Types of perms
Contrary to popular belief there are two main methods of perming hair – digital perm vs cold perm. There are other perms but those are more different styes of perms. These two processes of perms have many differences, and one may be more suitable for you than the other.
What is a digital perm?
A digital perm is a perm that directly adds heat to the hair. It uses a milder perming solution as well as perm rods which are heated by a digital display machine. Also called an Asian perm, Japanese perm or Korean perm it was created for difficult to curl Asian hair. The perming solution is usually acidic with a pH between 4 and 7 where the main chemical is glyceryl monothioglycolate. Yes, the perming machine does look scary like a weird Frankenstein machine but it gives great results.
What is a cold perm?
A cold perm also known as a normal or traditional perm involves a chemical perming solution and indirect heat or no heat at all. This traditional perm is the standard perm that you will find at a salon. The cold perm involves the use of an alkaline chemical called ammonium thioglycolate which has a pH between 8 and 10.
The differences between a digital and a cold perm
Onto the differences between these two types of perming methods. A digital perm uses an acidic solution plus heat within the perm rods. A cold perm uses an alkaline solution usually without heat.
Digital perms tend to create relaxed curls when wet but with more defined waves once dried. On the other hand, a cold perm looks curlier when wet but when dried the curls become looser. For this reason a digital perm is known to last longer than a cold perm.
On the flip side, a traditional perm is curled from the root whereas the digital one is curled from the mid-length of the hair. This is why a normal perm is fine for short hair whereas the digital perm is not. A digital perm can only be applied to hair 4 inches or longer but a regular perm is suitable for shorter hair of 2 inches in length.
Another advantage of a cold perm is that you can have various sizes of curls however, a digital one only produces big soft curls or waves similar to the ones you get from a curling iron.
The Asian perm originated in Japan and stylists there have the most experience with it. It is still newer technology so there are fewer stylists familiar with it outside of Japan and Korea. The cold perm is an older process so more stylists will be able to carry this out. This accounts for the reason why digital perms also tend to be more expensive than a regular perm.
Below is a table of digital perm vs cold perm.
| Characteristics | Digital Perm | Cold Perm |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical solution | Uses an acidic perming solution | Uses an al perming solution |
| Look | Curls are more prominent when dry | Curls are more prominent when wet |
| Price | Price is higher | Price is lower |
| Duration | 6 – 12 months | 3 – 6 months |
| Curl type | Big soft curls/waves | Variety of curls/waves |
| Hair length | At least 4 inches | Around 2 inches |
| Hair roots | Curled from mid-length | Curled from roots |
As with any new hair procedure first visit a hair salon to get a consultation to know if your hair is suitable for either one of these methods.
If you have tried either or both let me know in the comments below!
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