Thanks to the influence of the internet, I decided I wanted to get a ‘Wave’ Perm. Having straight-ish hair all my life, I decide that a perm would not only give me more volume but also cut down on time under the hair dryer and curling iron. Plus it would be so nice to wake up with a "ready-to-go" head of hair 💁🏻♀️ So I set out on a journey back in time to get a perm. According to my Google searches, the techniques used today are not the same as they once were in the 80s with all those Poodle-looking perms.
Although my stylist suggested to not do it, I was set in my decision and ready for the change. As I sat into the salon chair, I immediately felt the pressure start to set in 😓 My heart was racing and my breathing increased with every passing minute. After reassuring myself that all was going to be OK (Because I was at the point of no return anyways), it was time for the reveal.
I got my hair washed and walked over to the stylist station. Looking at my wet hair, we saw pretty waves! But to my surprise, as it dried some frizz started to show up 😳 Then, once the hair was completely dry, it remained frizzy - a problem I never faced with straight hair. It felt crispy to the touch and a little fried TBH. Basically, I looked like a prized poodle 🐩 ready to have a bow placed on her head mixed with a girl who had stuck her finger into an electrical outlet 😭
But somehow I remained calmed. I was instructed to wash my hair and soak it in conditioner and so I did. I actually ended up leaving the condition in and wearing a hair turban for three days. Sh*t got real scary. It gets worse...
Over the next few weeks, some of the burnt pieces started to fall off leaving me with awkward gaps of missing hair making me look like I got a Mullet, or as we Montrealers call it 🙍🏻♀️ La Coup Longeuil. I was devastated.
From that moment on, I completely changed my hair care regime. Frightened to put any other harsh chemicals in my hair,I converted to Natural Shampoos and Conditioners, avoided putting heat on my hair, and even got some extensions put it. It was a lot of work to get my soft and unproblematic hair back.
Well... It's been 18 months since I got the perm and after a lot of meticulous maintenance and a long-term plan to get the damaged hair out, I am finally at a point where I love my hair again. Plus no more extensions! 100% natural HEALTHY hair.
PS: I will never, EVER do that again.
___________________________
It’s hard to believe your hair ever looked like that cuz it’s so amazing now, OMG!!