perm or body wave?

[bedhead]

I would like to know what the difference is between a perm and a body wave. Is the perm going to make my hair curly unless I curl or blow dry it? What will a body wave do?

[Indigo]

I use to always get a body wave. My hair has some natural wave to it, so with a body wave it will give my hair a little curl. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as a perm. I liked it also when I would roll my hair, the curl would last for a long time. That's been my experience with body waves, anyway. When I've gotten perms it's usually just too much curl for my taste. I look like more like a poodle when I get a perm. It's just too much.

[Toni]

Originally Posted by bedhead

I would like to know what the difference is between a perm and a body wave. Is the perm going to make my hair curly unless I curl or blow dry it? What will a body wave do?

A body wave IS a perm also. The difference is always in telling your stylist you only want body from your perm. It's the size of the perm rod that determines the curl from small, tight curls to loose waves and body.

When you are getting your perm wrapped and you want body only, make sure the stylist is using purple or white rods, with the purple being the bigger of the two. These give the bigger, S waves. Peach is even larger and may just give your hair density when looking at it dry afterwards. A wave may not be too visible. It all depends on the length of your hair and its curling ability. Sometimes you have to alternate purple and white or peach and purple to ensure it is going to be a good wave. To be honest, with everyone's hair being different, it's an experiment to find out the best perm and perm rod size. You may like it, yet it is not quite tight enough or loose enough. A good stylist will keep notes and adjust things for your next perm. Many times the only time you love the body wave is when it is curled with rollers or curling iron. It smooths the hair out and curl stays in better than without the body wave.

Ask to see the rods he/she is about to wrap your hair in. Don't let your hair get wrapped starting in the back where you cannot see what is going on until it is too late and most of your hair is wrapped. You have a right to know and he/she should show you what she is using and discuss what is going to happen with each step.

After all, it IS your hair.

[Stylin]

I would always get a body wave just because all I wanted was to add a little body to my hair. I can't even remember the last time I had a perm or a body wave to be honest. I used to get them when I was in high school but that was years and years ago. My hair is so flat that I needed to have something done to it to add a little life to it.

[lovely1]

Back in the 70's I use to get body waves too, just for "body". Then in then the 80's it was the tight curl. I stopped getting perms because I had so much hair it would cost my close to $200!! It just wasn't worth it anymore.