[zumarrad]

As an ex hairdresser:

has anyone here gotten a loose wavy perm, and if so, were you happy with it? I'm shooting for body and *very* loose waves, not curls.

You say your hair is fine? You're going to have to have a tighter perm or you'll have nothing very quickly. It should drop and become softer, but you will not get big bouncy waves from a perm. You get that from a set, or tongs, or a combination of both.

- how often does it have to be redone?

Tricky. It depends really. You can't have it done too often or your hair will be a hideous mass of straw. Generally, the rule of thumb back in my day was perm again when the old perm has mostly grown out.

how much did it cost you? Are touch-ups cheaper

It's not a cheap process - comparable to a colour. Touch ups cheaper? Doubt it. With long hair I am guessing some hairdressers might choose to perm the roots of the top part of the hair only, as a "touch up".

what does it look like as it grows out?

Sometimes very bad, sometimes not so bad. If your perm goes well, and your hair is one-length or with very long layers, you'll have a flat top and full wavy ends that are not in the greatest of condition. The permed hair is likely to lighten as well and you may find you need to use semi-permanent colours to tone and add shine.

is there anything I should know / ask the stylist?

Get a decent consultation from a decent hairdresser who does decent work and won't lie to you. Tell him/her if you have colour in your hair, especially henna or anything that may be metallic.

is the damage comparable to coloring your hair?

Worse. This is of course why it gives you good texture, because your hair is rougher and drier due to being chemically damaged.

I have known people with long hair who had a spiral perm once every year or two, which worked well for them. I used to have one myself but I can't remember exactly how often it needed to be done. They should fill the pre-permed ends to protect them, but it can still be damaging. And I have a lot of hair that handles chemicals well, so...

Short answer? Don't do it!!! Unless you know someone with hair like yours who has had great results, and you can use the same hairdresser, just don't go there. A bad perm is something you're stuck with for months, if not years with long hair, and sometimes with the best will in the world, the perm just doesn't work out.

Hot tongs. Or a hair piece. Much less trouble.