Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15

Thread: I Just Had a Perm

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    39
    Length
    14"/24"/36"+

    Default I Just Had a Perm

    I have come to the conclusion that I look better with curly hair. Of course, that involves the time and expense of getting a perm because my hair is straight as a stick. My last full-head perm was Novemeber of 2008; then I had just the top and bangs permed in February 2009. Since then, I had just let it grow. It was to my shoulder blades and pretty much one length. My bangs were straight. With the winter dryness, it had gotten pretty lanky. My daughter gave me a gift certificate to my favorite salon (the ONLY one I will go to, with the same hairdresser), for Christmas. I made an appointment and went last Friday. I had her cut two inches off the length and "feather" it a little around my face. I always bring my own perms (2 boxes). I LOVE, LOVE Redken's Creative Curl perm for Fine/Limp hair. It has no perm smell and really lasts. Being a licensed hairdresser myself, I can buy professional products. It came out SO nice, with soft ringlet type curls. It has so much more body now, and feels so much healthier.. I waited the required 48 hours before shampooing and washed and conditioned my hair. (Pantene is my favorite for this purpose). I will probably be all set now for a year, except for bang trims. I would post a picture but I am "techno-challenged" and don't know how. LOL!

  2. #2
    Member Fractalsofhair's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    3,291
    Length
    15.5?/Shldr/30-34
    Type
    1b/1c/F/iii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    Be gentle when you perm over it in a year! I'd suggest avoiding reperming the hair that was already permed, and be very careful with breakage! I'm glad you love it though!

    Had you experimented with things like pincurls and rag curls on a regular basis?
    Fast typer.
    I have fine hair that I'm working on growing long!

  3. #3
    Member Prism's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    SoCal, USA
    Posts
    791
    Length
    zero/24.75/26
    Type
    2b/M/ii/iii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    Wow. Your hair must be a lot stronger than mine. Every perm I've had has wreaked havoc on my hair, and that's when it was short hair. I didn't even attempt it when it was long.

    I did have a friend who had very long hair that she'd get permed regularly. Her hair was just amazingly thick and resilient and apparently grew fast because she never seemed to have an issue with perming, heat, and the rest. I think that's probably pretty rare.
    * Last color 02/17 *

  4. #4
    Member -simply Venus-'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    California
    Posts
    126
    Length
    shldr/MBL/waist
    Type
    2c/3a/C/iii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    I hope you can keep them up without much damage. =] Curly hair is epic. XD But it is a pain. =[ I have naturally curly hair, so there is nothing I can do about it without damage. >.< That's why I'm growing my hair long! So I have long, farie-like hair.

  5. #5
    Hiding in plain sight spidermom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    the shore of Lake Erie
    Age
    70
    Posts
    35,418
    Length
    pixie/waist/frtip
    Type
    2c/F/M/ii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    Enjoy your perm. The last one I had or will ever have made my hair fall to pieces; it was terrible.

  6. #6
    Member camillacamilla's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Age
    50
    Posts
    198
    Length
    BSL/waist/waist
    Type
    1c/2a/F/M/iii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    I have heard that perms have changed and are very gentle now. I still have memories of the perms I had in the 80s. You would come out of the beauty shop with burns on your forehead from the chemicals and broken hairs already sticking up. Please tell me perms are not like this anymore.

  7. #7
    Member Kris Dove's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Scotland
    Age
    43
    Posts
    467
    Length
    SL/SL/long!
    Type
    1b/1c/F/i

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    I had a perm in the early 90's and it fried my hair more than anything else ever has. That said I loved the look of it for the first few months and have curl envy! I know a lot of naturally curly girls here use the Curly Girl CO method, perhaps that would work well with permed hair too? Just, whatever you do, don't use mousse! If my hair wasn't fried enough already that stuff took it over the edge!
    12 year old me with my wee bro in 1992- I want this hair back!!!

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    75
    Length
    buzz/APL/WL
    Type
    2a/2b/F/M/i/ii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    As Kris Dove said you could try the Curly Girl (CG) method of Co-wash (conditioner washing) just google it for more information.
    Since I started wearing my hair natural (wavy) I can't stand my hair straight - so little volume and character. I can image that you are also enjoying the volume of curls.

    The perm formulas are a lot better these days or so I've read. However it is still a chemical process that will damage your hair so it's best to play it safe and look after you hair now then regret it later.

    Glad to hear you're loving your curls

  9. #9
    Member chicken's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Ruhrgebiet, Germany
    Age
    47
    Posts
    603
    Length
    11/46.5/?
    Type
    2b/C/iii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    Oh, be careful with your hair. I had two perms 4 years ago. I loved the look, but it damaged my hair so much... But I know the urge to have curls... You should really pamper your hair. Mine loved CO-wash at that time.

  10. #10
    Member Isa-belle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    France
    Posts
    1,587
    Length
    Chin/40"/43
    Type
    2a/2b/M/ii/iii

    Default Re: I Just Had a Perm

    Quote Originally Posted by camillacamilla View Post
    I have heard that perms have changed and are very gentle now. I still have memories of the perms I had in the 80s. You would come out of the beauty shop with burns on your forehead from the chemicals and broken hairs already sticking up. Please tell me perms are not like this anymore.
    Well, the last perm I had was one of the supposedly new-generation "gentle" perms.
    I lost chunks of hair in the few weeks after it.

    Of the 3 or 4 perms I had in my life, it's also the one that wreaked total havoc on my hair; but the length had been permed a year before, so that definitely played a role. At the time I'd thought that with all the hype around the "gentle" new perms that would be okay. Well, it wasn't.

    The first perm I ever got (almost 10 years ago) gave me glorious curls, and my hair was waist/hip length at the time, so that was very dramatic. A perm can look nice on virgin hair. (My hair was also thick and sturdy )
    But there are 3 problems with it: first the upkeep is a pain and the mousses are drying; if you don't put plenty of curling agents every day the curls are not pretty. Second, as your hair grows out the perm, you are left with this weird 2-textured hair. Again, not pretty. And third, the only 2 ways to solve this is either grow the perm out, which requires patience; or get a new perm. And that is when the hair gets really, really damaged (when the same hair gets permed several times).

    Never again! I have learnt to embrace my hair's texture, and when I want something different, there are always braid waves, bun waves, and rag curls.

    Before the perms, I used to be complimented all the time on my hair. How thick and healthy it looked. I used to do non-damaging rag curls quite often (several times a week) in high school and many people loved it.
    It has taken me almost 3 years to fight the damage from the last perm, and of course I still have these significantly shorter chunks of hair, which accentuate my taper. I am still working on regaining my hair's initial thickness. I know I will get back there some time - my hair is now chemical-free down to the waist/hips.


    I am not trying to rain on the OP's parade here. A fresh perm does look lovely on virgin hair and I am sure yours does . I wouldn't recommend perming in only a year though, unless your hair is short and you plan on keeping it that way. Perms, sadly, cannot work on long hair on the long run.
    Last edited by Isa-belle; February 9th, 2010 at 01:57 AM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •