Thread: Perms

Is this a really bad idea?

None of my family or friends get the whole vintage thing and keep trying to persuade me that I'll end up with some kind of 80's horror rather than the elegant permanent wave I'm imagining in my head. I am so rubbish with hair and I'm completely sick of trying to curl it myself and it just looking a mess.

Tell me your perm stories!

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I'd never tell anyone what to d with their hair ( God knows I've made enough mistakes myself!) but I ill tell you of my experience.
I had the same idea about four years ago and ended up with a horrible early 80's frizzy mess. It refused to drop and I ended up having to grow it out and get my hair cut really short.
Of course there are many factors to consider, the biggest is making sure that your hairdresser knows EXACTLY what look you want and make sure that you know how to style / treat it once it's permed.
I may have just been unlucky but remember, it's called a perm for a reason!
Let us know how you get on

No, I really need someone to tell me what to do with my hair!

From the sound of it, my mother might be right about the perm idea. Damnit, I hate it when she's right

How about when you are next in the hairdressers, see what they think and see what types of perms are out there. I would love a perm that gives you lovely glamourous curls :-). Up until this year when I tried to curl my hair with curling tongs it, used to drop out, but when i got lots of layers put in it curled lovely.

Even Dita,once upon a time attempted the perm,figured it would be a sure fire way to get lovely waves every day without the effort....but it didnt end up that way,problem is with perms as everyones hair is different,the hair decided how tight it wants to curl,and when that curl is set its hard to change it,darlin i would just do what we all have had to do and practise your heart out with vintage hair styling,try Vintage Hair for starters.

xoxo

I had the idea that a perm would be the way to make my hair curl - I have very straight hair and when I used heated rollers the curls would only last and hour at the most!! So I had a perm and ended up looking like Cleo Laine....not good!!! Thank god we live in the age of the straighteners!!! Perming your hair does not create curls - it makes your hair wavey or frizzy - the best way to create the curls you want is to set your hair. It's easy when you get used to it, put a bit of mouse into wet hair, pop your curlers in (get your hairdresser to show you how if you're not sure) and leave to dry or sit under a dryer - I go everywhere with my rollers in - the kids hate it when I pick them up from school with them in... it's great!!

I guess life would be no fun if everything was simple

Thanks for your input ladies, it has been duly noted. I'm too chicken to risk turning my hair into a frizzy mop. As you say Starla, I'll just have to keep practising!

DON'T DO IT!!!

Buy some good heated rollers and start playing with those.....if you change your mind and don't want it curly then you don't have to wait up 2-3 years for the perm to grow out (or is it just my bad memory convincing me it took that long).

I spent most of the 80's and some of the 90's having my hair permed.....how I have any hair still on my head I have no idea. And I do have some total nightmare stories - the worst was when the end papers weren't put on correctly and the chemicals basically fried the ends of my hair off leaving it with the worst case of split ends all over you've ever seen. The hair just broke off in my hands and the only way I could save it from the split ends going all the way up the hair shaft was to have it cut short, but I still had most of the hair permed....so the ringlets went ultra tight and I looked like a pube head.

Don't do it......I know learning to use hair tongs or heated rollers takes effort and practice, but it's much better than ruining your hair or having to wait for a perm to grow out.

to get new looks ... I've just bought two wigs! much easier