Thinking about changing up your hairstyle? Perms might feel like the perfect solution! They’re versatile, long-lasting, and can completely transform your look. But before you take the plunge, it’s essential to understand what perms are and what they can do for your hair. It’s also best to start with a thorough consultation to ensure the best possible results. At Wicked Hues Hair Salon, we usually recommend starting with one of our haircut services, as most of our clients have curls hiding under frizz but were never taught how to properly take care of them.

What is a Perm?

A perm, short for “permanent wave,” is a chemical treatment that typically adds curls or waves to your hair. The process involves using chemicals to break down every disulfide bond in your hair to reform them into a permanent new shape. Whether you’re looking for tight curls or loose waves, just body, or even dreadlocks, a perm could be the solution to help you achieve your desired look.

Types of Perms

Perms are incredibly versatile and can be customized to achieve a wide range of textures. At Wicked Hues Hair Salon, we offer various perm techniques to suit your needs:

• Root Perms: Designed to add lift at the root, or maintain a previously achieved result (typically within 3 months of the last service).
• Partial Perms: Expertly customized to help some section of hair match a different section natural curl pattern.
• Body Waves: Designed to add body and movement to straight or fine hair, creating soft, loose waves.
• Beach Wave Perms: Adjust straighter hair to achieve a beachy wavy look
• Curl Perms: Create ringlets of various sizes
• Coil Perms: Formerly known as “Jheri curls”, as invented by the hairdresser Jheri Redding, these give you tight coils, even though they were originally used to loosen the tightest coils.
• Dread Perms: For those looking to transform hair into dreadlocks.

The only service Wicked Hues does not provide is:

• Relaxers: Straightening and smoothing curls into wavier or straighter hair.

Ultimately, perms are fully customizable to achieve any variety of texture. Whether you want to just add some body to straight hair, permanently create the perfect curtain bang in otherwise straight hair, enhance your natural curls, or create a completely new texture, we can tailor the perm to your specific needs. Hence some of the need for a consultation, first.

Trusting Your Stylist

The difference between traditional cold perms (typically ammonium thioglycolate like mentioned in Legally Blonde) and hot perms (including the “Digital Perm” offered only in Korea), or relaxers (either ammonium thioglycolate or formaldehyde) is something your stylist should be trusted to choose for you. This decision is similar to how “balayage” is a technique rather than a result and can be used to create anything from traditional highlights to a sun-kissed ombre effect. Clients should find a professional they trust to choose the method that is right for the result they’re looking for. As experts in hair, our stylists at Wicked Hues Hair Salon have several options for achieving the best of the results you’re looking for with the least possible damage.

We get why people might not yet trust a stylist, however, perms can be some of the harshest chemicals known to hair science, especially relaxers. Hence why we recommend booking a Consultation to start with at the very least, but a haircut service for the absolute best results.

Innovative Technology

At Wicked Hues, we use new and innovative perm solutions that achieve all kinds of desired results without nearly as strong of chemicals, like the previously mentioned ammonium thioglycolate, thus minimizing the amount of damage even further. Our advanced techniques and products ensure that your hair remains healthy and vibrant while enjoying your new style.

As there are several options of chemicals to chose from, and not all of them play well together, if you’ve previously had a perm done elsewhere, we recommend allowing us to do a test strand first with our solution to prepare for any adverse effects accordingly. While we’d love to give you the texture that you’re looking for, we’d hate to have to give you a clippercut you weren’t looking for, nor charge hundreds more than we usually charge for clipper cuts.

Timing Between Perm and Color Services

It’s important to note that perming and coloring your hair cannot happen on the same day. These treatments should typically be done about four weeks apart to minimize damage and ensure the best results. You should decide which service to start with based on your priorities and hair goals. Our stylists can help you create a plan that works best for your hair’s health and your desired outcome.

The Importance of a Good Haircut

We often suggest starting with a haircut, as many clients already have the texture they’re looking for but have never been taught how to properly care for it. At Wicked Hues Hair Salon, all our services come with an educational styling session. This helps you understand how to maintain and enhance your natural hair texture, potentially eliminating the need for a perm and allowing you to achieve your dream hair even sooner!

