Digital Perm Pictures and Information

WHAT IS A DIGITAL PERM?

2010-04-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've heard it called an Ionic Perm, sometimes it's called a Spiral Perm, Japanese Perm, Korean Perm, or else a Hot Perm? It's the same process involving perming your hair with hot-rollers which are connected to a heating system. The hot-rollers are part of this giant machine that can intimidate many first time permers. It looks like something out of Star Trek. Because the rollers are hot they can't be brought too close to your scalp or it will get burned, but this also means that only the bottoms of your hair will be permed. So what, you ask? As those of you who curl your hair on a regular basis already know, when you only curl the ends of you hair your curls will be more soft and natural looking. Please check out this blog to find out much more about digital perms and whether you should get a digital perm. You can look through digital perm pictures to find some inspiration and courage to take the next step.

DIGITAL PERM PICTURES!

2010-04-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Aren't these girls the cutest ever?! I'm completely in love with the above digital perm pictures. It's that perfect wavy hair a girl could only dream about. Which one is your favorite digital perm picture?

READER'S EXPERIENCE

2010-04-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Janice of Couture & Crayons recently contacted me about her digital perm plunge. Have a look-see at her very informative account of the experience. Thank you Janice for sharing your story!

DIGITAL PERM PICTURES FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE!

2010-02-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

Are you guys starting to notice a pattern? It's the blunt bangs and digital permed hair look half of the girls in Japan/Korea seem to be sporting. It's very cute, and if you've been blessed with an oval/heart-shaped face, long forehead and thick hair, you'll look amazing in blunt bangs. For those of you with round/square faces (that's me!) blunt bangs are generally not a good idea. I was in denial about it for a while and refused to give up on bangs. So I basically condemned myself to two years of looking tragic.

SCARED OF THE HAIR DAMAGE BUT WANT WAVES ANYWAY?

2010-02-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

For a lot of people, getting any kind of perm is like getting a tattoo - they need at least half a year to think about it. Well, the good news is that unlike a tattoo, a digital perm is much less permanent, and though it may be emotionally painful for some, there is zero physical discomfort (unless you count how numb your butt is likely to get after being in the salon chair for two hours). Ok, but what about the damage to your hair, you ask yourself. I hear you. No straight, flat, limpy haired girl should be deprived of beautiful spiral curls. Some hair is so fine and fragile that it can't handle a digital perm, or even heat styling products. So this post is for all you girls who dream of beautiful, bouncy waves without the money, condition or courage to get a digital perm. Let me introduce you to the "bun sock". The bun sock hair curling technique is genius. It is comfortable to sleep in, non-damaging to your hair and looks absolutely gorgeous. What you will need are a pair of scissors, an old sock that you will have to roll into a doughnut shape. For short hair you need a small sock, for long hair you will need a longer sock. Watch these videos and marvel at the results (really sorry about any commercials you may have to put up with because of Youtube). Happy curling!

DIGITAL PERM STREET STYLE

2009-11-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some street style snaps of the digital perm. These are my favorite kind of digital perm pictures. Love how these girls look so casually put together. They look great, but not like they had to try very hard. The perfect combination of high and low maintenance.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

2009-10-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is a super informative video about how to style your perm. Products covered in this video include Tresemme Mousse and Sebastian Professional Sculpting Creme. Enjoy!

