Do any of you gals perm your hair?

[kcoursolle]

Hi there,

I have mostly straight long brown hair. I got perms when I was a little kid, but I haven''t done this in about 15 years!! I''m a little nervous about what perms are like these days. I don''t want an 80''s frizzy look. I want something natural and more wavy than curly. I''d love to have a hairstyle that I can put product in and leave wet that still looks good.

Can you tell me about your experiences with perms? What it does to your hair (is it dry?), how hard it is to maintain, how long it lasts, how did you communicate with your stylist about the perm, etc. If you have any pictures of your permed hair I''d love to see them to get an idea of what they look like!

 

[Mandarine]

*sigh*

I''ll give you my waves!!!...haha...I LOVE super straight hair so it''s crazy to me anyone would want to get a perm! lol. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side!

M~

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 9/14/2007 1:50:56 PM
Author: Mandarine
*sigh*

I''ll give you my waves!!!...haha...I LOVE super straight hair so it''s crazy to me anyone would want to get a perm! lol. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side!

M~

I think you are right! I have a friend with gorgeous curly hair who gets her hair relaxed...I think straight haired girls always dream of being curly and vice versa.

 

[Mandarine]

lol, yes..

I just think straight hair always looks clean, professional, elegant....without too much effort. Waves and curls can get out of control easily!...don''t even get me started on the effects of hot humid days on my hair! lol

I think nowadays perms are better though and you could get a nice soft wave without getting the 80s look!

M~

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I have wave-envy, too. I have stick straight hair and my best friend has the most beautiful, thick, wavy hair. I was talking with my stylist about the "grass is greener on the other side" issue and she told me that I could get a semi-permanent body wave if I wanted to try waves for awhile. They use really large rods for the curls and a semi-permanent solution that only last 6 weeks. She said that some people do it just for something different, but most don''t commit to the permanent body wave.

Anyway, that could be an option for you if you wanted to give it a shot. If you liked it, you could always make it permanent.

 

[Harleigh]

LOL, Mandarine...I have naturally curly hair and would kill to be able to get it straighter than straight, but alas, only my hairdresser can manage that feat!

kcourselle...I used to get perms all the time when I was younger (didn''t know I had natural curl cuz I kept perming it!), but my best friend perms her long, very coarse brown hair at least once a year. She has sort of wavy hair but wants it really curly like mine, so she gets a spiral perm that makes it look like corkscrews.

As all of my past experiences have shown, the perm really dries her hair out and is quite frizzy for awhile after, but she''s been doing it for years and manages it quite nicely. I believe that if you have a TRUSTED (this is VERY important) stylist, she can listen to your desires and tell you if what you want is manageable. Your hair may be too fine, too thin, too thick, etc..., but definitely go with someone who knows your hair and how it reacts. I would also hope that you have a stylist who would be honest with you about whether or not it is a good idea for you and whether or not she really thinks what you are asking for is possible and/or advisable. Big waves are really popular right now, so I think many stylists are used to this question, actually.

Good luck, and if you decide to go for it, be sure to post some before and after pictures!

 

[poptart]

Well... sometimes the grass is greener in your own yard, lol! I have curly hair and LOVE it! I had a friend who had super stick straight hair and would perm it every few years. I noticed with these perms that it would be kind of frizzy still for a little while (maybe a week at most) after the perm, and then it would soften into nice waves. She was able to keep the body in it for months and months, even though her hair didn''t take to curling all that well usually. So I guess what I am trying to say is that perms these days seem to last a long time and don''t damage your hair as much as they used to. Be sure to get a hydrating shampoo and conditioner to use though, since perms can dry it out so much. She also seemed to be able to manage her wavy/ curly hair just as easily as her straight hair. Can''t help you with the stylist input though, as I was never with her when she got it done.

*M*

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 9/14/2007 3:40:42 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady
I have wave-envy, too. I have stick straight hair and my best friend has the most beautiful, thick, wavy hair. I was talking with my stylist about the ''grass is greener on the other side'' issue and she told me that I could get a semi-permanent body wave if I wanted to try waves for awhile. They use really large rods for the curls and a semi-permanent solution that only last 6 weeks. She said that some people do it just for something different, but most don''t commit to the permanent body wave.

