Considering a Digital Perm...Opinions?

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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.


I actually left out the part where the first time I tried to get a digi perm, the machine's fuse BLEW out 2 minutes into the procedure. Needless to say, the curl did not take and the chemicals changed my hair texture. It was like your hair but not as wavy. After two weeks of maintenance I took a leap of faith and went back (the guy is the only one in town who offers digi perm). The 2nd time worked and my hair was no more damaged than after the first attempt. It worked out for me, but not without some hardcore products.

Still, its best to get a consultation with a stylist so they can see your actual hair. Your hair type and condition will determine whether it'd work or not. Because you have a previous perm, you definitely *will* have some degree of damage. It just depends how much damage and how much maintenance you're willing to live with.
 
I feel that my perm might not have been enough because when I wash and twirl (and use product) it seems to fall out significantly by the end of the day. Hence the blow dryer/diffuser question....I was wondering if a diffuser would help the style hold for longer.

The product I use is the one the stylist recommended: L'Oreal Texture Expert Spiral Extreme creme; I put this on and twist and air-dry

Usually, I'll follow up with the OP's really helpful suggestion: Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Beach Waves; I'll use this to revive 2nd day hair, as well.

Anyway, I took some pics to send to the stylist. I asked her if I needed to have the perm redone but she said I just needed to come back in for styling tips.

I'll post the pics here; let me know if any of you experience this type of "fall-out":

This at the beginning of the day, after wash, product+twirl, air dry:
IMG_0280.jpg


Same day, 8-10 hours later:
IMG_0282.jpg


2nd day hair, nothing added or done (Like I said above, I'll usually try to scrunch and revive with product, but this time I wanted to see how badly it would fall-out):
IMG_0284.jpg
 
hey chipper, just got your pm!

my curls don't look anywhere near as loose as yours after air drying. i'm pretty sure my stylist probably used smaller rollers in my hair to produce more of a curl and if you want more of a curl, you may want to get the perm redone. i'm not sure if this will completely kill your hair or if maybe your hair is really resilient to the perm solution so consult the stylist first if that's what you're considering. your perm looks really beautiful at the beginning of the day but i see what you mean by "fall out." i can't be of much help, though, because i definitely don't have that happening to me. =/
 
I feel that my perm might not have been enough because when I wash and twirl (and use product) it seems to fall out significantly by the end of the day. Hence the blow dryer/diffuser question....I was wondering if a diffuser would help the style hold for longer.

The product I use is the one the stylist recommended: L'Oreal Texture Expert Spiral Extreme creme; I put this on and twist and air-dry

Usually, I'll follow up with the OP's really helpful suggestion: Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Beach Waves; I'll use this to revive 2nd day hair, as well.

Anyway, I took some pics to send to the stylist. I asked her if I needed to have the perm redone but she said I just needed to come back in for styling tips.

I'll post the pics here; let me know if any of you experience this type of "fall-out":

This at the beginning of the day, after wash, product+twirl, air dry:
IMG_0280.jpg


Same day, 8-10 hours later:
IMG_0282.jpg


2nd day hair, nothing added or done (Like I said above, I'll usually try to scrunch and revive with product, but this time I wanted to see how badly it would fall-out):
IMG_0284.jpg


hmm.. the curls don't look "tight" enough even from the start. I would defiately ask for it to be redone. However, if your hair was ever bleached (i cant tell..) the perm will definately not work. In the past I had it done with bleached hair (but dyed black), and the stylist warned me that if the hair was too damaged the curls wouldn't come out. Then later, I had it done one "virgin" hair and it came out perfect.
 
Thanks, Lesparkley and Fashionista for replying.

Sigh, I have to say, I was so excited to get this done. Also, my hair was pretty much virgin hair. I'd only ever had it highlighted but that was as long as two years ago.

I guess you have to take into effect that not only is everyone's hair different, but salons and technique can be different. I know the salon is still kind of new at doing this but the stylist had shown me pictures of other digi perms she had and based on that, I felt comfortable with proceeding.

Additionally, this salon is the only one in San Diego I found to offer the digital perm (Travis Parker in La Jolla) and it was quite expensive compared to the prices I have seen mentioned in this thread.

Because of the process itself, it probably won't be healthy to have it redone so soon, I guess the very least I could do is just go in for the "styling tips" they stylist offered after I emailed her these pics.

I'll keep you guys updated but for right now I am feeling pretty disappointed.:shucks:
 
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Thanks, Lesparkley and Fashionista for replying.

Sigh, I have to say, I was so excited to get this done. Also, my hair was pretty much virgin hair. I'd only ever had it highlighted but that was as long as two years ago.

I guess you have to take into effect that not only is everyone's hair different, but salons and technique can be different. I know the salon is still kind of new at doing this but the stylist had shown me pictures of other digi perms she had and based on that, I felt comfortable with proceeding.

Additionally, this salon is the only one in San Diego I found to offer the digital perm (Travis Parker in La Jolla) and it was quite expensive compared to the prices I have seen mentioned in this thread.

Because of the process itself, it probably won't be healthy to have it redone so soon, I guess the very least I could do is just go in for the "styling tips" they stylist offered after I emailed her these pics.

I'll keep you guys updated but for right now I am feeling pretty disappointed.:shucks:

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you :sad:. The only thing that i would suggest is finding a really good hair care product to keep the curls lasting throughout the day. When i had my perm done, I got my products from (www.icreatemagic.com) and I would use "design curl glaze" by this brand: Selective. It kept the curls in great shape. I'm not sure if they have it anymore....

However... i have to say that your hair does have the "natural wave" look to it :tup:
 
^Awww, thank you. It is more of a natural, loose wave.

That's why I had the question of investing in a diffuser (on the previous page). I wonder if using a diffuser will also help hold the curl more.

And thanks for the website, they do still have the item, it is just out of stock. Will keep an eye out for it!
 
^ oh.. good, glad they're still carrying the brand =D

As for the diffuser... i don't think it'll help hold the curl more. I remember my stylist telling me to use the "cool" temp. from the blow dryer and to not overdo on the blowdrying (because that'll only cause the hair to frizz or lose the locks). She said that as long as the hair is not too damp, you can stop the drying and style as usual (with whatever product you decide to use).
 
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