What you need to know about digital perms

Photo credit: Rooms Beauty

Want to spice up your hair without the hassle of the curling iron? Then the digital perm is your new best friend. But first things first. What is a digital perm and how is it different from a regular perm?

The biggest difference between a digital perm and a regular perm is the use of heat vs. perming solution. A digital perm uses the power of heat to recompose the structure of your hair. Where as a regular perm, also known as a cold perm, uses perming solution. Each roller for a digital perm has electric heat running through it which helps your curls last longer, creating big beautiful curls like you'd get with a curling iron.

Once you get a digital perm, your morning styling's a breeze. Just twist your hair with your fingers as you blow dry and you're done.

Of course, treating your hair after any perm is going to be super important. Make sure you consult your hairstylist for the right type of products to use after your perm.

Digital perm vs. Regular perms

We get a lot of questions from our customers on the difference between a regular perm and a digital perm.

Although there are different factors you need to consider when deciding which perm to go with, we usually recommend regular (cold) perms for short to medium length hair. With regular perms, your hair is most curly when it's wet, and it tends to loosen when your hair dries. Once you get used to styling your perm, your morning's a breeze! You also want to note that regular perms will involve applying a perming solution to your scalp, so it may not be for people who have sensitive skin.

Digital perms are for people who have unruly, coarse hair which is usually difficult to curl. Digital perms use the power of heat to recompose the structure of your hair strands and usually lasts more than 6 months. With this perm, your hair is curlier when dry, compared to when it's wet.

For a detailed explanation of the pros and cons of each, check out our blog post: Cold or Digital? How to figure out which perm's for you and consult your hairstylist for the right perm for you!

Cold or Digital? How to figure out which perm's for you.

A digital perm is different from a regular perm in that it uses the power of heat to recompose the structure of your hair. Each roller has electric heat running through it which helps your curls last longer than a regular perm. A regular perm (cold perm) uses perming solution and doesn't use the power of heat to curl your hair. How do you know which one is for you? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each.

Cold perm pros:

- Curls are defined when hair is wet and looser when hair is dry

- Since the curls are loose, you can still straighten your hair with a straightening iron or style your hair in any way you wish

- You can use it to perm certain sections of your hair or just the roots to create more volume in your hair

Cold perm cons:

- It won't last as long as digital perms

- If you have coarse hair, it may be difficult for curls to form

Digital perm pros:

- You'll have defined curls

- It lasts from 6 months to as long as 1 year

- Curls are more prominent when your hair is dry rather than when it's wet

- There's a trick in blow-drying your hair and once you get used to it, styling is a breeze

Digital perm cons:

- Since you'll have defined curls, if you want to bring them back to straight, you'll have to apply a straight perm

- If your hair is already damaged, or prone to damage, it'll leave you with an unhealthy crunchy texture

- You can't create small, tight curls

So if you want defined curls but your hair is coarse, unruly or flat you should get a digital perm. But if you have fine hair prone to damage, you're better off with a cold perm.

Either way, treating your hair after any perm is going to be super important. Make sure you consult your hairstylist for the right type of products to use after your perm.

What’s the difference? Straight Perm vs. Japanese Straight Perm

Both straighten your hair, but there’s a big difference in the process and who it’s intended for. Let’s look into it.

Straight Perm:

A straight perm is a straightening method that involves a 2-round application. For the first round, we apply a solution that breaks the protein bonds that give your hair its shape. In the second round, another solution is used to hold the straightened strands in place. The straight perm is good for people who have permed hair and want to bring it back to their natural straight hair. It’s not for people who want to fix naturally frizzy, coarse or wavy hair.

Japanese Straight Perm:

The Japanese Straight Perm is a procedure that originated in Japan in the 1990’s. Now it’s a popular menu in salons around the world for transforming unruly hair into pin-straight hair. It’s a bit more expensive than the regular straight perm because once you get it, it’s pretty much permanent. (Except for the newly grown strands)

The procedure involves applying solution which breaks protein bonds that give your hair its shape. What’s different compared to the straight perm is that we use a special flat iron in between the first and second round of application. The added heat complements the work of the solution and thermally reconditions your hair to stay straight.

It’s ideal for people who have minimal hair damage and want a long-term straightening solution for their naturally unruly hair. Besides getting the sleek frizz-free look, you’ll also save so much time fighting your hair in the morning.

Regardless of which type of straightening method you choose, it’s without a doubt that both will be adding damage to your hair. That’s why you need to be using the proper hair treatment after you get any kind of perm. And make sure you’re thoroughly blow-drying your hair when you’re out of the shower, because you don’t want to welcome hair damage by leave those cuticles open.

Meet the Stylists Shin (Senior Stylist)

Stylist: Shin

Main Branch: Saratoga Salon

Q: Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What are some of your career highlights?

A: I was born and raised in a small town in Chiba Prefecture, Japan known for Narita Airport. After graduating, I moved to Tokyo, the city of everyone’s dreams to become a hair stylist. 

In Japan when you’re a newbie in the hair styling world, you start off as assistants. That means, staying late every night to practice your craft, to handing out flyers on the streets to promote your salon. The world I dreamed so much about was quite different from what it was in reality and I quit my job after 3 years. Bottom line, I was young and didn’t know anything about life. A few years after leaving, a senior stylist from that salon decided to launch his own salon and asked me to help him out. A life-changing moment for me. From this moment on, I made a promise to myself that I’m never bailing out again. 

After a few years from the new salon opening, the owner decided to launch a second salon and he made me a general manager. I was still 21 at this point. My experience as a hair stylist was still miniscule. On top of that, I knew nothing about managing people. Without a doubt, this was one of the hardest periods in my life. It was countless days of being yelled at about the same thing over and over, without even understanding what the heck I was doing wrong. 

The owner didn’t teach me much about technique, but he did teach me fundamental values of being a hair stylist. Back then, I was too young to understand but his words stuck with me to this day. Now I truly understand what he was trying to teach me. Words can’t describe how grateful I am to have met such a mentor who looked after me like that. 

Although it was a difficult period, I stuck with my promise and hustled more than ever before. After a few years, all the hard work finally paid off. I became the top-selling stylist, trusted by my customers, salon staff, and the owner—Also the moment I realized the importance of perseverance. 

After 13 years of salon experience in Tokyo it was time for me to move on which brought me to California. All those years of struggle and failure are what make me stronger today. 

Q: What's your specialty?

A: Through my years of experience and following a simple philosophy, I’ve developed a cutting skill that caters to a wide range of customer requests. Whether it be short men’s cut or women’s long cut, leave it to me. Perms also define me. Spiral Perms, Twist Perms and Japanese straightening or digital perms to name a few. My ultimate specialty though is being a hustler and never giving up.

Q: Why did you become a stylist?

A: Ever since I was a kid, I loved creating and wanted to make my passion something useful for others. I also realized that making others happy makes me happy. A hair stylist’s job is doing just that—Making people happy with the passion and craft of creativity.

Q: What do you love about your job?

A: Witnessing a happy, satisfied customer’s face and making a positive impact on my customer’s life. 

Q: Tell us about your aspirations.

A: Just like Vidal Sassoon, Mod’s Hair and Tony & Guy did, my dream is to create my own brand and pass it down to the next generation. 

Q: What do you do on your free time?

A: I hang out with friends, go out on hikes to connect with nature and cruise in my car with my favorite music. I also watch movies and enjoy concerts to get my creative juices flowing.

Q: What’s your favorite quote?

A: Your only enemy is the enemy within.