Usually only older ladies get perms now a days. But my friend out in Hollywood use to give a air dry perm. It's a perm where the perm solution isn't used only the neutralizer is applied after the perm is wrapped and is air dryed. I don't know how it worked, but it did. It looked like natural curly hair when she took the rods out.

I just got a perm again last fall. My fine, straight hair has much more body again. When I was in my 40s (now 58 with shoulder-length hair), I had spiral perms done for several years-hair was longer and that kind of perm does give you pretty curls. Much more expensive in my area, though. In my next life, I'll have beautiful thick curls...and be a musician-lol! Go for it!

In my next life I will be a goddess with flowing hair. I will do that s--t with my hair that Rita Hayworth did in that movie of the forty's. What was the name of it?

....Jane

My 16 year old grand daughter just got a perm. That said, today's perms are very different than perms of old. Her hair is wavy, not even that full. I couldn't believe she was getting one but when I saw it, I loved it.

Yes, Lukki, it seems that curls are equated with the elderly these days, lol! Any hint of wave or heaven forbid, frizz, dooms one to being thought of as hopelessly granny & out of it.

Curly looks have got to come around again though. The long, straight hair craze has been raging for over a decade, if I calculate correctly. Surely, lots of people are getting tired of it & want a change. Why wait, though? If the real you has curly hair, just do it. You may just START a new trend!

Newdawn, maybe the movie you're thinking of is Gilda. Here's how to get the look, sans perm:

Here is a link that might be useful: Hayworth Hair, tutorial

Not only will I be a goddess in my next life, with beautiful hair, I'll be a rich one, and able to live in a bakery, eating all the chocolate and cream-filled whatevers, without ever gaining a pound.

Yes, stinky I loved Rita Hayworth. I love when she sang that song Put the blame on Mame in Gilda.

Can't get it off of youtube. She is leaning down and then comes up with her hair tossing in the air.

Earth to Suzy! (lol)

Here's the scene!

Here is a link that might be useful: Shake your head, darling...

That's it stinky! Was she a babe or what? She not only had the hair but she had the mouth to go with it.

Rumor has it that her father molested her for years, hence the enomous sex appeal she had, and sadness that followed.

Yes, because I just got one in November! As a former stylist who still keeps her hands in it, I do get one upon occasion because I like a loose messy look, that I can also blow out straight depending on my mood.

I also like my texture after a "texture boost" or "scatter perm". I get lift, bounce, and the ability to spray and go without touching it again. The whole trick is to give some thought to what you are looking for, and what element you'll need to keep it modern. Flatter and straighter around the face works nicely these days.

Always keep in mind what will work best IF it does not come out perfect. Most clients would rather have less curl than too much, and I feel that is probably the approach you should take, it is easier to straighten and easy to "scrunch" into natural looking body. My own hair is hard to curl so I'd rather be bit curlier for a week or two, but that is me.

Like decorating your house, there is no set rule when it comes to hair. At 41, and with a 20 year background in fashion and styling, people constantly tell me during my "perm" phases how much they love my hair. I'm definitely not what they expect when I tell them I am an elementary librarian-no bun and glasses here!!! =)

Do what you want to do to define your own style.

I see alot of *soft* curls and waves here in my area. I don't think in the south, curls/waves are ever truly out of style. For years I wanted straight hair and finally learned to love what I have. My hair is more wavy than curly, but with a diffuser and scunching I can make it curlier - or just walk outside come our humid season LOL.

I think the key is not to a perm is for it not to LOOK permed. I've heard of something similar to what Jane described, but it wasn't called an air perm. Maybe search the net and call around to salons in your area for ideas.

tina

Tina, IKWYM about the humidty! Yikes, it's the enemy of straight hair. I work hard at smoothing out my waves every day & then Boi-iiing, the sauna-like conditions just make all manner of frizz burst forth!

Any sort of wave or curl just looks so matronly on me. When I was younger, used to curl my hair on occasion, & thought I looked pretty cute that way! Now that sort of "do" just makes me feel so frumpy.

Not that I feel so un-frumpy with straight hair! It's hard to know what to do at "a certain age." All the things that worked so beautifully for years just don't seem to have the same magic. Guess we just have to re-invent ourselves from time to time, but figuring out what direction to go in can be tricky.

I haven't come back to check on this until today and I appreciate all the responses! So glad to see perms still have a place in the hair world. I'm hating my straight hair so much that even if perms were completely out, I'd still be in the market for one. I was going to get my hair cut yesterday, but have opted to get a spiral and cut done instead. Tuesday is "D" Day. I've never had a spiral before, only a regular perm which I have to agree was frumptifying.

Stinky, Newdawn and Cyn and Susie, your responses had me laughing!!! Of course anytime I see "stinky" I have to chuckle anyways but you guys are just a hoot and the read made my day. Love that clip of Rita Hayworth. Was she a "classy dame" or what? So beautiful! I think it's so cool how you tube has clips of pretty much anything you want to see. :c)

Gold-dust I'm hoping I have the same luck as your daughter!!

