A great permanent wave should look natural, so natural that people who meet you for the first time should think that you were born with waves. Then why do so many perms "look" like a perm?
The secret in great perming involves:
(1) Insist on a quality professional chemical. My number one pick is Matrix Biolage then Redken then ISO.
(2) Protect the hair with "sticks" during the chemical processing. (these sticks are made of plastic and resemble tooth picks. Sticks prevent the rubber band on the perm rod from putting pressure on the hair and causing breakage and a visible line.
(3) Rinse the full five minutes after each chemical application. Lack of proper rinsing is the culprit for smelling like a "perm" for weeks on end.
(4) Extract most of water out before neutralizing. The best way to describe the process of perming is this way. Picture a ladder. Your hair is like the rungs on the ladder. If you could roll the ladder up, that resembles rolling the hair on a perm rod. The first chemical breaks the bond or "ladder rung". The second chemical puts the rung back together in a curled manner. If the previous chemical is not removed and properly blotted after rinsing, the bonds cannot be put back the way they were intended.
(5) Do not wrap the hair too tightly on the rods. If the hair is wrapped too tightly breakage will occur and shine and manageability will be missing.
(6) Do not over process.
(7) Use one full perm paper under and one over the hair ends before wrapping instead of using one paper folded in half. Using one paper to protect the hair ends causes the hair to be rolled on the perm rod loosely at the root and really tightly at the end, therefore giving you a perm that is curlier on the ends-not natural looking. Best to use two full perm rod papers per section.
(8) Find a professional that enjoys perming. Those who are passionate about what they do put their heart in their work and their work shows their passion. You are paying for this service, expect quality work.
Insist on the above 8 suggestions and you will enjoy your perm more than ever!
My favorite chemical of choice to perm with is called Matrix Biolage. There is one formula for normal hair and one for tinted hair. Both are wonderful. This is a versatile product. The normal formula is great even on grey hair that is course or on fine or thick hair. The processing solution has the same ugly perm smell as other perms but the processing solution smells nice. And the processing solution is the smell you will keep with you for a while even with great rinsing. So it is not a bad smelling perm at all. The curls are true to rod shape and bouncy. Let's hope they never change this formula. It is too good to mess with.
My next blog will discuss which shampoo is best for permed hair.
What is the best perm you ever had? Let me know!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Great suggestions. I am going to bring this with me the next time I go for a perm.
Giddles; I am wondering about those "perm sticks" you mentioned...Are they flat like a popsickle stick? I know you said they resemble a toothpick, but I've never heard of such things. I imagine that it WOULD be a great help. Thanks, Marcie & Pearl
Dear Marcie and Pearl,
These "sticks" are normally white or tan in color and are made of somewhat flexible plastic and almost the same diameter as a toothpick. They are round and not flat. They prevent the perm rod's rubber band from leaving line marks on your hair when you get a perm. Sally's Beauty Supply sells them. If your hairdresser doesn't use them, you can always buy them yourself and bring them with you. They are under $3.00 and you can find them in the perming section.
Post a Comment