Perms
Perms in San Diego
Perms came back. The stylists who can actually do one mostly did not.
The perm people ask for now is not the tight set from forty years ago. It is usually a body wave: soft, loose movement that makes air-drying possible, or root lift for hair that falls flat by lunchtime, or a defined curl for people who want to stop reaching for an iron every morning. Rene does the full range, including the tighter spiral perm if that is genuinely what you want.
What is scarce is not the service, it is the skill. Perms fell out of fashion long enough that an entire generation of stylists qualified without ever learning to do one properly. Rene has been doing them for 30 years without a gap, which means she has worked on every hair type and seen how a perm behaves months later, not just on the day.
That experience is mostly about judgement. Rod size, solution strength, and timing all change with how fine or coarse your hair is, how porous it is, and what has already been done to it. Get any of those wrong and you get frizz, a broken curl, or a perm that drops out in three weeks.
She will tell you honestly if your hair is not in a state to take a perm. Recently bleached or heavily highlighted hair often is not, and a stylist who says yes to that anyway is not doing you a favor. Sometimes the right answer is to condition it for a few weeks and come back.
No price list, because it depends on your hair. Rene quotes you before she starts.
Before and after
Drag to see the difference
Perm
Fine, flat hair before a perm, and the same head after: full, even curl from root to end.
Body wave perm
Mid-length hair grown out flat, and after: a soft body wave with defined curl and dimensional blonde running through it.
Her work
Perms in Rene’s chair
Questions
Perms, answered
- Will a perm look dated?
- Not unless you want it to. Most of what Rene is asked for now is a soft body wave or a loose curl that reads as natural texture rather than as a perm, and it is set on larger rods for exactly that reason. If you do want the tighter, more defined look, she can do that too. Bring a photo and she will tell you what is achievable on your hair.
- How long does a perm take?
- Plan on a couple of hours, and longer for a spiral perm or very long hair. Rene will give you a realistic time when you call, so you can plan the rest of your day.
- How long will a perm last?
- Typically a few months, depending on your hair and how fast it grows. Fine hair tends to drop sooner than coarse hair.
- Can I get a perm on colored or highlighted hair?
- Sometimes, but not always. Heavily bleached or recently highlighted hair is often too fragile, and perming it can break it. Rene will look at your hair and tell you honestly, rather than take the booking and hope.
- What kinds of perms does Rene do?
- Full perms, body waves for softer movement rather than tight curl, spiral perms for long hair, and root perms for lift at the crown.
- What should I do after a perm?
- Leave it alone for the first couple of days: no washing, no tight ponytails. Rene will talk you through aftercare for your specific hair before you leave.
Talk to Rene about your hair
Tell her what you are after, or text a photo, and she will tell you what she would do and what it costs before you commit to anything.
Pizazz Hair and Nail Salon, 7676 Jackson Dr, Ste 5, San Diego · By appointment only
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