THE TIME TO DIGITAL PERM IS NOW

2009-10-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

You look at images like this and think “Straight hair isn’t so bad”. And I agree, on this model it’s beautiful. Looking at her, and those like her you put off getting your digital perm until you look in the mirror and realize that your hair doesn’t look like the one in the picture above. Not all straight hair is made equal. In fact, some straight hair might as well be curly. Now take a look at the image below. This, my dear readers, is reality. On her blog Kami from risawn.com shows us how she went from long to short because, lets face it, for many of us with fine straight hair, life can be far from stylish. This type of hair has a tendency to fall in an unflattering way with little hope for improvement. In all my years of experience I’ve come to realize that fine+straight long hair is about the most high-maintenance thing you can have on your head. The sheer effort required to give it volume and body will knock out years of life you could be spending learning an extinct language. So for those of you who recognize your hair in Kami's, stop wavering! The time to digital perm your way into a more stylish and lower maintenance hair style is one salon visit away.With a digital perm, depending on the size of the curling barrels you chose, your hair can be either curly, wavy, or simply full of body. Imagine waking up in the morning and achieving gorgeous Victoria's Secret waves with a simple twirl of you fingers. Yes, it's that easy.

GET OVER IT ALREADY!

2009-10-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

I understand that for women hair is often more than just hair. There's a certain emotional attachment that comes with the years of love and care we put into growing it, and making it look good. But c'mon! This is just gross.

WHERE TO GET YOUR DIGITAL PERM

2009-10-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

To get a digital perm you're best off going to a Korean or Japanese hair salon, since the technology originated in that part of the world, and given the sheer number of unhappy straight-fine-haired Asian ladies out there, East Asian hair stylists have by now perfected the digital perming technique to a fine art. North America/Europe has been slow to jump on the digital perm band wagon but its popularity is quickly spreading. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather trust someone who has been working with this new procedure for years as opposed to someone who has only just found their way around a heated roller. To find a salon near you, just type in "Korean Hair Salon" or "Japanese Hair Salon" and your city name into Google Maps and you're on your way.

WHEN NOT TO DIGITAL PERM

2009-10-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Have you always dreamed of having a mane of tight ringlets? Then it's time to get your facts straight. In the end, the perm solution/technique you should use depends on the look of the curls you desire as well as the condition of your hair. In some cases, it may be better to skip the digital perm and go old-school. An important ingredient in "cold perms" also known as Alkaline Perms, is an ammonia compound which has a relatively low PH balance that allows the solution to penetrate the hair very quickly. So, the great thing about cold perms is that they can form very defined tight curls very quickly and for a very long time (in fact, an Alkaline Perm will barely loose its initial shape until you chop it off). If the above images exemplify the look you are going for then a digital perm is likely not for you. Digital perms, and their other "hot perm" counterparts do not hold a strong curl. But be warned that warm (acid-balanced) perms are much more gentle on the hair, and if your tresses are already damaged then tight curls may not be in your immediate future, no matter how many wet dreams you have.

DIGITAL PERM: WHAT TO EXPECT

2009-10-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

One thing that always scares first-timers is how tight the curls are initially. When you decide to get your hair permed be prepared for this, and don't panic when you find that the curls don't look the way you expected right away. Within a very short time the curls loosen and, depending on the size of the barrel used to create your curls, you will have that much loved Victoria's Secret wavy hair men melt for. Don't be quick to judge. It is the nature of digital perms to loosen over time, from tight curl to tousled wave.

DIGITAL PERM STYLING TIPS

2009-10-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of: www.ukhairdressers.com

For those low-maintenance bunnies out there, here's the deal with styling your digital perm. After shampooing and conditioning, make sure to rub a leave in anti-frizz treatment into your damp hair. Then twirl your hair into two massive curls and allow them to air dry. Once they're dry, just gently separate your curls by combing them through with your fingers and spritz in an optional curl-spray, like Frederic Fekkai's Beach Waves. But let me stress, that last step is very very optional. Your hair will look amazing either way. One word of advice, avoid blow-drying your hair. Not only does it not work on digitally permed hair, there's little need to stress your already chemically stressed hair. Be gentle with it.

