sort of OT: has anyone had a digital perm? - YouLookFab Forum

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sort of OT: has anyone had a digital perm?

rae

(website)

Veteran

My hair does NOT curl. It just doesn't. Even when we HAD to curl our hair for cheer competitions, my mom had to empty an *entire* can of super-hold spray into it and let it set for an entire night... and the curls would still go limp pretty much immediately after we performed (our routines lasted about 3 minutes).

Anyway... with my wedding coming up, I was considering a digital perm, as it's supposed to, well, beat curl-resistant Asian-y hair into curly submission (but in a gentle, not-damaging-as-a-regular-perm kinda way). You're supposed to also be able to get looser, prettier curls with this method.
http://digitalperms.blogspot.com/

I love my straight hair, but bouncy curls look so pretty in photos - especially action shots or when blowing in the wind and stuff. Thoughts?

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from Steph

rosee

Veteran

Just to be a turkey, curls are nice but why not straight hair for the wedding? Beautiful straight hair (I have curly hair that often doesn't behave).
Perms can be tricky when growing out your hair, requiring more perms (sorta like coloring with grays).

EDIT: now that I've looked at the blog, that does look nice, different than I expected. Grow out doesn't seem to be an issue. Can't give you any info though.

celia

Veteran

I don't know what they are and I understand your love for curls (my hair is also annoyingly straight) but can I just say that your hair is beautiful...
(just wanted to share my love for your straight hair, sorry)

wilson

Your hair is so healthy looking and thick I could see this being so gorgeous on you! This is the first I've ever heard of it so I can't offer any additional thoughts other than it is fun to do something extra special for special days.

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

Normally I'd beg you not to perm before a wedding: too risky, and too 'not you.' A very personal preference here, but I like for women to look like themselves at their wedding. Uber beautiful versions of themselves, but still recognisable. But this digital perm thing - the photos really seem like loose waves, which would still look very much like YOU, and your long hair would really look gorgeous with that kind of wave. So now my only concern is that you've never done this before - so you don't know for sure how it will turn out. How long does it last - is this something you would have to the do hours before your wedding? Has anyone had a bad experience with it?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I would think about what could happen if it doesn't work out . . . can it be fixed? Will it fry your hair into breakage? It's just a bad time to take a risk . . . also I noticed many of the pics show layered hair. I don't think you have layers, do you? I just went and got some more layers cut in my own naturally wavy/curly hair yesterday to bring out the curl. Even my natural curl won't curl much if it's not layered . . .as evidenced in the 'dead hair' pic.

MsMary

Veteran

Wow, if it really turns out like that, it would be awesome! Unfortunately I am unemcumbered by any information about it whatsoever!

Heather

Veteran

Rae, may I borrow your gorgeous, stick straight dark hair (my dream hair) and you can borrow mine for your wedding? My hair is not naturally anything, but it will hold a curl for days and days and days. It is a set of hot rollers BFF.

The digital perm link was cool.....not sure I would pull the trigger on it though. Your hair is too gorgeous to chance.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Girl X - I agree that I want to look like myself. I thought it might be a good compromise between my everyday hair and something a little special. It lasts a few months, so I could do it in advance and straighten it on the day of if it doesn't work out.

Celia - thank you! I love and appreciate my hair, too.

Mo - I have some layering action on the sides, but not the rest of my hair. My hair is fairly thin, though, and I didn't want the curl too tight anyway. That's my *theory* at least...

Heather - a temporary hair swap would be pretty cool - why aren't there scientists working on this as we speak?? You make a good point about risking hair I already love for a result that is "special" but untried.

Kate

Veteran

Rae, from what I can find on wikipedia, digital perms work better on coarse hair than fine hair. So you still might not be the ideal candidate.

Thanks for introducing me to this, I didn't realize that traditional perms were cold, or that these new digital "hot" perms existed. Fascinating!

Anonymous

Rae, most girls I know are busy straightening their hair nowdays...

Dashrashi

Veteran

ooh, a blogger I read got one and HATED it:
http://www.littlegirlbigcloset.....-help.html
http://www.littlegirlbigcloset.....arrow.html

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Whatever this is, don't do it unless it is temporary! I am still growing out a disastrous hair straightening experiment from last summer. Mine was an "unperm," perm solution but they didn't put curlers in so that it would come out straight. The curls never came back. I was left with dead stick straight hair. Your shiny, pretty, silky hair will never go back to the same texture. You will have to wait years for it to all grow out. Just my two cents.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

If it is meant for course hair, it's not meant for you. Keep looking! How about a Helen of Troy curling iron? I love mine, it mimics my hair's natural curls very nicely. If you want waves, try a 1.5" barrel.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for all the opinions and additional research!

Dashrashi, those reviews were super helpful.

modgrl, the point about permanent texture change is really good, and you are so thoughtful to recommend an alternative. I will have to see if any friends have one of these so that I can test drive... as I said, my hair really resists curls, so I'm skeptical of pretty much everything.

I'll probably end up leaving the hair straight... maybe I'll think of some other special way of primping for the big day, lol.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Just saying, I LOVE your straight hair

Darla

(website)

I'm torn. I'm all about curls (ok fine, I have no choice AHAHAHAH) but if I am not crazy about the relaxed curl on the bottom of your hair look. I don't know why. A child of the 80s I guess.

I would go as simple as possible with your hair for your wedding. I know it sounds fun to glam it up and you can still do that with your natural style. I bet your hair stylist has tons of ideas to help you look like you only better. If that makes sense (cuz not that you don't look great but I get wanting to look extra great for your wedding).

Maya

Veteran

This is how my hair is naturally and while I'm happy with it, it is definitely very unpredictable. I'm not sure if the chemical version is more reliable, but it seems like an awfully big risk. You have healthy, pretty straight hair that is amenable to an infinite amount of great styles, so I am on Team Not-worth-it.

Steph

Veteran

I don't know anything about it, but my only piece of advice is to not go to the salon the woman in your link went to! She mentions that they did the digital perm on her wet hair (her friend went to a different salon and they did it on dry hair). Based on the description of the perm itself involving a lot of heat, it seems like it would be an invitation to completely fry and damage your hair. I have inadvertently used a flat iron on wet hair before, and you can hear the sizzle--not good at all. So I guess the one thing I would do would be to vet the salon in advance and make sure they do the process on dry hair; otherwise I would think you would run too high a risk for hair damage.