Tina, I wish I was still in the South. I'd be in perm heaven. Most women in my area have straight hair. :c(

Never Ending - thank you so much for your input and advise from a professional perspective. I won't expect perfect, heck, I'll just be happy for fairly soft and not burned! Part of the fear I have is we moved here about 4 years ago and I've still not been able to find someone I'm 100% comfortable with. So who knows what I'll end up with. I'm praying hard! LOL. My sister is a professional in Southern California and I always valued her knowledge and skills when we lived there. She's very good at what she does, but now that she's not close I see just how lucky I really was even more!

Woohoo- good for you, lukkiirish. Hope you love it!

Thanks cyn, me too! Ha!

Well, as one who has loved some perms and hated others, all I can say is that no matter what, it will eventually grow/wear out! I'm betting you'll love it!

Cynthia

I really want chunky/messy/free curls, but I am scared about caring for curls and the result. My bad angel keeps putting the image of a POOF into my head.

LOL

I'm 45, and I've been getting perms regularly for almost 15 years. I am incompetent with a blow dryer and perms have made my life sooo much easier. I must say my stylist gives me a great perm, because I get lots of compliments from strangers on my "naturally curly" hair, even from other stylists!

I think one of the keys to my great-looking perm is that my stylist uses 4 different color rods on me, and she uses different amounts of hair on them. It's obviously been a long process where we have learned what works best with the different textures of my hair.

The curls are definitely tighter the first two weeks. You have to learn to LEAVE THEM ALONE. I just pat or squeeze them dry - no rubbing! - and scrunch some product on them. Then hands off! Any more playing with them will frizz you out. I find that as long as they don't frizz, the tighter curls still look more playful than granny-ish. It's the frizz that makes you feel like a geezer.

I think that elderly women get perms because their hair has thinned and they think the perms will give them volume. But a curl where all of the hairs in a strand curl together as one doesn't give as much volume as they want, so they then separate the one curl into lots of little ones, and then they get frizz.

After two weeks my hair really relaxes and looks great for several months - big, loose, messy curls. Curly hair also fits my personality. I have no plans to stop getting perms. In my opinion, the key to good looking curls is to keep the curls intact - you want to do everything you can to avoid splitting the curls into smaller ones.

Nicole

I have the image of Lucy Ricardo in my head ... in the episode where she tried to sew her own dress and gave herself a home perm to save money. She came into the room wearing her laughably ill-fitted dress and a huge ball of fuzz on her head and cried, "I look like a chrysanthemum!"

;-D

Curls may have been out of style for a while now, perms, not so much. It is sad that they are associated with older women, I say this because, the're a lot of sad looking straight dos out there right now. I have been a licensed hairdresser for 30 years, 12 of which I owned a salon, I no longer practice, but I know a little about hair. Just because something is in style doesn't mean it will work for your hair and perms can be a great fix for stringy(as my mother used to say) hair. I get so tired of seeing women of all ages trying to wear the new bob with the back layered up really high, it just looks awful on thin flat hair and does not flatter most people. It is true however the older you get, you can use a little softness. Classic wavy bobs are very flattering. Good luck with your perm.

Hilarious! I love Lucy Ricardo!

Nigel, you have some great points and they do bring memories back from when I did have perms, I'll keep them in mind. Thank so much!

excess, ever since I decided I needed a change, I have been looking more closely at what women my age are doing and you hit the nail on the head! I've seen several women that from behind looked like someone in their 30's maybe 40's with weaved blond hair and when they turned around they were in their 60's! I didn't find that the style (much less the hair color) worked with their wrinkles very well. (smokers maybe?) :c( Sorry but it's true.

Rita H....

Wow! Now THAT was a head of hair!!
I had to watch that link posted above. Uffda!

I was mesmerized for a couple minutes there...
I swear...every Woman I see with hair like that just RIVETS ME. Sadly (IMO!!), I don't see it very often now...siiiigggh.

Faron

laughing...hang in there Faron! Curls have to come back eventually and then you'll be practically useless being RIVETED 24/7!

Good luck Lukk! 2 weeks and you'll be golden! Don't be afraid to go back for some tweaking if you need to, IMO it helps build a relationship, letting the stylist get a better feel for your hair and how you need to work with it.

Nigel- good, good advice! Like you, I often don't mess with it too much after it comes out of the towel because it does leave the curls bigger and chunkier.

Excess- so true. We all want to look modern and hip but sometimes the current trend does nothing for some people, kinda like taking a historic home and entirely decorating it uber modern.

Well Ladies, I've taken the plunge and IT'S FABULOUS!!! We did a spiral, using the normal ISO perm and so far it looks like she cut it perfectly with the curl. I love it. She said it may need to be redone in the back because it didn't take well as she had hoped, but that's ok, I don't look like a frump and I appreciate that she made me aware of it, the sign of a good hair dresser I think!

Thanks again for all the feedback, I really appreciate it and I'm so glad I went for it!!! Yeah!!!!

That's great news, luckki. As another with straight hair, I'm glad you got good results!

Lukki, you really sound pleased! So glad it turned out as you hoped it would. Now, just stay away from Faron's store! We don't wanting him falling off ladders or spilling cans of paint!

That is great news lukki. I used to get perms all the time (from about age 14 - 29)Then one day my hair went curly on its own. It is still not as great as a good spiral perm though. I do think about getting them sometimes. It is good to know they are still out there.

boo - I'm jealous, I love curly hair

Stinky! You're such a goof ball! LOL!!!

Thanks Deedee - it was a 2 year process of fear, I'm in heaven.