HOT PERM VS. COLD PERM

2009-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering, "well, what's the difference anyway?" The differences between the digital perm and the regular (cold) chemical perm is the chemical application process, and then the manner in which you achieve a curl when styling your hair. An essential step in the digital perm process is the heat application, that's why it is called a hot perm (while it's older, "normal" counterpart does not require heat application and the perm solution is applied cold directly to the hair). During the hot perm process, every curler in your hair is attached to a computer that can be programmed to heat up to very specific desired temperatures, giving the stylist a greater degree of control over the whole process. That way you can be sure to get the exact curl you want. After you're done, another big difference between the digital perm and the normal cold perm is the way your hair behaves as it dries. After a digital perm you will find that your hair takes on more and more curl as it dries, whereas with the traditional perm you'd have to apply some type of moisture in the form of gels or curling creams to achieve that curl. With a digital perm, the only styling you have to do is a bit of hair spray and a twirl of your finger and you're done! Having said that, I would like to emphasize that digital perms are inherently low maintenance so if you like to experiment with different hair styles, the digital perm may not be for you. Hot perms don't straighten very well with a blow dryer. Another set back of the digital perm is that, because heat is applied to the hair, the rollers cannot be kept too close to your scalp, which means that a digital perm won't add as much volume at the roots as a cold perm would.

DIGITAL PERMS AREN'T FOR EVERYONE

2009-10-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Be aware however, that some types of hair don’t take very well to the digital perm. Digital perms, or hot perms as they're sometimes called, can work quite well with coarse hair. However, the healthier and courser your hair is the less likely that the digital perm will stay in your hair for very long. I’ve heard clients with thick healthy hair complain that their perm “washed out” after one or two months. Coarse healthy hair that has not been treated with any chemicals before (virgin hair) may have to be processed for a bit longer in order to loosen the hair cuticle and ensure a proper curl. Fine and straight hair on the other hand tends to be very sensitive to any chemical process, and can get damaged if you aren't careful about who applies your perm. A skilled hair stylist will know the appropriate mixture of perm solution to use on your hair, how to apply it and how long. A digital perm can be beautiful as long as you can afford an experienced stylist.

DAMAGED COLOUR-TREATED HAIR

2009-10-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

PC: www.weheartit.com

If you have sensitive, chemically treated hair make sure to go in for a consultation with your stylist before you decide to take the perm-plunge. Women with fine coloured hair that has been frequently heat styled (blow-dry, straightening iron etc) will find that, in many cases, the hair is too fragile to take to full concentration of perm solution. But that is not to say that all is lost, and that the digital perm cannot be done. What the stylist will do is take a test sample of your hair and apply the perm solution to see how it will behave. If it receives a passing grade, then you can go ahead and, with the lowest concentration of chemicals, achieve the loose waves of your dreams. A digital perm is definitely not as harsh on your hair as the old-school perm your grandmother used to get.

STYLING REALLY COULDN'T BE EASIER

2009-09-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that I can't understand what the stylist in this video is saying, I can appreciate the ease with which he styles his model's hair. This is just to demonstrate how little truly goes into styling digitally permed hair. Blow-dry, twirl, enjoy.

SPIRAL WAVE PERM

2009-09-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

More spiral wave perm pictures for you viewing pleasure. Take a closer look at the above image. Can you understand why the digital perm is sometimes called a body perm? The girl above has barely any wave, but her hair has so much oomph otherwise. It has volume, shape and movement. Getting a digital perm doesn't have to be about tight ringlets - it can be about body!

DIGITAL PERM PICTURES

2009-09-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

I searched high and low to find you the best digital perm pictures on the internet. These pictures of digitally permed hair will show you the wide range of waves you can get. The light brown on the left is my favorite.

MIND THE BRUSH

2009-09-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Be mindful of the brush you use when you brush your digitally permed hair. Ideally the bristles would be made of an organic material, but if you have to go man-made, go for a mental over a plastic. The bristles should be flexible, have ball-tips and be spaced wide apart to prevent breakage. When you brush your perm always start by holding it in one hand as if you were going to make a pony-tail, and brushing out only the very ends of the hair first. Slowly work your way up to your scalp, removing any knots as you go. If you tend to start brushing your hair from the scalp down then your hair will likely have a lot of broken hair, and as a result tons of fly-aways. The best brushes to use are either paddle brushes (which should have a rubber center that holds the bristles), or else a wide-toothed comb, which is my personal favorite.

