To think about getting a perm.....

[IrisAnon]

I realise there are more pressing problems in the world, but are perms still a 'thing'? I've got my heart set on a 1920's style curly bob - think House of Elliot if you're older, or Peaky Blinders Aunt Polly if you're not but I have flat, straight hair.
I recall having perms when I was at school in the 90s and when I see old photos (although I suspect there were many, many bad poodle hair days I attempted to fix with an entire can of hairspray), it's not a million miles away from the hair I want now, but I remember how quickly they dropped and occasionally burned the ends.....are they better now? AIBU to even be thinking of this?
I know there is probably a hair & beauty section but I need more forthright advice.....is it mad to think about it again or will my hair drop out? Will anyone 'fess up to having one?

I expect they are much better now. I used to love my big eighties perm!

This complete stranger on the internet votes you go for it!

One of my colleagues went for a loose perm recently & ended up with a head of quite frizzy corkscrew curls. It wasn't what she'd planned. She normally has long straight shiny hair.

Remember curls require a whole different set of products to look good. Such as curl spray or curl jelly in damp hair, a diffuser on your hairdryer, shampoo & conditioner especially for curly hair, serums & other products for calming any frizz.

I say 'go for it' too.
I had one (well, a few over a couple of years) in recent years, and, oddly, was looking back through some photos for something else recently, and I looked so much better with it, than my hair does now - I'm going to grow my hair again and do it again.
I think you should go with what suits you / what you fancy rather than what "this year's fashion" dictates.

If your hair isn't dead straight look up the Curly Girl Method. it works brilliantly and no need for a perm.

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm just getting so fed up with having the same straightened look for over a decade and I'd love a bit of volume or more of a style. It's the unpredictability of perms that makes me nervous tierraJ !

Thanks PollyWollyDolly I will do that!

I had a perm about 7 years ago. It's was a lose/relaxed perm. I loved it. Never had to blow dry it just left it to dry naturally and I have lovely curly hair. My hairs also fine and it gave it loads of volume. Only downside is it wouldn't really hold a colour well and it made my hair quite dry so I couldn't have bleeched as well. So I now have too much grey for it.

Another vote for go for it

Do you have any dye on your hair at the moment? I speak from experience that bleach and perm lotion don't mix

Yes, I alternate between semi-permanent dye and brown henna (trying to give chemicals a break). My hair is quite straight and fine but lots of it, if that makes sense. I've been straightening it for decades to defeat frizz and wearing clip-ins for volume, so bearing in mind the abuse, it's actually in good condition. It's also the thought of being able to wash and leave it, as you say TeddyPicker1 but it will be a huge and radical change as I've only ever had long hair. I've been feeling low about the ever-increasing signs of ageing and just wonder if a complete change might help.

@IrisAnon , I was never brave enough to get a perm, I worried I would end up looking like Kevin Keegan. I’m now considering getting a perm and wondering if you can find The House of Elliot online!
Go for it!

The blonde hairstyle is what I'm looking for. I loved House of Elliot - there was a channel on Sky replaying episodes and I completely got back into it again.

Remember curls require a whole different set of products to look good. Such as curl spray or curl jelly in damp hair, a diffuser on your hairdryer, shampoo & conditioner especially for curly hair, serums & other products for calming any frizz.

Eh ?
One of the main selling points of a perm is that you just "wash and go" - no need to do anything to it.

Speak to a good hairdresser about it. I have odd hair - very straight/limp but also lots of it. I was desperate for a perm about 20 years ago and was advised against it by my usual hairdresser - she said for it to work, I’d need a very tight perm and even then it would probably drop. So I ignored her and went elsewhere. It looked straight about a week later, and I had to get it cut and permed again then it looked like a head of pubes . It ended up in terrible condition from the treatments, and took ages to grow out. And sadly this was just before GHD’s came on the scene!

Might it be possible to rag roll it to make it look like that. That way hair isn't damaged and you can still choose between curly and straight.

Ooh, I'm considering a perm as well! I've tried curly girl, but my hair is so fine it has no volume and doesn't hold the natural wave/curl it has. I think a perm would give it some oomph and give it the curls I'm desperate to get! Just don't want toendup with a 90s wet corkscrew perm look!

I have very fine limp hair that looked amazing permed,in a wavy bob, back in the 80's. The trick is not to blow dry & do a deep condition regularly . After washing it just run a wide tooth comb thru it & dry naturally & you avoid the frizz. I didn't even style it or use spray/mousse, it just looked great & held its shape without any effort.

I always wanted stevie nicks hair. But in the 90's- 2000's it was so hard to find anyone to do a perm. Hair dressers would just tell me no, they are awful for your hair and look unfashionable. I was so sad.

I fancy a body perm, please report back!

I wondered about a perm a couple of years ago wanting a similar look. I’m old enough to have been through the 80s with perms and assumed things must have moved into more modern times since I had them back then.

Well, I asked in several salons and they all looked completely appalled and flummoxed by the mere mention of it. Good luck finding somewhere, I couldn’t