Perm
This is how you can create the trendy curly look yourself!
© Tony Moguer / Adobe Stock
In the 90s, the perm was the trendy hairstyle – and now the curly style is really popular again! You can find out how you can make it yourself here.
In the 80s and 90s almost every woman had them: the perm. It was considered THE trendy hairstyle for two decades before the hype suddenly died down. In the 2000s, people often asked themselves with shame why they put a mop on their head. Now the perm is back and is celebrating its big comeback!
The perm: old trend rethought
But don’t worry: the hair trend is now more beautiful than ever. Because small ringlets are still a thing of the past. Instead, the perm now comes in large curls! And thanks to a perm, casual beach waves are no longer a problem – they make the beach look suitable for everyday use and not very time-consuming.
Who is a perm suitable for?
The good thing about the comeback: Basically, curls suit everyone – for any hair length! As already mentioned, the new trend consists less of small corkscrew curls and more of casual beach waves. What matters is the structure of your hair and what impression you want to make with the look: the smaller the curls, the livelier and looser the look. Cheeky corkscrew curls with lots of bounce are the best example of this. With large curls, however, the style becomes serious and elegant.
If you tend to have fine hair, it’s better to be careful with a perm, because the curls make the hair appear even thinner. Even if your hair is damaged and/or dry, you may want to avoid a perm. It’s best to first get advice from a hairdresser to see whether your hair type can tolerate the look well.
Is a perm harmful?
Like coloring and bleaching your hair, a perm is not a healthy beauty treatment. After all, it is a chemical process. In order for the hair structure to be changed by the cold wave rollers, it is opened using chemical ingredients. This strains the hair and can make it dull and dry – so proper hair care is essential.
Anyway: The products that professionals use are constantly being developed and are no longer as harmful to the hair as they once were.
Can I do a perm myself?
Once you have clarified whether your hair tolerates a perm well, you can now decide whether you would rather entrust it to a professional or whether you want to do it yourself. If you’re trying out a perm for the first time, it’s better to trust the hairdresser. With a little skill and if you generally have the confidence to do it, you can also do the trendy hairstyle yourself with the right helpers!
Make a perm yourself: You need these tools
There are special ones sets for permanent waves, which usually contain everything you need for the volume waves. These include these products:
You also need one fatty skin cream and a old towelwhich doesn’t matter if it gets stained by the perming liquid.
Danger: The size of the curlers you need depends on how you want the curls. The following applies: the larger the curlers, the softer the waves will be. Large and wide-shaped curlers are more likely to create delicate beach waves; for corkscrew curls you need so-called spiral curlers.
Step by step to a perm – this is how it works!
Do you have all the tools ready? Then here are our instructions for the perfect homemade perm:
- Wash your hair carefully and comb it through.
- Place an old towel over your shoulders to protect your clothing from the wave product.
- Now carefully apply some of the skin cream below your hairline. This way you protect your skin from the chemically aggressive permanent wave liquid.
- Now it’s time for the curlers: Start with the front strands that frame your face and roll them from the bottom up from the tips. Work very carefully here – if a wrap sits poorly, start the strand again from the beginning. After all, a perm – as the name suggests – is about giving your hair a permanent shape! If you need help, it may make sense to get a friend to help you with this step.
- To ensure careful fixation, use an elastic band for each curler.
- Continue in the same way with the top hair, working from front to back.
- Now apply the wave product – make sure to cover the entire hair!
- The exposure time should definitely correspond to the information on the packaging! It’s best to set an alarm to reduce the risk of damaging your hair.
- Once the exposure time is over, rinse off the perm liquid carefully.
- Now it’s the turn of the fixing lotion: Apply this carefully and follow the instructions on the package leaflet – leave about a third of the product in the bottle.
- Again, set a timer for the lotion to take effect. Once it’s over, remove the winders.
- Now apply the remaining fixing lotion to the hair and rinse it off thoroughly with clean water immediately afterwards.
- Now you use the conditioner. This not only ensures that the finished curls shine beautifully, it also smoothes the hair structure and prevents it from becoming rough and brittle. Complete!
Danger: You should not wash your hair for the first three days after use to protect the hair structure and avoid hair breakage.
Proper care of a perm
To ensure that permed hair does not look brittle and can recover optimally from chemical treatment, proper care of the waves is very important. These include the following Helper:
Here we show you how you can do your own hair treatment.
By the way: A perm lasts between six and eight weeks. To extend its durability, you can of course freshen it up every now and then at home with the right styling tools such as a curling iron, diffuser or a classic curler. Cold wave rollers, as permanent wave rollers are also called, are available from many different beauty brands. Here we give you tips on how you can preserve your curls.
Volume wave: The little sister of the perm
Are you just not sure whether you like curls in the long term? Alternatively, you can perhaps have a professional do a so-called volume wave first. Extra large hair curlers are used. With a so-called reducing agent, the sulfur bridges in the hair are opened, which enables a structural change. An oxidizing agent then ensures that the curls stay in their new shape.