Thread: WTF have I done!?

So, in a fit of I don't know what I got a perm. It was not a well thought out thing, just something my friend and I decided that I needed at midnight and the next thing I knew I was in a salon getting a perm. I am not thrilled with it. I guess that my vision of what a body wave would like and what one is, is two totally different things.

My question. What do you curly ladies put on your hair. My hair is really fine and thin so most products just leave it looking dirty or crusty. What shampoo do you perfer? Styling products?

I can't believe I did this to myself......but now I have to move on and figure out how to live with it until it dies..HELP!

Welcome to what the hell was I thinking zone!!!

If you have the funds you could get a product by Aveda called "Be Curly". It is a hair lotion you apply when your hair is damp. I loved it, but now I have NO curl or wave left.

I have really fine hair and I have not gotten a perm in over 10 years ( probably closer to 15 ). I was advised to never get them again because of my crappy hair. I feel for you. I remember getting the perm, hair would look great for about 3 weeks, then it collapsed under its own weight. I know its too late to do anything about it now. If you're looking for something to help the health of your hair, I like the Phillip B oil treatment. It is great for damaged hair and it smells super.

This is going to sound nuts, but speaking as a fine-haired girl who's had some BAD perms.... mayonnaise is the best way to soften it up.

Wet your hair, slather it with mayo (real mayo, not Miracle Whip, and let it warm up a little first). Wrap your head in Saran wrap and go about your business for a while (maybe 20 minutes).

Rinse and then shampoo. (rinsing alone isn't enough). You might smell like a sandwich for a few hours.

It won't put your hair back like it was, but it SURE helps a LOT!!

I do that myself every 20 years or so. I am due again when I am 70...maybe this time I will remember how much it SUCKS! I got mine straightened...the same process that curls it will straighten it..if you really cant stand it. It is no worse than getting another perm when this one goes limp on you. I have another 3 inches of that straw left at the ends of my hair that needs to come off.

Oh nooo! I'm so sorry you don't like your perm. I have curly naturally curly hair, but I once got a perm anyway, thinking it would give me more defined curls . . . it only gave me more frizz.

I have a strict regime with my curly hair that took years to tailor. I've found that it's not so much what products you use as how you use them. If you try all or a combination of these, it should help. :)

(1) Only shampoo the scalp, but condition both (shampooing dries-out the hair, causing frizz)
(2) Wring your hair to get the water out, then flip your head over and towl-dry by scrunching. Never brush!!
(3) Product: I start with a drop of leave-in conditioner, but this may be too much for your fine hair, so you could skip this. I use wella hypercurl that I buy at vidal sassoon (around $20). It's great because it doesn't give you that "crunch" that gel/mousse usually gives you.
(4) To apply the gel, spread it out over both palms, then lightly coat the entire top surface of hair. Flip your head over and scrunch to distribute gel to the rest.
(5) Air dry or use a diffuser.

Best of luck!

One question... what salon is open at midnight?..l;,

Originally Posted by Linnyg

My question. What do you curly ladies put on your hair. My hair is really fine and thin so most products just leave it looking dirty or crusty. What shampoo do you perfer? Styling products?

I can't believe I did this to myself......but now I have to move on and figure out how to live with it until it dies..HELP!

Hi Linnyg,

In terms of products, the Noodle Head products sold at Sally's are awesome and won't break the bank. My hair is very fine too and I never had any trouble with that line. Actually, my perm is all gone now and I still use those products bc I like them so much. *s*

In terms of care and styling methods this might be helpful: How to Follow the Curly Girl Method for Curly Hair - wikiHow

Hang in there. Curly hair takes a while to get used to, but once the poof of the fresh perm dies down and you get used to see yourself with it, I think you'll love being able to roll out of bed and go (esp. when using the plopping method described in the link, that makes for awesome curls).

HTH,

Kem.

I believe much like mayonaise, hot oil treatments will make a perm fall out faster. At least, back when I permed in the 80's and 90's, my hairdresser told me avoiding them would make the perm last longer.

when i had my perm, i loved this stuff

UMBERTO GIANNINI

in the uk, boots has it.

I like the idea of the plopping method. I will try this. I HAVE to wash my hair tho, I am a head sweater and my hair gets super nasty pretty quick. I only wash my hair every other day tho.

Originally Posted by jasani

One question... what salon is open at midnight?..l;,

I didn't GO at midnight, just made the decision after a super long day at midnight. I didn't get it done until Saturday AM. The friend that talked me into it is really good at getting me to do things with out much thought. I can say things like "I am thinking about getting a tattoo" and the next thing I know, I am getting one (That is how I ended up with my last one). I am a real thinker and planner so I don't do things on the fly much. She on the other hand just does stuff with out much planning or thinking. She is good for me cause she makes me a littler more spontanious but there are times I end up like this.

I guess that I should say that it really is a good perm. People have told me they like it, I am just really freaked out about what I did and the fact that it didn't come out as I THOUGHT it would. I guess I really should have talked more with the stylist first. But then again, I probably should have given it a think over for a day or two before doing it!

