New wedding image using a perm

If you haven't had a perm since you were getting ready for your First Grade dance recital, you might be in for a big shock if you decide to shop for a perm.

To try and lure consumers back to the chemical perm salon cash cow, perm companies have created "new chemical formulations" that are mixed with a range of new ingredients including herbs, natural ingredients and essential oils.

Some hairdressers add so-called conditioning oils to the perm mixes with the claim that it will protect hair from the chemicals.

Salon owners and hairdressers are also touting maximum flexibility of wave and curl creation by offering new rolling patterns, techniques and perm rods.

Hair manufacturers discovered in the mid-90s that newly empowered hair consumers demanded a more efficient, streamlined, healthier perm process. They were also unwilling to suffer through months of damaged and burnt strands from harsh perm chemicals or faulty application techniques.

Hair consumers were more pressed for time. The days of spending all day in the salon while your perm "cooked" has been replaced by high tech formulas for optimal hair texture creation and faster chemical processing.

"Express perms" are only part of the hair texturing options that are possible in some select salons. Of course to successfully create new texture in the form of curls and waves, perms still require the use of harsh chemicals. Express perms simply leave the damaging chemicals on the hair for a shorter time period.