Looking back at my photos from Fresher’s 2022, I am struck by how different I looked with near-straight hair. I have been getting perms since 2020, but my last one had grown out by the time I started at Cambridge. Driven by a post-breakup desire for a ‘new look’, I have had my current perm for just over a year. Although one Camfessor described their perm as ‘Not the hot, sexy, irresistible look I hoped foe [sic]’, I have to confess that my experience was quite different. In fact, my perm made my hair look a lot healthier, hot, sexy, and more irresistible than my natural hair.

When I first got my perm, I likely would have agreed with the Camfess above. It refused to sit right, wouldn’t behave itself and generally looked a little bit silly. Most of my problems, however, stemmed from my inability to care for my perm and my lack of research. Curly haircare differs greatly from straight haircare. Never brush it when its dry… but still be careful when its wet. I made the mistake of over-brushing in my first week of having my perm. My hair looked and felt dry and was constantly in a state of craziness. Once I began letting it dry naturally (without brushing it!) and treating it with hair oil regularly, it calmed down into a style that better suited my face shape.

“Once I began letting my perm dry naturally and treated it with hair oil regularly, it calmed down into a style that better suited my face shape”

There are different types of perm, too. Picking the right one is important. My perm is more of a ‘natural waves’ style. I love the 80s style of perm, but I like my hair on the shorter side and I was worried it wouldn’t work with the length. I also had wavy hair growing up and wanted to return to a more personally nostalgic style instead of trying something entirely different. I am glad I went for waves in the end, especially since it meant spending less time at the hairdressers!

Getting a perm can be a pain. It takes hours, and the chemicals stink. Think rotten eggs – that’s what your hair smells like in the days following your perm. It’s no wonder that the original lawyers believed Chutney when she said she had taken a shower after getting her perm (even if she and Elle both knew this would deactivate the ammonium thioglycolate). Funnily enough, you can wet your hair after getting a perm, you just can’t add chemicals – this still doesn’t help the smell, unfortunately. I was ultra careful and avoided washing my hair in the days following my perm, but it’s not as dangerous as Legally Blonde makes out.

My least favourite thing about my perm was how dry it made my hair at first. I had forgotten about this little problem when getting my second perm, as I jetted off to Vienna with hand luggage only: hair oil not included. My hair became so dry over the next 4 days that I was worried it would quite literally snap off. The first thing I did upon my return home was essentially douse it in conditioner.

“If you want your hair to have consistent volume, a perm is probably the way to go”

Whilst the above points may not seem like a true ‘love letter’ to the perm, I have to confess that my permed hair is probably one of my favourite features. It frames my face well and hides my split ends, and it is so much easier to care for. With my thick straight hair, I always had to brush it or it would look crazily messy. Now, I can wake up, run my fingers through it once, and it looks great! I especially love how my hair looks directly after a shower or a swim, even if it doesn’t feel amazing after the latter (salty hair is never fun). If you want your hair to have consistent volume, a perm is probably the way to go!

My perm has also encouraged me to experiment more with hairstyles. Before, I would throw my hair into a ponytail and leave it at that. Now, I take the time to add ribbons, hairbands, and so on to my hair, whilst trying different updos that take advantage of the volume behind my perm. My hair ties every outfit together, no pun intended.

Unlike hair dye, a perm that’s slowly growing out isn’t obvious to the eye. The curls flatten a bit, but if (like me) you’ve gone for a natural-style perm, it just makes the curls look more like gentle waves. I quite like a layered look with a half-grown-out perm, as it looks very similar to the viral ‘wolf cut’ without the daily effort of styling it with straighteners and products.

Essentially, whilst the perm has its problems, it can look great if you do the proper research. Go for a style that’s compatible with your hair type and length, remember that straight and curly hair are not cared for in the same way, and then you’ll have that ‘hot, sexy, irresistible look’ that you hoped for! Besides, if it doesn’t look the way you want it to, you can always reverse it with some straighteners and remember that it’ll grow out soon enough.