best styling products for a digital perm

I just got re- digital permed last weekend and it reminded me that I need to share my favorite styling products with the rest of the permed hair world. I've tried tons of different products from drugstore brands to special curly hair salon brands and here are my favorites and how to use them...

(A reminder: I can only vouch for how these work with permed hair since I naturally have stubbornly straight Asian hair and would never have even though I would be in the market for specifically curly-haired products until this life-changing digital perm was invented)


Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream
$31.99 at a local salon

There are so many fancy curly hair products on shelves these days, but the Moroccanoil has given me the best results when air drying. One of the annoying things about the digital perm was that I felt like I always had to blowdry in that special twisty way if I wanted curls. With the Moroccanoil Curl Cream I just apply like leave-in conditioner after towel drying, scrunch scrunch scrunch, and air dry (continuing to scrunch while it is drying). It dries to look like naturally wavy hair, which is a great everyday option when I don't feel like making those perfect bouncy waves. There also seems to be some sort of ingredient in the Moroccanoil that makes my hair dry faster.

The only downside is that, even though it says it is a leave-in conditioner, I do feel like it dries my hair out if I use it a lot. I just got the the Original Moroccanoil Treatment, which is supposed to completely hydrate your hair...so maybe they are supposed to be used together to avoid drying your hair out (either a marketing scheme or the best way to have great hair).



Fiber wax
(like Nigelle Lafusion Contrastmove Wax)

Whether I completely blow dry or just loosely dry a little, the key to keeping my curls from frizzing is to use a fiber wax. Don't ever use the regular greasy wax that men use! The fiber wax will hold the curls together so you can have big clumps of curls (I usually divide my hair into six sections of curls) instead of tons of separate curls that can get frizzy. Make sure to use the wax at the bottom tips of the hair to shape the curls.

I started using the Nigelle Lafusion wax because my hair stylist in Japan recommended it, but I think it's pretty difficult to find in the U.S. I think that Shieseido makes a fiber wax, but you can always just ask your hair stylist to recommend something similar.

From what I've found, the salon products are significantly more expensive, but they do a much better job than the drugstore brands.

This is my report for now, but I'm always continuing to try out new products. And I'm still on the hunt for the best conditioner....let me know if you have any recs!

Related articles...

• everything i know about japanese digital perm
• japanese digital perm
  

everything i know about japanese digital perm

I have gotten so many questions about my digital perm that I've decided to do another post to try to offer interested perm enthusiasts some more info. Please post any more questions you have that I might not have answered and let me know if you have any Japanese salon recommendations in the U.S.!

I don't know why this type of perm isn't being done everywhere, but unfortunately it's not, which means that it's still pretty difficult to find a salon that offers this service...

Q: Can I wear my hair straight after I get a digital perm?

A: Yes, definitely! If you want your hair straight, really all you have to do is brush it. The curls are so loose and bouncy that they can easily be brushed out to straighten them. If you want super straight hair, just use a flat iron and your hair will be straight until you wash it again.

Speaking of brushing, I actually don't own a brush anymore since I only wear my hair in loose curls. I use a good strong conditioner, finger comb it when I first get out of the shower, and then no more brushing because they will pull the curls out...I actually love it!

Q: Where did you get your digital perm done in Japan?

A: I had my first digital perm ever in Harajuku in Tokyo at Anny Hair, although I'm sure that most salons on the same street will have talented stylists who know all about the digital perm. I recommend flipping through their many magazines to pick out an image that shows exactly the level of "curliness" that you want in your hair since the digital perm will be designed specifically for your style. The stylists I worked with at Anny Hair is no longer there, but I still recommend it!

Q: Where can I get a digital perm in the U.S.?

A: In New York, I used to go to Tany at Kiwa Salon (234 W. 27th St, 212.620.3846)

In San Francisco I go to Mr Kudo at Arty Salon (1680 Post St, 2nd Flr, 415.931.4405)

If you don't live near NY or SF you should find a Japanese or Korean hair salon in your area and call to ask them if they do digital perms. If they don't, they might have another similar perm service that works well on Asian hair that could have a similar look...

{Mr. Kudo and his assistant at Arty Salon}

Q: What type of hair does a digital perm work on? Does it only work on Japanese hair?

A: I asked Mr. Kudo at Arty about this and he said that he has tried the digital perm on a caucasian client and wasn't able to get the perm to work. According to Mr. Kudo, the digital perm was invented by performing experiments specifically on Japanese hair and the entire process was designed around this. I am half-Japanese and Mr. Kudo had some difficulty on my first visit because he had to adjust the design of my perm to work on my type of hair. You will notice that analysis of your hair is a very important part of getting the digital perm.

So the bad news is that unfortunately I haven't heard of any salons being able to master the digital perm on non-Asian hair...but hopefully there are some experiments in the works...

Q: How do you style loose curls and what products do you use?

A: Every girl with a digital perm probably has mastered her own special technique for getting her curls to look perfect. Here is my daily method that I learned from Tany in New York:

• When hair is wet, apply some sort of anti-frizz serum and finger comb through hair. I use Kerastase Oleo-Relax. Like I mentioned before, I don't actually use a brush or comb because I think it pulls out the curls.

