Body wave permīody wave perms are a popular choice for people who want to add volume and a natural wave to their hair. This can be a great way to add volume to your hair and you can expect a spiral perm to last about six months before the curls start to loosen. Results will vary based on the type of rod and chemicals used during the process, but spiral curls are generally very tight, twisted and bouncy. The process involves rolling the hair onto a perm vertically to establish a spiral shape. The most popular and trending types of perms include:Ī spiral perm is a popular choice for hair that’s shoulder-length or longer. Regardless of whether you have long, short, curly or straight hair, there’s a perm style for your hair type. Times have changed, and there are now several different types of perms to choose from, which is part of the reason the style is making a comeback. When you say perm, most people immediately jump to the classic 70s and 80s-era perms that were thick and voluminous. In fact, almost all perms use the cold process, but a few notable hot perms include the digital and straight perms. In general, there are far more cold perm styles than hot perm styles. A cold perm results in tight, defined curls while a hot perm results in looser, softer curls. On the other hand, a hot perm uses a similar process, but with an acidic solution and the addition of heat. The cold perm is the traditional process used for most perms which applies an alkaline solution to dry hair curled around plastic rods to break down the bonds within the hair and make it curl. The terms “hot” and “cold” refer to different processes used to achieve the perm. cold permsīefore we discuss specific perm styles, it’s important to distinguish between hot perms and cold perms. Additionally, the chemical solutions will vary by perm style and some perms require heat to achieve. For example, a spiral perm will use small rods and heat to create tight curls, while a beach wave perm will use large, spongey rollers to create looser waves. The perm process will depend on the type of perm you choose. In fact, stylists have improved on older styles and new techniques have led to the creation of modern perms which give people several options to choose from depending on the desired shape and definition of the curls and waves. The perm styling process itself takes about two to three hours, so schedule an appointment before heading to the salon.Īlthough perms have been around since 1872, it seems like a new type of perm pops up every couple of years and modern iterations of the once dated style have made it trendy again. Perms work by altering the structure of your hair by using heat and chemicals to break the bonds that determine your natural hair texture such as straight or wavy.

What is a perm?Ī perm (short for “permanent hairstyle”) is a process that uses chemicals to change the texture of your hair to a permanent wave or curl.

Plus, we’ve included the most popular types of perm to help you determine if you should get a perm and what style is right for you.

To help you catch up with this hot trend, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about perms including info on what a perm is, how do perms work, and how long does a perm last among other common questions. In fact, there are a lot more options and different types of perms than there ever have been before such as the: spiral perm, beach wave perm, body wave perm and so many more. Modern hairstyling practices and tools have put us long past the days where your hair type determined if you could get a perm or not. Perms have come a long way since their heyday in the 80s, with cultural icons such as Emma Stone and Julianne Hough leading to a resurgence in the hairstyle’s popularity.

Size of spiral perm rods and curl