New Gen Perm - Managing Client Expectations

Our Guest Editor Jane Corbit of That's Atomic Salon explains how to work within the parameters of what a client's hair can handle and how much they want to style their hair following treatment. Jane explains the difference between heat-styled and permanent waves. See Jane's beautiful creations using Curlformers® in the below gallery.

Everyone wants that effortless wave, doesn't look too soft - or like you just curled it either. This constant quest for curls is what started my permanent waving trek. I wanted to find the most streamlined way to use them in a salon environment that didn't feel like it was trying too hard to push a chemical service onto people, who wouldn't like the upkeep that comes along with it.

Where I am from in Seattle, most of us really do prefer a more laid back vibe to our style. Including our hair. If it adds ease into a styling routine - we're game for something new and different. We do also need to consider the effect on the hair that the treatment will have being as chemically safe as possible.

The majority of my clients requesting texture services in the beginning of my career were keratin smoothing treatments. I worked with several brands, and trained for many different ‘fun new methods’ over the years. Sometimes I loved them, and they were a perfect fit for the client - but more and more people wanted to embrace their texture. All this time, with trends coming and going - I found myself constantly being contacted about “Perms”.

Clients call often telling me that they can't find anybody else who does them in the area and wanting to know if I will.

Drag the circle above to switch between the before and after!

To be honest, I had never really stopped doing perms at that point. I was about 3 years out of beauty school, and as is most common when in school I had done plenty of them in that time. Being new at my salon, and most willing to do them - it was final. I will be in my perming-prime from now on.

In the beginning, I was told to - “Use perms as an opportunity to sell more products!’, all the while telling clients that it is not like the tight coils of the 80’s, and that it's more of a wash-and-go solution. That you will have the texture built into your hair that you want, but with less frizz than natural curls. That ‘almost no effort’ includes at least 3 products for care and styling, and making sure that you don't use shampoos that could ruin the service. So in reality? Not really what a Perm is at all. We see this happen with color services also. Selling a client on something that won't suit their lifestyle, can possibly feel like more work for them than before, and can be the cause of all those horror stories we hear when you ask somebody about their salon experiences in the past. So how can we change the expectations of these services, and help clients trust us as professionals in this very niche specialty?

I have taken to talking about permanent waving services much differently in recent years. Are they wonderful? Yes! Is having texture and curly hair wonderful?? HECK YEAH!

Just as wonderful as curls and wave textures are, so are their methods of care. Curls, no matter how they got there - need combinations of protein or moisture and even have different drying preferences. Each of them has their own little bag of tricks when it comes to wearing them, washing/cleansing, and setting them between washing days.

In order to gain that trust with clients, and in an effort to always be transparent this is what I have found works for me : The breakdown of the 5 most important expectations to keep in mind when considering waving services - and how to decide if a permanent wave is best for you!

1
All Waving Is Not Created Equal:
How great is a set heat style?! Pretty wonderful. Nothing better than some soft iron curls waving away from the face to make that effortless curl that looks lovely for days. These are often the kinds of photos that folks bring in when they have consultations for permanent waves. What I explain to them is that a curl dried or styled in formation - will look very different than a curl that is air-dried or shaped naturally from wet hair. It's not that the permed curl would be any less wonderful, it is just not the same look. For example - If a client wanted to get a permanent wave, and then from wet hair - wrap their curls and let dry naturally (100% dry) or with heat then they would get a very similar look! Whereas when we let a curl dry from wet, with no elevation - at natural fall, will have the full weight of the curl pulling it down and helping stretch it out.
I.E. Unless you want to hang upside down to let your hair dry, then you aren't going to look like you did :)
2
Density Counts For Something!
The same exact perm wrapping on one client will not be the same from one client to another. In fact, sometimes I do the exact same wrapping pattern on one client and they can turn out perfect for each client - and both are very different visually.
3
Curling is a Sport.
When you go from the test strand and skin patch test, all the way to the service you can't say for certain what you will need to take care of your new locks. Some guarantees are, you will certainly have to be using shampoo and conditioner that is safe for permanent waving service. As far as styling - you will either be using a gel or cream base to hold your curls from the out-of-shower stage to the end result once dry. Once your stylist sees just how your curl is lifting and bouncing back, (usually in the neutralizing stage) then you will get down to the specifics of the steps you specifically will go through in the next several months to style your hair. They'll show you step by step, and help you find anything in your styling arsenal that might be missing.
4
Sometimes, less can still feel like more.
It's my feeling, that within salon services in general - we can tend to have the outlook of getting every single hair on our head cut, dyed, or permed under the description of a certain booked appointment. Some of this is a cost justification that we get taught through society in general, also known as ‘getting your money's worth’. More than that though, I feel it's a lack of understanding on the client's end - and that's where we can help! It can be a panel of blonde in the front of your fringe, or just perming the crown area of your already wavy hair - sometimes you just need a little boost and that's all. Offering touch-ups for permanent waves also helps the life and longevity of a client's wave. This way we aren't frustrated with the growth, and you can still encourage clients to get haircuts in between chemical services, giving better overall health to our hair over time.
5
Blinding me with Science …
These kinds of permanent wave services are still very much chemical services. Personally, I exclusively use ThinkCurl by OCS - and OWAVE from Oway. I love them both for different reasons. One has an activator that makes it versatile for stubborn hair, and one can be very soft and approachable for clients with highlights and blonding services in their hair. The most important thing about both of these companies is that they do not have ammonia thioglycolate or formaldehyde in them. I know, crazy that those things were ever in anything we used to begin with. There are often fewer choices on the end of a stylist when picking brands to go with. Here in the US, it can be a struggle - as most of these brands that are better suited for our respiratory health, and the health of our hair are not made here yet. So you can end up having to look just a little harder and educating yourself as a client as to what is in the solutions you choose to go with. This also means education on the end of the stylist, on how to use these tools and all in all complete a better, safer - beautiful-looking result.
All the while understanding that these are still chemicals, they still have rules that need to be followed and contradicting variables that will need to be considered when deciding to continue with a service like this. Better ingredients can certainly look and feel better for our hair, but getting down to the nitty-gritty and understanding the chemical reactions of these services is why clients come to us as professionals.

All in all, the result can be a wonderful experience - that makes guests look like their true selves, and move about in this world feeling empowered in how they assume their physical identity and style.

We all know this can really make or break how we feel about ourselves, and that's why I got into this industry in the first place, helping people project exactly who they see themselves as - never being made to feel like they need to fit into a certain look to please anybody else.

Especially if that means being a bright pink pixie with bouncy curls on top ;-)