PICTURES OF SHORT DIGITAL PERM HAIRSTYLES

2009-09-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what it is, but there something so incredibly cute about a digital perm on short hair. The look is sweet, youthful and quirky. What do you think? Do you prefer the long or short perm?

OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PERMS

2009-09-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article that originally appeared in Urban, The Straits Times. If you are wondering about your options have a quick look at the below list and hopefully you can find something that is exactly what you are looking for.

CHOOSING A PERM

1 CLASSIC PERM 
The look: Depending on the size of the curlers (and your technician's expertise), this can be anything from soft, loose waves to tight, springy curls The technique: Hair is wrapped in cold paper - the term for the tear-resistant paper used - then wrapped around curlers. Curlers of a small diameter are used to create tighter, more defined curls while larger curlers create larger, looser waves Duration: Three hours Best suited for: All hair types Price range: From $80

2 CERAMIC PERM 
The look: Bouncy, well-defined curls  The technique: Hair is wrapped around ceramic curlers and heated. As ceramic is able to heat up to a higher temperature compared to the plastic curlers used in a digital perm, curls tend to last longer. It is not advisable to perm your hair too often if you do a ceramic perm as your hair may not be able to withstand the intense heat Duration: Three to four hours Best suited for: Hair of at least medium length of a coarse, wiry texture Price range: From $150

3 BODY PERM 
The look: Soft waves that give volume The technique: Hair is wrapped around large curlers to create waves but not curls Duration: Three hours Best suited for: Short- to medium-length hair Price range: From $80

4 TWIST PERM 
The look: Tight, springy and small spirals The technique: Individual sections of hair are twisted tightly before being wrapped around small curlers Duration: Five to six hours Best suited for: Medium-length hair Price range: From $80

5 PIN CURL 
The look: Subtle, looser curls compared to a ceramic perm to give texture and body to hair The technique: Cold paper is wrapped around small sections of hair to hold it in place. Each section is then twisted into a single loop and clipped up Duration: Two to 21/2 hours Best suited for: Short, limp and flat hair Price range: From $80

6 DIGITAL PERM The look: Softer curls compared to those from a ceramic perm The technique: Hair is rolled around heat-resistant plastic curlers and then heated. The temperature varies, depending on how much heat is needed to set the curls. The size of the curls will depend on the size of the curlers Duration: Up to four hours Best suited for: Hair of at least medium length of a coarse, wiry texture Price range: From $150

HELPFUL DIGITAL PERM VIDEO FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS

2009-09-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to present you with these incredibly helpful videos documenting Shopaholicness's digital perm experience. She was nice enough to discuss her experience in depth - outlining everything from why she did it to how much it cost and even providing us with photographs of how her perm changed over the course of the week after she got it done. As you may be aware, your digital perm will be very tight and curly at first, but within a few days will relax into the signature wave. I highly recommend you watch this if you're considering getting your hair digitally permed. Overall, she reports being very satisfied with the process. The only two draw backs she discusses are 1. the smell after getting the perm (which goes away eventually), and 2. that there was some damage and occasional frizz. Watch the videos and make your own conclusion.

WHEN PERMS GO HORRIBLY WRONG

2009-09-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just be careful, ok? Absolutely no tight curls!

