there you have it. Don't do anything else damaging to your hair. Concentrate on improving the condition with deep moisture treatments and gentle handling. You will be rewarded in time with lovely, shiny, soft waves.

[NurseMama]

The Wiki article says that the digital perm requires blowfrying to style incomparison with the standard perm which can air dry with gel. Even more damage there.

[Islandgrrl]

In my opinion, a perm is a perm is a perm. And I have never in my life met someone (myself included) who has had a perm and didn't end up hating it and spending more time fighting the curl out of it.

I'd have to agree that a perm is a perm. This one involves chemicals *and* heat, which to me equals even more damage.

I do have to disagree, though, with hating a perm. Back in the big hair days of the 80s, I spiral permed my anywhere between BSL and waist length hair and absolutely loved it. I only quit perming because I got pregnant and didn't want the to be around the chemicals. :) Because I didn't perm more than once a year, and took good care of my hair, the damage I incurred was probably as minimal as it could be.

So you might love it, but it will damage your hair.

[yogachic]

I've never heard of a digital perm etiher. Any heat or chemicals are still damaging to the hair. I have had perms for the past 15 years (one every 2 years) I won't perm again. I want to finally see my virgin hair. Perms are bad.

[Euphony]

Try some of the different ideas presented on LHC, I used to think I had pretty freaky, fried hair. But that was from brushing it so hard and blow drying it and whatever else. I now have nice soft waves, the day after washing my hair looks almost identicle to many of the pics I found on Google images except I have a bit more body and wave.

You might be surprised what hair type you have once you add some moisture and gentle care to your hair.

[RavennaNight]

Eeeeeek! From what I saw on the wiki, that sounds scary, worse than regular perm. And don't forget, perm is a nightmare when it starts growing out, I've heard of a lot of people having to do a major cut.

[AquaViolet1973]

And I have never in my life met someone (myself included) who has had a perm and didn't end up hating it and spending more time fighting the curl out of it.



I have had many perms, and I have one now, and I do not hate it at all. I've always liked the results of my perms. :)

[manderly]

I'm glad to have met people who love their perms :D

As evidenced by a recent poster who permed then straightened her hair in a day's time, I'll change my statement to LOTS AND LOTS of people who get perms end up hating them, whether the don't like the curls, don't know how to care for them, don't like the upkeep, and don't like the growing out. :)

I, for one, had a spiral perm when I was like 12. The only direction I had to care for it? Use a pick. This is coming from my stylist aunt who did it. Never was I able to get a damn pick through that beast and never did I use leave ins or any other product. Obviously I was a frizzball.

[Melian]

You write you have already got noticeable layers in your hair. You write you have fine hair. You write you straighten. Not a good combination with a perm! I loved mine, but am still growing it out after two years! The damage isn't worth it (although it isn't that noticeable in my hair but I did not straigthen and cared pretty good for my hair).
Do not do it because perms are hit or miss.

[FrannyG]

I used to get perms and I will tell you that I loved them--on my shorter hair. Having said that, perms are in fact permanent, and they alter the structure of one's hair completely for as long as it's on your head.

If you are even thinking about growing your hair long, then I would think long and hard. For me, perms are even more damaging than hair colour. I would never be able to have healthy-looking hair much below shoulder length with a perm.

Additionally this digital perm requires heat styling, which will then cause you even more damage.

I strongly urge you to read as much as you can here at LHC. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. :)