Can you perm just the ends of your hair? Have you?

[lynniep]

(and when i say 'you' - I mean do salons in general offer this?)

I haven't had a perm since 1987 and it was disastrous. I mean disastrous. I am fairly sure, however, that the technique must have improved by then (and I am also possessed of confidence I did not have when I was 13 and didn't quite know how to point out that the rollers were way too small)

I have thick hair which is a tiny bit wavy but mostly straight. I want the ends to curl like they do when I use curling tongs and I then brush it out. ( So its straight to about my ears, then soft waves - vintagey style)
It looks sooo much neater. I just haven't got the time or inclination to make much effort though so this only happens on special occasions.

I'll probably just pop to the hairdressers when I get a chance to ask them to be honest, but before I do - I wondered if anyone has had this done?

Sali Hughes had a chemical perm. She did a Guardian column on it. Can't link as in phone.

Following with interest. Its something I want but no hairdresser locally in my price range will do it. Apparently "it just cant be done" bollocks so I had a normal perm in november, and it predictably turned out reeeeally bad

I am wondering about a home perm, an assistant, and some large rollers. It cant make my hair any worse and I'm willing to try it, for the cost of a perm kit from boots. My only alternative is to have most of my hair chopped off to just longer than chin length, so if it goes wrong I might just do it anyway!

And tbh I'm not sure the techniques have improved since your 1987 disaster, the person who did mine used what she called large rollers, I was expecting like an inch and a half diameter, these were probably about half an inch!

Sod it, maybe i will try my little experiment after all. Have got an appt booked for a cut next week and I'll probably wait until after that.

thanks for the responses! Had a look at the Sali Hughes article. well thats out (£250 plus - er, no!) and I'd have to go into London by the looks of it.

You need a Japanese digital perm!

You need a Japanese digital perm!

yep, thats what the Sali Hughes article is on about. I can't afford it though :(

I think maybe a babyliss big hair might do the trick.

You need the babyliss pro perfect curl or curl secret. It does it all for you. It's amazing!

I don't want to have to use a styler though, that's kind of the point :) I am low to zero on the hair maintenance scale. I will curl it for an event, but that's it. I never do anything but wash and brush it otherwise. Sometimes I forget even the brushing bit...

I have an airbrush (looks a bit like the babyliss big hair) which is great but requires effort, and I've watched vids of the pro perfect on you tube. It doesn't look any quicker than using tongs.

I just want to brush my hair in the morning and have it look nicer than it does now :)