GET OVER IT ALREADY!

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.

DIGITAL PERM: WHAT TO EXPECT

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

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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.

DAMAGED COLOUR-TREATED HAIR

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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.

WHEN PERMS GO HORRIBLY WRONG

Just be careful, ok? Absolutely no tight curls!

CARING FOR YOUR PERMED HAIR

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.