Linny, I had no idea that your hair was fine. It looked totally thick to me! The advice above is very good. :0)

Originally Posted by Linnyg

So, in a fit of I don't know what I got a perm. It was not a well thought out thing, just something my friend and I decided that I needed at midnight and the next thing I knew I was in a salon getting a perm. I am not thrilled with it. I guess that my vision of what a body wave would like and what one is, is two totally different things.

My question. What do you curly ladies put on your hair. My hair is really fine and thin so most products just leave it looking dirty or crusty. What shampoo do you perfer? Styling products?

I can't believe I did this to myself......but now I have to move on and figure out how to live with it until it dies..HELP!

Not saying that this will happen to you, but my hair is thick but super fine. When I got a perm, I had to straighten my hair every day because by the end of the day, I had a rats nest on my head. It just tangled like crazy. And most products just made it worse. Hopefully, that won't happen to you. Just thought I'd warn you so you don't freak out if it does happen. ..g.:

Originally Posted by Rya_of_Indiana

Not saying that this will happen to you, but my hair is thick but super fine. When I got a perm, I had to straighten my hair every day because by the end of the day, I had a rats nest on my head. It just tangled like crazy. And most products just made it worse. Hopefully, that won't happen to you. Just thought I'd warn you so you don't freak out if it does happen. ..g.:

That happened pre-perm!..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,One gust of wind and it looked like I didn't bother to brush my hair that day.

I have fine,surly and wavy hair. Do not ov over product your hair it will weight it down. I use pantene shampoos and they work for me. Noodle heads i second that. I am giving my hair a rest for a few months from highlighting and semi perm color.I am currently using redeken extreme line to correct damage to my hair.


Alrana

Originally Posted by Linnyg

So, in a fit of I don't know what I got a perm. It was not a well thought out thing, just something my friend and I decided that I needed at midnight and the next thing I knew I was in a salon getting a perm. I am not thrilled with it. I guess that my vision of what a body wave would like and what one is, is two totally different things.

My question. What do you curly ladies put on your hair. My hair is really fine and thin so most products just leave it looking dirty or crusty. What shampoo do you perfer? Styling products?

I can't believe I did this to myself......but now I have to move on and figure out how to live with it until it dies..HELP!

I did this once. My head looked like a bowl of noodles when wet, and an explosion in a mattress factory when dry. Poodlerama. I hated myself for the 2 years it took to grow out. And I never had a perm again.

OK, I don't know how long your hair is or how it's cut, both of which have an effect, but:

1) The perm will drop, possibly considerably on fine hair. It is probable the hairdresser used a smaller rod precisely because s/he knew this was likely.

2) Although your hair is now structurally damaged (that's how they put the curl in) and is more fragile than it once was, it should now be much more receptive to being set on rollers. If you set the hair when wet on a large roller, you will get the loose curls you like and they will probably hold better than when your hair was natural. Even if they don't, you can do this.

Youtube has lots of videos on styling and looking after hair - just search 'permed hair' or similar. I find these videos really good for learning how to do 'styles'.

And if it helps, remember that most of us who lived through the 80's have survived at least one poodle perm, with no long-term ill effects (either on hair or psyche)!!!

(I had a perm and a cropped, unlayered bob which stood out of my hair in a triangle shape. I looked like a curly palm tree!)

Try a reverse perm. Not right away - wait a week. Just get a regular over the counter perm and comb straight through instead of using curlers. I did this years ago and it worked. Anyone else try this?

Originally Posted by Linnyg

So, in a fit of I don't know what I got a perm. It was not a well thought out thing, just something my friend and I decided that I needed at midnight and the next thing I knew I was in a salon getting a perm. I am not thrilled with it. I guess that my vision of what a body wave would like and what one is, is two totally different things.

My question. What do you curly ladies put on your hair. My hair is really fine and thin so most products just leave it looking dirty or crusty. What shampoo do you perfer? Styling products?

I can't believe I did this to myself......but now I have to move on and figure out how to live with it until it dies..HELP!

First try not shampooing it. Just work conditioner into it every couple days and rinse. Rinse it everyday (curls have to be refreshed everyday although you might be able to use just a spray bottle, I have to shower or toss my hair into the sink) Only use clear gel ( I like the Garnier curl gel its purple with a green cap). That works great. Also try clipping it up at the roots while it is wet (no blow dryers unless you want frizz) if it looks good wet, it'll look good dry:) Scrunch dry with a towel and allow plenty of air dry time. If you have to use a blow dryer get a diffuser.
Hope that helps..g.:

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

(I had a perm and a cropped, unlayered bob which stood out of my hair in a triangle shape. I looked like a curly palm tree!)

I think most of the girls I went to junior high with had that at some point--anywhere from ear length to shoulder length ...l;,..l;,..l;, Did you also have the "floret" of bangs in the front? I myself went for the "Farah Fawcet and a Greek poodle had a scary baby" look--longer, more layered, but the overall shape was pretty much a giant curly rectangle. ..g.: Sexxxxxehh!