RIHANNA'S HAIR & ALL THE RIGHT ANGLES

2009-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Rihanna has emerged at the forefront of hair trends. The girl is not afraid to take risks and her hairstyles often leave us wishing we could find the courage to perm, curl, cut and color our hair. She knows how to work a curl, and can look feminine even in the most masculine hairstyle. For me personally, long straight hair is not a good option - it often makes me look tired and frumpy. And so, if curling it is gets old, cutting it is the only logical step. I've been eyeing Rihanna's beautiful short hair and it never fails to amaze me how someone could look so much better with short hair than with long. Even comparing the images above, you will undoubtedly notice that your eye is drawn to the short hair styles more so than the long. I suppose it has something to so with the fact that a large number of women out there choosing to opt for the safely feminine look of long locks, and by default all end up looking the same, which is boring. A woman with short hair makes an instant impact simply because she is different than the rest, and lets face it, the courage to be different is incredibly sexy.

DIGITAL PERM DISASTER - WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HATE YOUR PERM

2009-06-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

As I write this I find myself hoping that none of you will need this advice. There's nothing worse than getting excited about a new hairstyle, browsing through millions of digital perm pictures to find that perfect one to take with you to the stylist whom you place all your trust in. You sit in the salon chair eagerly awaiting your hair transformation only to be disappointed by a hair disaster. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Most stylists are very professional and know what they're doing, but as a precaution it is a good idea to not go cheap-back-alley-salon on this one girls.So what should you do when you hate your perm? First thing, go and talk to the stylist that messed things up and gently explain the problem. Point out the mistake and demand a refund. Next, ask what else the salon can do for you to fix the problem. If your hair is very strong they may attempt to straighten your hair, but I really don't recommend this. You'd be putting chemicals on top of chemicals and your hair will end up severely damaged EVEN IF it's strong.The salon might suggest the at-home treatments that will make your perm look better. Remember, a digital perm is different from a traditional perm in that it is much softer and wavier. The curls actually relax more and more over time, so if you really hate your perm what you may want to do is just wait. Buy a good anti-frizz serum, some hot-oils and leave-in conditioners and wait.
Now, if the hair stylist messed up big time. Let's say s/he smoked something funky and went crazy on your hair. I'm thinking nightmare scenario here - half your hair breaks off and you look like someone who just came out of a burning building. What do you do then? Cut it off. All of it. This isn't as bad as it may seem, short hair can be incredibly sexy and we're seeing it more and more on the runways. Super-duper-model Anja Rubik first put short hair on my radar, then came Rhianna, Sienna, Kirstin Dunst - they all rocked the short hair look. Don't despair, it may just be the happiest accident you ever got yourself into. And the best thing about it is that the texture of your perm will add incredible shape to any short cut. Check out some of the incredible images below. I'm so inspired!

CARING FOR YOUR PERMED HAIR

2009-06-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it really means to have healthy hair? To understand your hair you have to realize that your hair is a fiber like cotton or wool. In order for the hair to be healthy you have to protect the outer cuticle of your hair. Hair is essentially made up of very tiny fiber-like structures which are packed very tightly together and protected by an outer shell. That outer shell is like the skin on your body, and is designed to guard the delicate keratin underneath. When the outer protective layer of your hair is damaged it will break and expose the keratin-fibers underneath. That's what split-ends, flyaways and frizz are! The frayed fiber unearthed by a broken outer shell. Healthy hair = a solid outer layer. Therefore, it makes sense that the products you use, and the way you style your hair is gentle on the hair. If however your hair is damaged due to a digital perm, or a cold perm you will need to buy products that treat the broken outer shell, and protect it from further damage. Search for quality products that make your hair more healthy at the same time they allow you to style your hair. Avoid alcohol based products, and remember to use leave in conditioners that double as anti-frizz serums such as the Redken Fresh Curls Curl Refiner. Also, something I can't recommend enough is giving your hair weekly hot-oil treatments which will smooth the cuticle and replenish moisture.

REAL LIFE DIGITAL PERMERS

2009-06-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank everyone for contributing these images! Everyone you see above is absolutely real, and their hair is absolutely gorgeous! Notice the varying degrees of curl? Some of their hair is very loosely waved and can barely be called curly, while others have more defined curls. This variance is determined by the coarseness of your hair and how susceptible it is to curling.