Anyway, that could be an option for you if you wanted to give it a shot. If you liked it, you could always make it permanent.

This is a really great idea. It might be nice to try it out before being stuck with the look. I''ll have to inquire to see how expensive it is to try this out.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 9/15/2007 11:55:08 PM
Author: Harleigh
LOL, Mandarine...I have naturally curly hair and would kill to be able to get it straighter than straight, but alas, only my hairdresser can manage that feat!

kcourselle...I used to get perms all the time when I was younger (didn''t know I had natural curl cuz I kept perming it!), but my best friend perms her long, very coarse brown hair at least once a year. She has sort of wavy hair but wants it really curly like mine, so she gets a spiral perm that makes it look like corkscrews.

As all of my past experiences have shown, the perm really dries her hair out and is quite frizzy for awhile after, but she''s been doing it for years and manages it quite nicely. I believe that if you have a TRUSTED (this is VERY important) stylist, she can listen to your desires and tell you if what you want is manageable. Your hair may be too fine, too thin, too thick, etc..., but definitely go with someone who knows your hair and how it reacts. I would also hope that you have a stylist who would be honest with you about whether or not it is a good idea for you and whether or not she really thinks what you are asking for is possible and/or advisable. Big waves are really popular right now, so I think many stylists are used to this question, actually.

Good luck, and if you decide to go for it, be sure to post some before and after pictures!

Do you have any pictures of your friends permed hair by chance? I''d love to see how it looks and if it looks natural or not. I don''t have coarse hair, so it might be a good idea to get a consultation first. I luckily do have someone I trust for cuts and highlights, but I''m not sure if she''s an expert in perms. I wouldn''t hesitate to trust her advice though.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 9/16/2007 12:02:19 AM
Author: poptart
Well... sometimes the grass is greener in your own yard, lol! I have curly hair and LOVE it! I had a friend who had super stick straight hair and would perm it every few years. I noticed with these perms that it would be kind of frizzy still for a little while (maybe a week at most) after the perm, and then it would soften into nice waves. She was able to keep the body in it for months and months, even though her hair didn''t take to curling all that well usually. So I guess what I am trying to say is that perms these days seem to last a long time and don''t damage your hair as much as they used to. Be sure to get a hydrating shampoo and conditioner to use though, since perms can dry it out so much. She also seemed to be able to manage her wavy/ curly hair just as easily as her straight hair. Can''t help you with the stylist input though, as I was never with her when she got it done.

*M*

How wonderful you actually like your curly hair!! I really think curly hair is beautiful. Your friends hair sounds similar to mine. It''s good to hear that the curl relaxes out naturally after a while, but still manages to last a while. I''d love to see pictures of her permed hair before and after if you have any?

 

[sumbride]

One of my friends also got a semi-permanent wave last summer and it looked great! Didn''t seem to last very long though because I only remember seeing her with it a few times, but the first time I did, M and I both said "your hair looks great!" and she said "yeah, I got a perm..." I chatted with her about it because I didn''t think people still got perms but if she was doing it, they must because she''s rather trendy. It looked great and I was tempted but as much as I highlight I figure one process is enough for my hair. Definitely chat with your stylist about it!

 

[luckystar112]

I have hair like mandarines that I used to straighten every day or throw back in a bun.

A few days ago I decided to embrace my curly hair by using curl defining shampoo and conditioner by garnier nutrisse (sp?) and their curl defining spray gel. Let me tell you....I LOVE IT. Love my curly hair. And it hasn''t even been frizzy even though I live in TEXAS. I think I''m going to stick with the look for a while because I love being able to get out of the shower, spray the gel on it and let it air dry. I NEVER thought I''d like my hair curly.

Then again, a lot of the girls with curly hair that I''ve seen have to put SO much product in it so that it looks hard and wet. You know what I''m talking about? That''s what has always made me dislike curly hair, but my system seems to work!