August 4
2006
August 15, 2006
Perm Disaster?
Question
Dear Karen,
Just this past Saturday evening I made an awful, awful
mistake. I went to the salon and got a chemical perm
treatment. May hair is very thick and it is currently about 1-2
inches past my shoulders. I'm in the process of growing it out
because I really want to have long hair again. I just wanted
something a little different and easy to style and I figured
waves would be easy because I could wet, scrunch with a little
product and go. I showed them pictures and what I wanted and I
specifically said I did not want a spiral. (I have had them in
the past & my middle school day's). My naturally straight hair
is typically hard to style because it's so thick and heavy so it
takes too long.
Anyway, the stylist wanted to cut (layer my hair) because I
have barley there long layers and she did not think my hair
would hold a perm. I told her I have had perms in the past and
my hair actually holds curl very, very well, so much to the
point that I was able to blow dry it straight and then it would
go back to being just a curly as ever when I washed it. So she
did not cut it but she insisted on using a "slightly" smaller
rod. She used pink & white rods and told me the pink were
larger and would give me the wave I wanted as opposed to a tight
curl. I did not really know about the colors of the rods so I
let her roll away.
Well, the perm was finished and I looked like a chia-pet
poodle!!!!!! I was thinking, well maybe it fall a little
overnight. So I paid and went on my way. I got home and my
finance hates it! I kept trying to play with it to see if I
could wear it in a way that did not make me look like a poodle
but no luck. So I figured, since they say NOT to wash hair
straight away, I would wash AND deep condition it that very
night.
I washed it twice, deep conditioned it then blow dried it
straight. When I woke up the next morning I then did a 45
minute Hot Olive Oil treatment on my hair and the washed (for a
3rd time now) and when I got out of the shower my hair was just
as curly as when she took the rods out!!! See I told you my
hair holds curls well! Plus my ends are totally fried and
damaged. It looks like they were burnt up with a lighter.
I did not know how else to undo this. So I called another salon
- a higher end salon where I should have gone in the first
place! They fit me in for an emergency appointment. They
said that because my hair was completely damaged I had to get
all the permed hair completely cut off. They also said
that I would need to undergone some deep conditioning treatments
until my hair was restored from the perm disaster.
So, do you think that he is being
honest? I'm so scared of keeping totally fried hair but at the
same rate, I don't think I can wait for this awful perm to grow
out either. What to do?
Please give me any and all advice you may have. Should I
get all the hair cut off or try to still recover from the perm
by conditioning treatments?
Regretfully,
Amanda
Answer
Dear Amanda,
I am so sorry to hear of your recent perm disaster. Based
on what you have told me, it does sound like, at the very least,
your ends are very damaged. When the ends become as
compromised as you describe, it does limit your ongoing styling
options.
While it might be possible to undergone a series of special
conditioning treatments, it is unlikely that other than spending a
lot of time and money that you will achieve any significant recovery
to the ends. Once hair is damaged to the extent that you
describe, it is unlikely the damage can be reversed. In that case,
it is always best to have the damage trimmed off.
Is the second hairdresser telling you the truth about having your
ends removed and undergoing deep conditioning treatments? It would
seem likely that the hairdresser is providing you with your best
options at this point.
At this point in time you may wish to step back, take a deep
breath and wait a few days to weigh your options before moving
forward and getting the permed hair partially or completely removed.
While it is probably best in the long run to remove all of the
damage, you may want to just take a little time to think about what
feels right for you.
Whether you want to have all the damage removed at once or in a
series of trims is one option to consider. If only the ends
are damaged, it would be relatively easy to trim just a few inches.
However, if your hair has been damaged completely from the roots to
the ends by the perm, you may want to access how to remove the
majority of the damage without removing the bulk of your hair.
Discuss the various options with a hairdresser you feel
comfortable engaging in your hair recovery operation. Discuss
the pros and cons of cutting a portion of your hair or all of your
hair. You may also wish to ask for a candid discussion of how
deep conditioning treatments might help you bridge the long term
recovery gaps.
Finally, you might also wish to discuss hair extensions as a
possible option to utilize while your natural hair is growing back.
Keep in mind that you need at least a few inches of your own hair in
order to attach extensions. Last but not least, wigs and
headgear are always a great option for covering up hair that has
suffered from any type of challenges.
Best wishes,
Karen
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