YOU AND BEAUTY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 94, 10 April 1941, Page 43

YOU AND BEAUTY

R PERM Fae thousand years ago Pharaoh’s daughter had her hair permanently waved. The hair was divided into strands, then each strand was plastered with mud and wound round a stick. The mud was left to bake dry in the sun. The sticks were removed, the mud was washed out, and the result was a recognisable kink. No patient seems to have died of sunstroke. To-day the process is slightly less uncomfortable, but the baking principle is still employed. Perhaps half the women in New Zealand get their hair " permed" regularly. It is therefore of some interest to know something about the processes used. Point and Spiral Waving The point or croquignole wave is the wave that is rolled up from the ends of the hair. The spiral or root wave is made by winding the hair round a rod from root to tip. The spiral is better for short hair because it waves close to the head, whereas the point wind gives loose waves. For the average coiffure a combination of these two is desirable. This "combination wave" will give you loose waves and tight curls. All types of wave depend on the same principle. The hair is first thoroughly damped and then heat is applied. Variéus chemicals are used in the damping, the strength of the solution varying with the type of hair. In a machine wave the curls are wrapped in perforated sachets

and enclosed in metal containers attached to an electric machine. In the machineless wave the clips for the curls are heated first and then applied to the hair, which means that you don’t have to remain strung up like Absolom but are free to rush to the window when a patriotic procession goes past. It is best to go to a salon which specialises in all types of waving. The fact that your girl-friend had a perfect perm by some special method doesn’t necessarily mean that your wave will be perfect, too. The hair texture is the most important factor. Generally speaking, the coarser the hair the higher the temperature needed to wave it successfully. Too high a temperature will result in "frizz" if your hair is fine, and a low-temperature wave will not "take" on coarse hair. Special Conditions Formerly it was impossible to wave hair which had been dyed or bleached. Now, however, there is no difficulty provided you tell your hairdresser. It need go no further. And there should be no difficulty about re-waving hair which has not completely grown out. In all these cases it is desirable to have a test curl. Several people with naturally. wavy hair hesitate to have their hair "permed" for fear it will harm the natural wave. There is, however, no danger of this, and your coiffure problems are simplified if the ends are waved. ; A cheap wave is usually a bad investment. Remember that you are paying for the experience of the operator as well as for her time and equipment. If you put your lipstick on crooked you can wipe it off and begin again, but it takes six months to live down a botched perm. Before Perming Permanent waving makes demands on your hair. It is therefore advisable to have the hair in as fit a condition as possible by regular brushing and scalp massage. If it is dry, hot oil treatments are necessary, as waving tends to rob the hair of its natural oils. If your hair is thick, tapering beforehand will prevent that furze-bush effect afterwards. Next Week: Your Complexion