# Anyone had experience with perms?



## MaddieLynn (Nov 23, 2011)

I got a perm yesterday, but I'm disappointed with how it turned out. It is barely wavy and the waves just look limp. The stylist has offered to try again with tighter rollers on Tuesday, but I'm worried about it causing too much damage to my hair. The thing is, my hair really doesn't seem much damaged after the first one. It was very silky and shiny before, and while I can tell the ends are dry and my hair just feels "lighter", it is still soft and silky. Before this perm I had "virgin" hair - I have never done anything to it other than cut it. I'm feeling like maybe the stylist just didn't leave it in long enough since my hair was pretty strong to begin with?

The question is really whether or not to get it redone. Thoughts?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It depends on your goal. Sounds like you got body. Do you want it kinky? How long is it?

I used to get perms. If you get repeats, there is more damage after the first one, but I have fine hair.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

my hair will not perm. I wear it very long and straight (mostly in a tail, twist or bun). I tried all through my twenties, and it just does not take. My stylist was is my best friend. she taught cosmetology school and now works in NYC as a consultant for Loreal International. She told me some people just wont perm. Lucky for me, straight never goes out of style.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

My hair became resistant to perm when I was taking some meds. i had it repermed and it was fine.


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## Dorothea (May 10, 2004)

i would have her redo it using white and pink rollers,,make sure she trims your hair after the perm,,honestly i would wait one full week


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## MaddieLynn (Nov 23, 2011)

The thing is, it DID perm. What I have now is definitely not my natural hair. It just didn't get very curly, more like limply wavy. 

My hair is to the bottom of my bra. I definitely did not want an "80s perm" but also wanted more definition than just wavy. She used the purple rollers all over and a few grey ones here and there. I can tell where the grey ones were and I like those areas. I would like to do it over with the grey ones and maybe a few of the next size smaller interspersed. Basically like what I just got, but a size tighter.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

In the "old days", lol, they had what were called body waves and perms. What you got sounds like the old body wave. Or maybe your hair just doesn't take perms well. Mine sure doesn't, and I was told there are just some people's hair who don't do well with them.

I had quite a few in my younger days, and my hair either wouldn't do anything at all or get just barely wavy, but even that would all straighten out in a few weeks.

Once, I let them redo it a week after the first one didn't take...totally fried my hair and still didn't get curls!  It was dry as straw, breaking off, falling out, it was horrible, and no amount of conditioning helped. I just had to grow it out and then cut off all the permed part. So I'd be careful about redoing it if I were you.

One tip I was given (before the hair frying disaster, lol) was to NOT shampoo for at least three full days after the perm and then to not use cream rinse or conditioner on it for at least two full weeks. They said sometimes that works for people with perm resistant hair...but it didn't work for me, so not sure how reliable that is.

I know, I'm not really any help, lol! Just wanted to warn you about the damage with a re-do perm I had. Good luck!


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## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

I've had it happen. My stylist (at the time) waited about a week and redid it. It didn't fry my hair. 

My hair is silky smooth, baby fine, and poker straight. It does not perm well. My stylist would leave the solution on for as long as she could without damaging it. I finally gave up on perms about 10 years ago.


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## ArkyMack (Nov 15, 2013)

A friend of mine had the worst experiences with perms not taking. Her stylist told her it was her well water building up minerals and iron on her hair?

My thin white hair sometimes has a couple of sections that don't perm as well as the rest. But I've been burned one too many times, by them leaving the solution on the prescribed time. So I nag the stylist.
"Is it ready yet? Check again. Now? How about NOW?"


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## MaddieLynn (Nov 23, 2011)

Ok, I'm thinking about having it redone with grey rods on Tuesday. The first time she used the purple rods and the grey will be 2 sizes smaller. I'm a little worried about it turning out like an "80's perm". I think I need the tighter rods though because my hair just did not curl well the first time. 

Here's a picture I found online of a lady who got hers done with some purple rods and some even larger peach rods:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/198369558561214424/

My hair came out much limper than hers even though she used rods the same size and even larger. So I'm thinking I may need to use rods smaller than you would think to get a good curl. Mine looks just about like this:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/364228688585795418/


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## snowlady (Aug 1, 2011)

A perm just "slides" out of my hair. I could never do the big hair of the 80's, which was devastating as a teenager of the 80's. LOL. My hair is very fine and silky but not terribly thin. It tends to get fuzzy if processed much at all.


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## oldmania (Jan 25, 2007)

I had a perm redone on long hair once. It broke a lot of hair off at the scalp. I advise waiting or not doing it at all. That was my last perm.


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## MaddieLynn (Nov 23, 2011)

Well, I went and got it re-done today. She used a perm for "resistant hair" and white rollers instead of purple and I love it! It gave me the kind of curl I wanted and didn't damage my hair. My only issue with it is that the ends of my hair STILL didn't take well, but I don't know how to fix this. I feel like it's because my hair is so long that by the time they roll it all up, there are so many layers that the perm solution doesn't work through to be ends.


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## jamo (Jun 6, 2002)

try a spiral next time. The rods are placed vertically and you get a better curl for long hair


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## Songbird (Apr 2, 2006)

MaddieLynn said:


> Well, I went and got it re-done today. She used a perm for "resistant hair" and white rollers instead of purple and I love it! It gave me the kind of curl I wanted and didn't damage my hair. My only issue with it is that the ends of my hair STILL didn't take well, but I don't know how to fix this. I feel like it's because my hair is so long that by the time they roll it all up, there are so many layers that the perm solution doesn't work through to be ends.


Good idea to get the ends trimmed anyway after a perm, so get the end part that didn't take to the perm cut off....


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

jamo said:


> try a spiral next time. The rods are placed vertically and you get a better curl for long hair


If not a spiral, then have her piggyback the perm rods. It reduces the amount of hair wrapped around each rod, so the curls are the same size at the root as at the end.


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