I Got A Perm, Here's What Happened

I got a perm.

No, this isn’t a republished article from August 1995. I willingly walked into a salon and let my stylist put rollers and perm solution in my hair. On purpose.

Here’s what happened.

Like a lot of straight-haired ladies, I’ve always fawned over big, curly hair. I had a good friend in high school with the most beautiful, bouncy curls, and I adored them.

I was too afraid to get a perm after all the horrible spiral perms I got as a kid. But then one day I saw that Julianne Hough got a perm, and that’s all it took for me to hop in that chair.

💇‍♀️ Love hair transformations? You might like this post about hairstyles for short hair, too — it’s one of my most-read hair stories.

The look I was going for was loose waves. Although I love super curly hair, my hair isn’t very long at the moment, and I didn’t think it would look good. I really wanted some beachy-type waves that looked natural.

We used large 1″ rollers.

Let me tell you something… in that picture above my head HURT. Do you know how heavy those rollers are?? I had no idea!

When it was all done and I left the salon, I was disappointed. We had put some curl cream on it and the result was crispy curls. NOT the result I wanted.

It took me a few days to figure out how to style my hair the way I liked, and once I did, I fell in love with the perm.

🛒 Shop This Perm Experience

Want to try a modern perm for yourself or just see what it’s all about? Here are some of the products I used and recommend:

Ne xxus Blowout Cream – Use the Nexxus Weightless Style Blow Dry Cream prior to blow-drying your hair to heat protect, give frizz control, and boost volume.
Davines NOUNOU Conditioner – replenishes moisture & protects frazzled strands. Ideal for bleached, permed, or relaxed hair.
Curl defining brush – This one is my absolute favorite. If you have any sort of curl in your hair, you should give it a try.
Wavy Talk Hair Dryer – This hair dryer releases millions of negative ions during use, neutralizing static, taming frizz, and boosting shine.

Here’s how I style it:

After I wash it I use a small amount of blow out cream (too much makes it really greasy)
Then I let it air dry until it is almost entirely dry but has a little dampness left (like 95% dry)
I blow-dry it at that point on low just to break the curls up. If I break them up with a brush it goes crazy.
When it’s dry, I use a tiny amount of Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon touch up cream.
DONE!

That’s why I love this so much. It’s SO easy.

When I want to dress it up a bit and look a little more styled than beachy, I just add like 4-6 big curls with a 2″ iron.

Easy peasy!

☕ Not ready to change your hair? Change your drink. These dirty soda combos have zero commitment and maximum fun!

If you’re thinking about getting a perm, my advice is to go for it. The thing about hair is that you can always fix it. If you feel like having straight hair again, just grab a straight iron. My guess is that you’ll love the ease and convenience of these fun, loose waves!

And friends, you are going to want to go take a peak at this: 9 of my favorite CHEAP makeup that works like magic. Yes, I said magic and I meant it. Incredible $5 foundation, anyone??