If you are bored with your current hairstyle or tired of spending too much time trying to make it look better, a perm may be a great way to change this for good (or at least for a while). It can also be a fun way to experiment with curly lengths in a variety of styles – from bouncy curls to slight waves instead of just limp strands, but for women who have fine hair with no root volume a perm often turns out to be a lifesaver.
If you spend every morning blow-drying and styling your hair, but by the end of the day it looks like a disaster, you know what I mean. If your hair is fine and limp, perming can truly work like a magic wand, instantly adding body and beauty to it. Turning someone from a plain Cinderella into a princess is the greatest wonder and advantage of hair perms – and a reason to give perming a try – but there are also other benefits and things to consider:
1. Professionalism
Let’s make it a starting point, as this is the key ingredient that determines the outcome of the entire lengthy and complicated process. While your friend may give you a haircut, or you can have good results with coloring your hair at home, perming is an equation with too many variables for a non-expert to figure out in advance.
Depending on the type, condition and length of your hair, you can easily run into a situation when the contents of one pack or bottle are not enough. You really don’t want this to happen, unless you can just reach for another bottle or a bigger container on the shelf – which is highly unlikely if you are perming your hair at home.
Adding a volume to your hair is not as easy as just putting some curlers into it. Being able to properly lift sections of hair while wrapping them around the curlers in the right way is an important skill learned through practice. It sets the professional apart from non-professionals and can make all the difference. When it is not done correctly, it can result in hair damage and some loose curls alongside tight ones, or you may get lots of curls framing your face but no root volume – which will probably not look as beautiful as you had expected it to.
Read also – 10 Amazing Medium Length Hairstyles
2. Hair condition
You have probably seen gorgeous permed hair, as well as examples of frizzy-looking hair ruined by perming or some other attempts to make it more beautiful. So depending on your hair condition, the right kind of perm can end your bad hair days, while a different one can make matters worse as dry and damaged lengths may weaken and break even further after a perm.
Choosing the right type of perm and hair care products to use following the perm is important, and this is another reason to have a professional take care of the transformation of your hair from drab to fab.
If you consult an expert, you will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of options you have. There are keratin-based products for perming that contain no aggressive substances and can be used if you have colored or damaged hair, and there are different kinds of curls or waves that can be created with perms.
3. Size matters
Since different curlers, ranging from small to large, can be used, the type of curl produced significantly depends on their size. Smaller ones will give you smaller, tighter curls that will have more of a spiral look. Medium to large curlers produce a looser effect and softer curls, similar to those that can be created using a large curling iron.
Unlike our grandmothers and the pop stars of the past decades, we can enjoy full-bodied hairstyles without having to deal with a mass of frizz or unruly curls. If you have never been a fan of curls, there is another recent innovation in the world of perms that you might appreciate: no-curl perming techniques.
4. Volume without curls? Possible!
That’s the question many of us have always wanted to ask about perms: ‘Can I just have the extra volume without the curls?’ Now we have the answer we have dreamt of hearing: ‘It is possible.’ This technique involves backcombing sections of hair near the roots before putting velcro rollers under them, with no winding the entire length of hair around the rollers. This type of no-curl perm allows creating a full-bodied look while keeping your hair straight, if you prefer this kind of hairstyle, and getting an absolutely naturally looking root volume without curl.
5. Perm maintenance
We may remember that Legally Blonde movie quote about the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance – no getting your hair wet for at least 24 hours after getting a perm, or your curls will be ruined. However, hair stylists claim that some women still do this (mostly when they find the results of a perm looking too dramatic) and that it is actually about 48 hours after a perm when the hair is extremely vulnerable to damage, shampooing, extensive blow-drying or brushing.
There is no need to head towards the shower if you are not happy with what you see instantly after getting a perm. First, you probably need some time to get used to your new look before you can adequately decide if you are comfortable with it. Second, the effect of a perm will not disappear entirely – the curls will just become uneven and much looser.
Third, the instant results will gradually change over time, as the curl softens and appears looser. Last but not least, how defined your curls look is mostly determined by the styling methods and products you use – there is a choice of different ones, whether you want to emphasize your curls or achieve quite the opposite. If you blow-dry your hair using a large round brush or large rollers, there will not be much of a curl visible, but the added volume will last much longer as compared to hair that has not been permed.
Read also – 10 Awesome Hairstyles for Long Hair
Modern perms have something for everyone, whether you appreciate curls or not. However, if you are happy with curls, getting a perm is an easy way to reduce time needed for hair styling. You can avoid blow-drying or reduce it to a minimum, and you will need to wash your hair less often.
Your hair will certainly benefit from less heating appliances used, which is also energy-saving, in addition to being time-saving. If you wish to skip the curls but keep the volume, this will demand more styling efforts – but it is totally worth them.