Riding the Permanent Wave: A Styling Staple of Beauty School Education

When you think of a perm, do you picture a 1980s heavy metal rock band? If so, think again. Learning about this styling method continues to be a hair training standard. The modern-day perm can give beauty clients their choice from an array of looks, from loose waves, to chic spiral curls.

While the popularity of different hair textures constantly changes--stick-straight locks may be hot one season, while big shiny curls are in the next--throughout history curly hair has been a symbol. At one time it was a sign of fertility and sexuality, and even social status. Of course, fashion trends and history both have a way of coming full circle, or in this case, in ringlets.

Beauty College & Hair Chemistry

Behind the rippling waves or tumbling tendrils of a freshly rinsed perm is some heavy-duty chemistry.

Hair is made of a protein called keratin. The cells that make up the keratin are bonded together and arranged in a particular way, and the arrangement of these bonds is what causes hair to be curly or straight. When hair is permed, these bonds are manipulated with chemicals and heat, and the result is a head of curly locks.

But there is a lot more to a perm than just putting chemicals on the hair. The position of the hair when the chemical reaction stops (or is neutralized) is what determines the size, direction, and volume of the curl.

Hair training students learn how rod sizes and types produce different styles, and how the absence of a rod creates a chemical straightener. Hair styling classes teach various methods for rolling a perm, such as candlestick or piggy-back. One of the most important practices in perm training is learning to section and roll for speed and accuracy.

Out with the Old Perm, In with the New

The firm permanent wave was created by German hair stylist Charles Nessler in 1905. His ingredients: Borax paste and some electric curlers. Other heat-generating permanent wave machines soon followed. By the 1930s, the "cold wave" method had emerged. This strictly chemical process could be done at room temperature.

These methods gave way to alkaline perms, acid perms, and more recently ISO Nexture semi-permanents. Permanent machines and exothermic perms are also making a comeback, thanks to a Japanese company that recently created the "digital perm" craze. These recent developments in hair technology try to alleviate the biggest reason more people do not get perms: hair damage.

If history is any indication, there will always be people who want curly hair, especially those born with naturally straight hair. Beauty college can teach you the proper methods for permanent waving, and how to avoid damaging your clients' hair. Along with keeping your customers happy, perms and chemical straightening services are high-dollar services that can enhance your income as a hair stylist.