• Separate the hair into about 5-6 sections and twist using your fingers (in that ditzy schoolgirl kind of way...)

• For a naturally curly wavy look, I just apply a curl enhancing gel and let it air dry. I don't really have a favorite curl gel yet (give me recs if you have any!), but right now I'm using Garnier Fructise Curl Shaping Spray Gel and it seems to be doing the trick without being too sticky or stiff. I found a list on Elle.com of the Best Products for Curly Hair, so I will probably try some of those next.

• For a loose bouncy curls look (I call it my "Hills hair" because I feel like those girls always have professionally curled bouncy hair at all hours of the day) I blow dry the twisted sections. Start by drying the roots of your hair for just a few minutes and then blow each section dry while constantly twisting the hair around your fingers to keep the curled shape. I also twist the hair and then cup it in my hand (like a squished spring) and blow dry that way for awhile. Try to keep twisting the hair to keep it curled while also separating the sections a little to dry all the hairs in the section.

• To finish off the bouncy curls I use Nigelle Contrastmove Wax, but any fiber wax will work. If you haven't used a fiber wax before it's more like clay than regular hair wax and it's not greasy. Rub the wax on your fingers and then use it to shape the curls, especially the ends.
  

Q: How long does the perm last?

A: I get a perm probably about twice a year, but I think the hair stylists recommend that you come in every 4 months. The perm is fairly pricey ($150-$250) and takes a good chunk of time (3-4 hrs), which is why I stretch it to 5-6 months. Even though the perm starts to straighten a little after awhile, I would say that it never really goes away like the old perms did. The reason I end up going back to get a new perm is more because my hair has grown out than because my hair is straight again. But if you get sick of the wavy hair, you can always just brush it out and it will be straight.

Q: What if I don't want a layered haircut?

A: Then you shouldn't get a digital perm. The stylists who perform the digital perm treatments consider the specific haircut that is paired with the perm as a very important part of the process. If you don't want your hair greatly thinned out and layered, then you probably want to talk to the stylist about getting a different type of perm. I was very nervous about the massive amount of thinning the first time (I am used to having tons of hair and suddenly my ponytail was super skinny!) but it works perfectly with the curls and ensures that you don't get an 80's style frizz puff ball triangle head.

Any more questions?? Let me know...

Related articles...

• japanese digital perm

japanese digital perm

For all of you straight-haired girls out there who have always yearned for a little bouncy waviness to your hair, I have something amazing to share with you: the Japanese digital perm.

I have been addicted to this technologically advanced version of the perm since I went to Tokyo over a year ago and now I can't see myself ever going back to the stubbornly stick straight hair that I've had my whole life. For all of you who have tried every type of hairspray, curling iron, hot curlers, wax, and curling product out there, this is the true method that will actually work and allow you to have naturally looking waves everyday (obviously I am a huge convert). The Japanese digital perm is much different from the stinky perms of the 80's. It involves multiple steps that I have finally deciphered, since none of the hairstylists I've been to have spoken English.(Before: my hair is super duper straight)

• haircut. The extremely important first step is a layered haircut, which thins out the bulk of your hair to avoid the excessive volume that was caused by 80's perms (I call it the unfortunate "triangle look"). I'm wary of layers, but in the end it is barely noticeable and just makes the curls more natural looking.
• heat-activated conditioner. A chemical conditioner is painted into your hair in small sections over your entire head and left to saturate each strand for a length of time.
• wash. The conditioner is washed out.
• curlers. Your hair is rolled up into large heavy curlers that each have an outlet for an electrical connection on the end.
• heat-activation. A foam insulation pad is inserted between the curlers and your head to avoid burns and each curlers is plugged into a central station. This is the craziest part because your head weighs a ton and you feel like your hair is being cooked by a robot.
• relaxer. The curlers do their job and then they are removed. Your hair will be super duper curly in tight ringlets...but don't be scared, this is not how your hair will stay! To create the loose curl look your hair will be saturated with a relaxer.
• blow dry. After the relaxer is washed out, your hairdresser will teach you how to properly blowdry your curls so they look beautiful.

(After: this is my first perm in Japan when my hair was shorter.)

One of the main differences between the digital perm and the regular chemical perm is the heat activation process. After your perm is completed, your curls will be re-activated by heat instead of water. There is a special method for blow-drying your hair and shaping the curls with your hand to create the exact loose wave look that you desire. The process is also very programmable (literally, since it is electronic) so they can tailor each perm to match the exact size and tightness of curls that you are looking for.

The entire process takes at last three hours, but the curls don't really fall out...they basically stay until your hair grows out so I re-perm every six months. The price is fairly high at about $175-200 for the perm plus around $60 for the cut, but I think that it is completely worth it.

To get a digital perm in the U.S. you will need to find a Japanese or Korean hair salon. If you live in New York, I highly recommend Kiwa Salon on the F.I.T. campus on 27th St b/w 7 and 8 Ave. Make an appointment with Tany. If you are interested in going to Kiwa, let me know and I will get you a discount since I am a regular customer.

UPDATE: I already had a lot of responses for the discount and gave out my new customer discount cards! Sorry to those of you who have contacted me. I am trying to get in touch with Kiwa to see if they can give a discount to more people and I will post if I figure it out. Sorry!