Are you thinking about getting a partial perm?
Well, let me tell you that it’s very important to define exactly what you’re aiming to get.
Because, if you didn’t know, there are root perms and perms only on the ends of your hair.
- That’s why, if you have thin hair and you want to get more volume at your roots, because you’re fed up with your locks looking like they’re stuck to your scalp with oil, you should get a root perm.
Also, if you have short hair, it’s a good alternative to get a more laid-back and fun look.
- Now, if you’re just interested in adding movement and volume to the ends, because you’d like your roots to keep your natural curl pattern, the best thing for you is a perm only on the ends. You can even get it just from the middle of your hair down.
This kind of perm is the best for really long hair that stretches at least eight inches beyond your shoulders in length.
And I don’t know this because I’m a hairstylist.
I know because my mom and I decided to get perms together. She wanted to do a throwback to her younger years in the 80s, when she had rebellious and crazy curls.
And I wanted to because I was a little bit tired of my long and boring hair.
I also have an excellent relationship with my mother. She’s my friend and confidant, and she also crosses my t’s and dots my i’s when I need it.
Have you ever felt like any moment with your mom is like a little treasure that you keep in a little chest hidden away in your heart?
I feel like that. Every adventure we have is like a little treasure that keeps us going, brings us closer together, makes us feel more united, like nothing in the universe could be us.
So, when she proposed that we both get perms, I didn’t have a second thought.
It would be another little gem to add to my treasure chest of memories.
Do you wanna know what happened when we got to the salon to get our perms?
If so, keep reading because our story is the same as many other women’s stories.
You get to the hair salon with one idea and you leave with an entirely different look than the one you’d imaged.
For better or for worse?
That’s what you’re going to find out, and you’ll also find out:
- What kind of hair is best for a root perm
- What kind of hair is best for getting a perm only on the ends
Ready for a big change?
Keep on reading!
Tabla de Contenidos
What Kind of Hair is Best for a Root Perm
The first one to take a seat in the stylist’s chair was my mom. She was always very sure of herself and confident in her decisions.
She went in the idea of getting a spiral perm. She had even brought along a few pictures on her phone to show the stylist.
The stylist looked attentively at the photos that my mom showed her. Every step of the way she was very receptive to my mom’s expectations.
Then, she asked her a series of questions about her hair’s history.
Finally, she carefully and delicately looked over my mom’s hair.
Then, she gently told my mom that she didn’t recommend her getting a spiral perm.
When I saw my mom’s disappointed face, I swear to God I wanted the ground to open under my mom and swallow her whole.
Thank God I don’t have the power to control the elements and the earth didn’t open up.
Because right afterward, the stylist explained that the best thing for her would be a root perm.
- Firstly, because my mom didn’t want her hair to look shorter.
- Second – she almost whispered this part directly into her ear – there were a few parts of her scalp that showed small white areas, meaning that there were some areas where my mom had a little bit less hair. su_list]
Years aren’t the only thing you get when you age, right?
That’s why the stylist proposed to do a partial perm at the roots, because by just curling that part of her hair, she could hide the thinning areas without compromising my mom’s hair’s length.
To get this effect, she placed the perm rods only in the first 2-4 inches of hair, closest to the roots.
Besides, since my mom’s hair grows slowly, her perm would last her much longer.
But, if your hair grows at the speed of Rapunzel’s, a root perm isn’t for you.
While my mom was letting the perm solution and neutralizer do their job, it was my turn.
I didn’t know if I should run away screaming or disappear like a magician, but my mom’s loving look kept me in place.
Do you want to know what kind of perm the stylist recommended to me?
That’s right! A perm only on the ends of my hair.
What Kind of Hair is Best for Getting a Perm Only on the Ends
Before the stylist could even get a word out, I made it super clear that I didn’t want to end up with tight little golden curls that look more like a bird’s nest than anything else.
My mom gave me a look and I understood what she was trying to say. I should keep quiet and listen to the professional.
After looking at my hair, she went to get her phone. I thought she was being rude, leaving me there in the middle of our conversation to answer a text.
But she came back a moment later and she showed me a photo.
The model’s hair was very similar to mine in color and length, but her waves looked like little ocean waves that left me breathless.
Yes, yes, yes! That’s what I wanted.
She was offering to do a perm from the middle to the ends of my hair and I loved it.
Then she explains that this kind of perm was also called a “stack perm” and that it would add volume and natural curls to my hair.
Since she would use many different sized perm rods, it would also make my hair look like it had layers without even cutting it!
It was like a three-pointer from half-court, it was like a goal from the defensive side of the field, it was the Goal of the Century, like Maradona’s goal against the English national team in the ’86 World Cup.
If you haven’t seen it, look it up on YouTube. It’s incredible how he dodges six players.
Going back to my hair, I was already in love.
The stylist put in several perm rods, strategically choosing where to place them.
- If you have long hair that’s healthy and you want to get more volume and movement, getting a perm on the middle and ends is the way to go.
- That’s the thing. You must have very healthy hair, because if it’s not, it can break and end up looking dry, since the ends are always much weaker than the other parts.
Afterward, all that was left to do was to wait. And the wait was made much easier by the fact that my mom and I took selfies to send to our group chats.
Do you want to know how adventure at the hair salon turned out?
Conclusion
After the perm solution and neutralizer were removed, my mom and I were two totally different people.
My mom’s hair reached her shoulders with soft curls at her roots which gave her hair much more volume.
It made her most beautiful qualities stand out even more. It made her look ten years younger, more like my sister than my mom.
In my case, my long, straight and boring hair gave way to a mane with movement in the middles and ends and different sized curls that made it look like I had layers.
So, to sum up:
- If you have thin hair and you want movement just at the roots without compromising your hair’s length, a root perm is the one for you.
- If you have long and healthy hair, you want to add more movement and create the optical illusion that you have a lot of hair, a perm on the middle and the ends is the one for you.
My mom did the impossible again: she made a hair appointment an amazing adventure.
What more could I ask for in life?
What did you decide to get? A root perm or just on the ends?