DIGITAL PERM PICTURES!

2009-05-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Who said a body perm won't suit short hair? It suits short hair just fine.

360 SPIRAL PERM

2009-05-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Spiral Perm, digital Perm, Korean Perm, Japanese Perm, Body Perm, Wave Perm - there are so many names out there right now it makes my head spin. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you're confused about which kind of hot perm to get. Honestly, they're all the same thing. It's the size of the curl-roller and the application of heat during the process that matters. And OF COURSE, the skill of your stylist.

CINTIA DICKER'S WAVY HAIR & BLOW-DRYING YOUR PERM

2009-04-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Ellen Von Unwerth in Lula Mag

Supermodel Cintia Dicker appeared in a recent issue of Lula Magazine looking nothing less than perfect. Mind you, Ms. Dicker is blessed with naturally wavy hot-red hair but I couldn't help but share these images with you when I saw them. Sadly, not even a digital perm could get your hair looking this good without a team of stylists. But lucky for you permed bunnies out there, this feat is going to prove to be significantly easier than for those with pin straight hair. To get something closer to Cintia's look buy a curling cream product like Curls Rock by Catwalk in cream form. The cream tends to work better than the sprays because you have more application control. To achieve the super-defined curl above you will have to apply some heat to your digital perm. ANd yes, in case you were wondering it is perfectly acceptable to blow-dry you perm as long as you have some heat protective product on it before you start. No problem. Put some curl defining cream on your fingers and twirl away with your blow dryer pointed at the finger you're using to twirl around the curl. If you want your curls more relaxed and wavy, put some of this product on your fingers and simply brush the curls out with your hand. No heat necessary.

Japanese Perm on Short Hair

2009-03-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

I've been on this short hair kick lately. I love how much more playful a Japanese/Korean digital perm looks on short hair! Short hair is usually considered to be very masculine, sleek and sophisticated. But the perm makes it completely soft, romantic and sweet!

Boys Can Do it Too!

2009-03-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest. This is mostly just a gratuitous hot male model image. But besides being ridiculously drool-worthy, this boy proves that wavy hair can be gorgeous on men too.

BEACH WAVES

2009-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Beautiful girl with the perfect beach waves that look like you spend your weekends surfing somewhere as beautiful as you, I salute you. Oh to be as effortlessly cool as this. Some girls just got IT, for the rest of us there's H&M & Digital Perms.

SALON OF HORRORS

2009-01-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

After watching this video I'm not sure how I feel. A little horrified, a little charmed by the Nana wearing her jail-cell-milk-maid dress and giant rollers, a little in love with the 90's heart-throb posters hanging all over the wall...and the, somehow appropriate, fishnet stockings. Just to be safe ladies, try to avoid any salon offering perms that looks like the one in this video. Still, I found it amusing enough to share :)

PERM DISASTER VIDEO

2009-01-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

I've been watching a lot of bad perm videos on YouTube lately. I have some sort of morbid fascination with the bad hair decisions people make. The following video gets my worst perm of the year vote. Seriously. What. Were. You. Thinking!?!?!? The most hilarious part is that the salon staff seem so proud of themselves! The poor client in this video looks like she's barely holding herself together in the end. Yikes! Avoid traditional perms as much as you can PLEASE! And if you're going to go traditional, make absolutely sure your stylist has seen a hair training class within the last five years, and uses large barrel curlers.

HOW TIGHT SHOULD MY CURL BE?

2009-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

Mark Leeson
Lara Stone for Eres Lingerie
Ian Davies with Ocean
Toni&Guy stylist Jacen Ward

The answer depends on the look you're trying to achieve. A smaller barrel will result in the wild unruly mane you see on Mark Leeson's model and Lara Stone in the Eres Lingerie campaign; whereas a large wide barrel will give you loose tousled waves as in the Toni & Guy, and Ian Davies pictures above. Which do you like better?