“Perms are not out! They give great styling options…” – David Barron
Q: I have very long hair, and I’ve been getting a “piggy-back” perm for the past five years. For a while now, my stylist has been telling me that perms are out, but I like the way the perm gives my hair shape and body. I think that he doesn’t like how long it takes to give me the perm – it takes over an hour just to wrap my hair. What are your feelings about perms? Are they really “out” and should I take his advice and stop getting them? – Shirley – Stone Mountain
A: Today, getting your hair colored is more popular than ever, and perms are not as common as they were a few years ago because of today’s fashion. However, perms are definitely not “out” as your stylist says. There will always be a need for perms because they give hair body and texture and provide people with many more styling options. If you like how your hair looks with the perm and feel uncomfortable with your stylist’s recommendations, I would suggest finding another hairdresser. Finding the hairstyle that best suits you is more important than having the latest hair trend.
Q: I have had really think, naturally curly hair ever since I was a little child, but I recently had a baby and my hair has changed considerably – it is much straighter and less thick. Can you give me some suggestions to help me get the thickness back in my hair? – Stacy – Buckhead
A: A lot of women who become pregnant experience changes in their hair and nails when they become pregnant. They often lose luster and thickness due to prenatal vitamins and changes in hormone levels. To get some volume and thickness back, I would suggest adding highlights, which will give you about 50 percent more body and add a lot more shine to your hair. If you want to add eve more volume, you might consider a body wave. This will help you gain back that thickness and curl that you had before having your baby.
Q: For the last 20 years, I have been frosting my hair with a cap, but my friends have been telling me that foils are better. I like my hair really blonde, and if I knew that foils would give me the color that I like, I might try it. Can you tell me what foils do? Can I really be a bright blonde using them? – Debbie – Marietta
A: Using foils gives stylists more control over a changing a client’s hair color than frosting hair with a cap because they allow stylists to determine how much or how little hair should be highlighted. There are two common foil techniques that a stylist may use to make your hair blonde: “weaving” and “slicing”. Weaving covers large sections of your hair and produces a more overall blonde look, which is probably best suited for you. Slicing takes smaller portions of your hair and makes a more streaking effect. You should listen to your friends and try foils. I think you would be happy with the results.
Q: I have really thick hair, and I have never liked how my stylist thins it out. Last time, she used a razor, and it felt like she ripped out my hair. When she was done, some of my hair stuck up around the crown of my head, which lasted for weeks. Is this the best way to thin out hair or are there better ways to do it? – Linda – Buckhead
A: Thinning out hair is not for everyone, and it requires special care. Since you have thick hair, though, thinning is ideal for you. The best approach is to thin out hair when it’s wet, sectioning off all parts of your hair under the crown area and making diagonal cuts with the thinning shears from the mid-shaft to an inch away from the scalp. Staying away from the scalp prevents your hair from sticking up and producing that fly-away look you described. Using a razor is a different thinning technique used for only certain hairstyles. It cuts your hair vertically and produces a more feathered, uneven look.