Perm Disaster! Help!

I have to laugh reading this thread!  Can you imagine being stuck with the kind of curls you have for your whole life!! My hair is horrible tight curls, and i fought it for years, and now i have basically given up. lus it's red, so i have this whole Bozo look going on right now as i try to grow it out. 

You could also try some leave in hair straightener products that they have out, you can try either one by Pantene, or Fructis also has a smoothing milk which helps calm my hair down. Good luck!

I've actually never seen a body wave come out at first looking like big, loose curls.  It will eventually look like that as it grows out though. I'm sorry you are hating your hair, I would just blow it out with a dryer and round brush in the mornings, this should loosen the curl but still give lots of body.

There's a tool that's a round brush with a dryer in it that my friend uses all the time to get that look.  It's like a straightening iron type size thing.  I'll find out the name of it when I get to work.  She used it on me Thanksgiving and I had a lot of body to my hair but not frizz.

That would be awesome! Thanks!

Is your hair all one length?  You'll achieve that look a lot easier with long layers cut in too.  The picture has long layers. I've got just a few precision cut in front so the front falls in on an angle to frame my face.  And, she cut another one in back at first but it's grown out.  For me, I've got natural curl so it didn't matter but my friend has two layers cut in hers in back.

I do have long layers. My hair isn't quite as long as the picture....it's probably about 2-3" past my shoulders, but I'm hoping I can still get it to look similar. Thanks!!

I sympathize, but have no idea what you're really going through.  I've shaved my head for years and feel liberated by it.  And the money I save on conditioner and shampoo....yay...more dog treats!

Here's a link to a bunch of hot air brushes.  My friend has the very first one.  They do work great.  And, her's has a release so if you make a mistake curling it will release your hair and not pull.
 
[linkhttp://www.folica.com/Brush_Curl_186_1.html]http://www.folica.com/Brush_Curl_186_1.html[/link]

Hey! Thanks so much for the link. I will definitely look into getting one of those!!
 
Thanks for all of your suggestions and sympathy! []

i see you have lots of answers already...  my mom was a hairdresser and she had a lady come into her shop years ago after the same thing happened.  mom put real mayonaise on her hair...wrapped it in a saranwrap like plastic and put her under the hair dryer for about 30 minutes. 
i am not sure how long before the lady came to my mom but it did work to relax the perm quite a bit.  mom died almost 8 years ago so i can call her to pick her brain apart.... hope that helps...

I second the hot rollers for your chosen look, but since it's a little too late just try to keep your hair really healthy as the perm grows out. I use 'Redken extreem Anti-snap'. It's a leave-in conditioner that is awesome! I have lots of highlights, and my hair ended up slightly dry this summer. The anti-snap has really helped get my hair healthy again. I also like John Freida products, the big tub of cond for brillant blonde smells slightly minty and really keeps my hair moisturized.
 
As your perm gets looser you can still use either hot rollers or a big barrel curling iron to soften the curls and achieve your look.
 
At least the perm will give you some added body, and you can try some fun new looks! Another idea for a new look is wash hair, put in leave-in cond and your chosen hair product. Then loosely twist wet hair, pin and dry. Once dry, take out pins and use fingers to brush out loose curls. It will leave you with really loose, long spiral type curls. Use a spray gel to finish and set. It's a fun look for a change of pace.
 
John Freida 'secret weapon' can be used on dry hair to smooth split ends and tame curls. It works on my hair worn either straight or curly.

Just wanted to chime in about perms.  I got my first perm in 6th or 7th grade and oh my god!!  I looked like blond little orphan Annie.  No joke!  Plus braces!  AAAAGGHHH!!!  I hate that yearbook picture.  bleh

But I get my hair permed now because I have the worlds finest, thinnest hair ever.  I can't do anything to it to give it body or bounce unless it's been permed.  Otherwise it's just a flat straight thin sheet of hair. I've also tried the body wave thing with a perm and it doesn't work.  It didnt' take, so they have to use the smaller rollers now.  But I have layers so that helps.

I know about bad perms though, so I feel for ya.

You're welcome and just wanted to add the hot air brushes in the link I posted they are going to give you the look hot rollers do but without having to wait and roll your hair, etc.