Remember when we all used to set perms with those giant metal rollers?

Back in my aunt's salon in the late 90s, we had a whole wall of those heavy perm rods and the smell was something else. Now, I mostly do digital perms with flexible plastic rods and a much gentler solution. The switch happened for me around 2010 when clients kept asking for softer, more natural waves instead of tight curls. It's way faster and the results are more predictable, honestly. Anyone else still have a box of the old metal ones tucked away somewhere, or did you finally toss them?

2 comments

2 Comments

emery181mo ago

My mom's salon in Toledo had a whole drawer of those metal rods that weighed a ton. I used to think they were the only way to get a real, lasting curl. Then a client showed me a picture of the wave she actually wanted, and it looked nothing like those tight springs. That was the moment I realized the old tools just couldn't make the softer look people were asking for. I switched to the plastic rods for good and never looked back.

hunt.jana1mo ago

Yeah I was the same way, swore by those heavy metal rods for years. Thought plastic ones were cheap and wouldn't hold. Then I saw a post from @emery18 about the softer waves people actually want now. It clicked for me too. Tried the bigger plastic rollers on a client last week and the loose, beachy curls were perfect. Totally changed my whole setup.