Considering a Digital Perm...Opinions?

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#151
This forum is so informative - I wish I had found it several days ago!

I just got my digital perm yesterday - 12 hours ago to be exact. I'm feeling a little nervous because it didn't turn out like I had hoped. :(

But I do realize the first two days may not be representative of the final results.

May4535, I'm also from the Bay Area, CA. :) I had read about Arty's on Yelp.com, but since I live an hour south from San Francisco, I found a closer salon to me called Salon Finesse.

For you experienced Ladies, let me ask you something. Is the digital perm process slightly different for someone who has so-called "virgin-hair?" When I went to the salon, the lady asked if I'd done any processing to my hair - dye, color, straight perm, etc. I told her I'd never ever done anything to my hair other than blowdry a few times a week.

Noticing that my hair is so flat and straight, she said that my "virgin-hair" must have a very straight, smooth, and undamaged cuticle. She would have to "loosen" my hair cuticle. She explained she would put perming solution in my hair for 5-10 minutes to test my hair, as well as to open the cuticle. I pretty much trusted her. In addition, she explained she would have to set my hair about 30 minutes longer than she typically does for hair similar to my length and texture.

In the end, i liked how it looked wet, but after it dried, it seemed to look poufier and curlier than I wanted. Does this sound normal to you? I can't sleep now because I'm a pretty worried... :/

So below is a picture of my hair before the perm, and the second picture shows the results I was hoping to achieve.....
I had shown the stylist the photo of the desired result, and she had assured me it would happen....

Any ideas???
 

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#152
^Hihi!

I think it will be achieved. The look immediately after the perm was not what I wanted. Now I can "manipulate" the curls I want. I usually air dry, but while it's wet, I apply a drying serum to my hair and then "shape" the curls while they are wet. They air dry just how I like it, natural looking curls that are relaxed and not over done.

For the look you want, you probably have to blow dry and shape the curls as you blow dry. I am no hair expert.. I'm the most low key person out there, but with practice and experimentation, you definitely can achieve that look :)
 
#154
oops. i just got your pm. sorry! but i'm glad the perm went well! the smell will go away after a couple washes so you have nothing to worry about! =]

and to the first poster on this page, the curls loosen up quite a bit after the first couple washes. see if you like it better then. you might need to scrunch and blow dry with a diffuser to get the results you wanted, though.

luvhautecouture said:
I love my results except my hair still stinks! Especially when it is wet after washing/sweating! I hope the smell goes away :(
Click to expand...
 
#158
I recently got one. Going to a Japanese salon had its pros and cons. Pros: they know how to do the digital perm. Cons: there is a major language barrier. Throughout the whole perm I kept showing my stylist pictures of perms I wanted- loose, beach wavey curls. I think I emphasized a little too much because after my first wash my curls are not as full and bouncy as I want them to be; they are really loose! (Guess I got what I asked for) I am just worried about how long it'll last, since the curls are so loose, I'm assuming they will relax/go back to normal straight hair faster.
 
#159
Do any of the ladies that have had the digi perm for a while have a favorite brand of diffuser/blow dryer?

I've had my perm for a month now and really need to invest in one! TIA
 
#160
don't remember the diffuser brand and to be honest, i don't use it much since i normally heat style with an iron (for me, i'd rather have the naturally tousled look that the digiperm gives or really big, bouncy, luscious curls that an iron can produce). the blowdryer i use is a solia but i really only blowdry the roots and my bangs. that's just my preference, though...

Chipper said:
Do any of the ladies that have had the digi perm for a while have a favorite brand of diffuser/blow dryer?

I've had my perm for a month now and really need to invest in one! TIA
Click to expand...
 
#161
^Same here. I sometimes even just twirl my hair while it's still wet and let it naturally air dry and I love the soft curls it produces. My blow dryer is the same one I've had since sophomore year of college, and it's a pink Japanese travel blow dryer at that :) Told you I was low maintenance haha.
 
#163
This whole thread has been extremely helpful when I decided to get a digital perm... so I'll chime in on my experience.

The bottom part of my hair isn't exactly the healthiest. It's been lightened to brown, dyed back to black and stripped with ColorOops. Immediately after I got my perm done, I pretty much regretted it. My hair was DRY, and the curls did not look good. I started deep conditioning it and it helped. What made the difference for me was using Joico K-Pak reconstructor followed with Terax Crema. No more tangles!

As for forming the curls, since the perm changed the texture of your hair, you can kind of help create the shape. This video was really helpful for me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvDc3nhzxCs
Notice the twirling action the stylists uses while blow drying.
 
#164
After looking at this thread and seeing the results i want to get a digital perm..i love the way it looks! The only thing is I got my hair permed for the first time month ago for a body wave....and went completely wrong. about 4 inches of the hair on the bottom is straight and doesnt even curl when wet.. 6-8 inches above that is wavy(that is without putting anything in). when i put some mousse/gel it will stay in for 2 hrs..then it starts to drop.. ..should i wait a little longer to get this kind of perm done? or will it damage my hair.
 
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