Much like the client pictured in this instagram post!

Common Questions and Answers

How long does a perm last? While perms are in fact, permanent. They do require maintenance to stay looking their best as they cannot change your DNA and your hair will continue to grow as whatever your natural texture is.

We usually recommend a typical salon maintenance schedule between 3 to 6 months, depending on your hair type, desired texture, and how well you care for it.

Is a perm damaging to my hair? While the chemicals used can cause some damage in the wrong hands, proper selection of the right chemical formula as well as the professional application of can minimize this as well as the right choice of aftercare which can mend some of it. We usually find that with our chosen solutions, it is far more likely that the damage comes from a reaction to something previously used on your hair, like certain lighteners, home dye options, or DIY kitchen conditioners. This is why it’s important to not only be upfront and honest about your entire chemical history (often going back 5 years), but also that your stylist sees your hair in person to best assess it’s elasticity and porosity to assess if your hair can achieve your desired texture safely, and how best to achieve your desired result.

Always consult with a professional to ensure your hair is healthy enough for a perm based on your chemical history and home care history.

Can all hair types be permed? All hair types can be permed with the right selection of chemical solution, if it’s healthy enough, but it’s best to consult with a stylist to determine if your hair is suitable for the process.

How much do perms cost? There are so many factors that go into perm pricing that will make it different everywhere you go. We take into account length of hair, texture of hair (fine to coarse), current curl pattern (straight to coily), chemical history (previous color, as well as other hair care products that can alter the ph of your hair), and what kind of curl you’re aiming for, as well as any other specifics about what you’re looking for that make perms highly customizable. Our current pricing can be found on our hairlock’s service menu under “Customized Services”.

Myths vs. Reality

Myth: Perms will make your hair look unnatural. Reality: With modern techniques, perms can look very natural and blend seamlessly with your hair.

Myth: Perms are only for people with straight hair. Reality: People with all hair types, including curly or wavy hair, can benefit from perms to enhance or reshape their curls or create any desired texture.

Myth: Perms are for curls and coils, and not for waves. Reality: Perms have the ability to create any texture out of any other texture. We can create volume at the root, body and bounce, waves, beachy waves, ringlets of various sizes, coils of various tightness, and even dreadlocks. However, the kind of chemicals needed to relax hair are different than the chemicals needed to make hair curlier. Wicked Hues Hair Salon focuses on making hair curlier.

Myth: Perms make hair more manageable. Reality: Hair is only unmanageable when you haven’t been taught how to care for it properly. A perm will not solve this for you. If you’re struggling with frizz, without learning how to care for it, a perm will only give you more frizz. It’s one of the main reasons we highly recommend a haircut service before the perm so we can give you informed consent of what after care will look like for your perm, which often changes your entire routine, shampoo, conditioner, styling products and techniques. Sometimes, just showing our clients how to take care of their hair gives them the curl they wanted all along.

Myth: Perms will ruin your hair’s natural texture forever. Reality: While a perm changes your hair’s structure, they cannot change your DNA, thus the effects will grow out over time.

Natural Texture Care

It is our experience that most people asking for perms already have the texture they’re looking for, if not better, but they’ve never been taught how to properly care for their hair’s natural texture. Understanding and embracing your natural hair can often achieve the results you desire without chemical treatments.

We usually recommend starting with a haircut to potentially save you hundreds of dollars by finding the curls you already have. Call us insane, but we’d much rather be honest. Most of the inquiries we get about getting perms are from people who have curls they were never taught how to properly style.

Conclusion

Perms can be a fantastic way to change your hairstyle and add some flair to your look. By understanding the process, debunking common myths, and considering your natural texture, you can make an informed decision. Trusting your stylist to choose the best method ensures you get the results you want with the least damage. With our innovative perm solutions, you can achieve your desired look while keeping your hair healthy. If you’re ready to book a Consultation, or maybe even a Curl Discovery Haircut with us, we’d love to help you achieve your dream hair here, at Wicked Hues Hair Salon in Mid-City New Orleans!