Oh, Linnyg--I'm sorry. I think you're getting some really gread advice here, though. And who knows--maybe once you get accustomed to it/it has a chance to relax, you'll actually like it a lot better. Just remember, assuming you decide not to perm again, as it starts to grow out a bit (so the roots are no longer curly but the ends still have the perm) it'll start to flatten out from the top down. If you start doing things like using a flat iron etc., be sure to take care of the previously permed hair as it grows out. Condition well, treat it gently, get regular trims (permed hair gets split ends more easily...plus you'd be trimming off the permed stuff and as it grows out more, there'll be more and more healthy "virgin" growth. to focus on.:-)

If you want to try to make it work . . .
[PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS TO FOLLOW] -

If you went through the trouble and expense of getting a perm, there is probably something about that type of wave that you want right now - perhaps you can make it work . . .

. . . I recently got a perm also - at a good salon - hoping to achieve the "Dyan Cannon" effect. I am, though, NOT happy with how my hair looks with the perm and no other "fussing," even using the best salon product recommended to me. Too flat on top, too small a curl (though not horribly small), and too frizzy.

What I use to make my hair presentable:

PRODUCT - NEXXUS - The king of perm hair products in the 70's and 80's (in my neck of the woods at least). So after trying the best current products (some made for curls, but none, of course, for the dreaded, passe "perm"), I found something very good and pretty inexpensive - NEXXUS ALLURING CURLS. It is a leave-in gel (but not very drying)-type with a pump, I first found it at Walmart (just looking for anything Nexxus), lol, but now I order it at drugstore.com (currently $13.99 for 3.2oz bottle, and works better to define my perm's curls than any costly salon product I tried). [This tool is fun for a head of waves on non-permed hair, but you can only wave a small strand at once, takes a long time.]

3 BARREL CURLING IRON (or 3 barrel waver) - You can find these at some beauty supply or drugstores, but if you want to save legwork, Amazon.com stocks them anywhere between $12.99-$30. (I left out the hyphen 'cause it impedes searching). I have the Vidal Sassoon model, but hoping to find something ceramic to prevent damage, like you can get from any heat-styling tool. If you don't know what it looks like (kinda like 3 curling irons stuck together with one handle), look it up on Amazon and you can see pictures.

If you are not ready to give up the look and fullness that you were HOPING for with the perm, and want to try to make it work, try using the 3-barrel curling iron to get volume and have nice-sized waves closer to the scalp, as well as in various spots here where the perm curls are too tight or where you'd like more definition or volume. You can also plug a regular curling iron on at the same time and make a few soft curls around your face or to spruce up the ends. [I know this sounds like a lot, but because you have a perm, it lasts for a long time, really doesn't take that long.] Plus, if you keep the perm and if you want a straight look sometimes or even most of the time, your hair will look fuller after round-brushing or flat-ironing because you have the underlying perm.

If you would like to see a picture of the results I'm able to get with my hair, pls. send me a PM and I'll send you one - not posting it here just in case popular opinion is thumbs-down (LOL - my skin may be too thin for that). I do have to work with it, but actually get lots of (hopefully sincere!) compliments on it.

-Devora

Reverse Perm - per Reinaa's post and question on whether anyone else has done it. Yep, I have done it in the past and found that it DID work for me also to take out the perm. Cheaper than going to a salon and effective. My hair didn't go back to its totally "virgin" state (the curl came out, but it remained just a tad more coarse after the reverse perm than before the original perm), but I suspect that would be true even if you had a pro do it. I don't know what damage it may do, depending on the formula, to do this so close to the first perm, but as for me, when I did it, it was right after and my hair was ok.

Bottom line, results for home-done reverse perm were much better than living with an embarrassing, "poodle-head" perm. Instant relief. But I would assume pros do this also upon request for better results, there must be some beauty experts on Bhuz who would know - obviously using a pro would be safest.

-Devora

I recommend Suave Professionals Damange Care. Both the shampoo and conditioner work really well or if you have a bit more money I heard Redken is great although I have not used it. This is if you try the reverse perm. If you do keep the curls I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SCURLS.

It's pricey, but Bumble & Bumble's "curl conscious" line is great for curly or permed hair.

i did that in nov then cut about 5 inches off last month it is dying down cause i choped it off and layered it. the flat iron works to make it strait !

I don't know what damage it may do, depending on the formula, to do this so close to the first perm, but as for me, when I did it, it was right after and my hair was ok.

Bottom line, results for home-done reverse perm were much better than living with an embarrassing, "poodle-head" perm. Instant relief. But I would assume pros do this also upon request for better results, there must be some beauty experts on Bhuz who would know - obviously using a pro would be safest.

I would recommend going to a professional, preferably one who's worked for quite a few years, like, through the last perm era.

It will damage your hair. All chemical processes damage your hair because they change its structure. If you want to do this you MUST wait a week as your hair is quite fragile in the first few days after processing. You *may* find that the perm has dropped enough by then that you don't want to.

It will probably lighten it too.

So, I have played with it and I think that I will keep it. At the very least, my hair will at least attempt to hold a heat styled curl now when it would not before. I guess I just paniced. I usually have buyers remorse.

Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions! I just thank the good lord that it is nothing compared to my 80's sprial perm!