Is a Perm for you?

The latest news is that ‘Perms’ are back!

As someone who’s formidable years as a teenager and a hairdresser in training was spent during the 80’s and 90’s era of the perm, I can tell you right now that I.. for one.. am none too pleased of it’s revival!

It’s not because I tend to come out in hives at the mere thought of winding a spiral perm for 4 hours, and then praying to the Goddess of the blessed Curls to magically transform it into a perfectly permed quiff, but rather because of the level of expectation from a clients perception.

What a client expects a perm to look like and what you actually end up with is and has always been the bane of every hairdressers stress levels. The expectations of a client’s perm is somewhat different to that of a hairstylist, and not because we see perms/curls any different from the average person, but because the clients idea of a ‘Wash and Wear’ actually requires a lot more work on their part then they initially imagined.

So if you are not going to get a perm that looks just like the photo you bought in to show the stylist!
What good is a perm anyway?

Well the answer to that million dollar question is simply this….. Support!

Style support; this is and would be the only reason you would have a perm today!

The end of the 90’s saw the phasing out of perms, either because it became un-achievable or it became a costly procedure, whatever the case the curls went out and in came the straight look.

Over the years, there have been many variations of the straight hair look, thanks to tools such as hair straighteners like ‘GHD’s’ where you were able to straighten your hair as smooth and lanky as you wanted or add some spirals or curls as you like.
But the problem soon became apparent for most naturally straight hair girls that the curls would always fall out! As the straight as a board look started to become a little tired and more movement and bouncy curls was trending. Ladies were getting a little frustrated when they lost their curls, and no amount of hairspray would hold them in place.

The reason for this is because the hair was originally straight and no matter how hot or evolved the curling tools were, those curls would always resort to falling back into its original state; especially in humid weather.

The only way to fix this, is to change the original texture of your hair in order to support the style you want!

And this is where perms come in! Don’t think of a perm as a ‘Wash and Wear’ style, you will never get the look you want that can normally be achieved by using a curling tong or straightener, a style like this is not achievable with a wash and wear format.
You will always have to style your hair to some degree if you want the look you’re after.
If you accept it as a ‘Style Support Perm’ rather than a style, then you will be more confident in the knowledge that the perm is designed to help you rather than fail you .

But full disclosure.

It is not for everyone! There are certain types of hair that cannot withstand the perming procedure, the condition of the hair would most definitely be compromised and destroy your locks. So talk to your stylist about what is right for you and if perming is the best option.

Ask yourself, what is it that I want to achieve by perming my hair? Am I needing some bulk or support? Am I prepared to put in the effort to style my hair and achieve the look I want? Am I ok choosing one look over the other? Can I afford the upkeep?
When you know what it is that you really want, talk to your stylist to see if perming is best for you.