Had a perm go wrong on a Wednesday afternoon

I was working at a little salon in Waco, Texas, about three years ago when a new client came in wanting loose curls. Her hair was so fine I should have known better, but I wrapped it up and applied the solution like normal, only to have her come back two hours later looking like a poodle. Has anyone else had a perm turn into something totally unexpected and how did you fix it without losing the client?

3 comments

3 Comments

victorb741mo ago

Gotta love a perm that turns into a poodle impersonation.

simonl1110d ago

Oh jeez, I gotta jump in here real careful like... that baking soda trick is actually pretty risky. I've seen some people try it and it ends up making the hair feel all straw-like and brittle instead of fixing the curl problem. You really don't wanna mess with the pH balance of a fresh perm like that, it's way too easy to overshoot and cause damage that takes months to grow out. I'd actually recommend a good chelating shampoo first instead of the baking soda route, something meant for hard water or chlorine build up. That usually helps loosen the curl pattern without being so harsh on the hair shaft. And yeah, acting confident when you're panicking is definitely the move with clients... just gotta smooth things over and maybe offer a free conditioning service while you figure out a gentler fix. The whole poodle look is a nightmare but there's usually a way to soften it up without going nuclear on the hair.

hugo8251mo ago

Did you try a clarifying shampoo to knock down some of that tightness? I read somewhere that baking soda mixed with shampoo can help relax a perm that set too tightly, but you'd have to be really careful not to strip the hair too much. @victorb74 poodle impersonation is spot on, I bet that client was not thrilled. Trick is to act confident even when you are panicking inside, maybe offer a free re-style or deep conditioning treatment to smooth out the frizz while you figure out the fix.