Perm (hairstyle)

A permanent wave, commonly called a perm, is the chemical treatment of hair to produce curls.

The first chemical treatment for curling hair that was suitable for use on people was invented in the year 1906 by the German hairdresser Karl Nessler (1872-1951). He used a mixture of cow urine and water. The first public demonstration took place on October 8, 1906, but Nessler had been working on the idea since 1896. Previously, wigs had been set with caustic chemicals to form curls, but these recipes were too harsh to use on human skin.

Perm (hairstyle) Media

• IcallPlasticDressing.jpg

  First Prize won at the Hairdressing Fashion Show London, 1935, using an Icall permanent-waving machine. The hair is shorter even than in the 1920s, revealing the ears and neck. The colors were achieved by adding pigments to the setting lotion.

• Oldpermwavead.jpg

  Early 20th century advertisement for Nessler's permanent wave machine

• Eugene shown in 1920 advert.jpg

  Eugene Suter using early heaters designed by Isidoro Calvete. The heaters had two windings that heated the ends and roots separately

• First permanent-waving heaters designed by Calvete in 1917.jpg

  First permanent-waving heaters designed by Calvete in 1917

• Icall Machine 1920.jpg

  Machine made in 1923 by Icall for Eugene

• Hair Windings.jpg

  Hair wound ready for perming. Root winding on top to take tubular heaters, Point winding on sides to take croquignole heaters. 1934

• Icall 1934 Permanent-Waving Machine.jpg

  State-of-the-Art Machine made by Icall in 1934, fitted with Bakelite heaters and a timer which compensated for the type of hair and other factors. The wheels were designed to avoid pick-up of hair from the salon floor. The design incorporated 15 tubular heaters and 6 croquignole.

• Icall 1934 Wireless Permanent Waving Machine.jpg

  A Wireless Permanent-Waving Machine designed by Icall in 1934, in which the heaters were disconnected before applying to the head, known as the "falling-heat" method. The heaters were bulkier so as to store more heat, since they began to cool as soon as applied. The heat was controlled according to the type of hair by a thermostat control.

• Permanent wave machine invented in 1928 by Marjorie Joyner — The first African American woman to receive a patent

References

• "Karl L. Nessler". Retrieved 2006-07-24.
• Salon Fundamentals: A resource for your cosmetology career. Evanston, IL: Pivot Point International. 2004. ISBN 0-615-11288-9.

Other websites

• Pictures of Nessler's permanent curling machine
• Disulphide bonds in hair Archived 2006-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
• The chemistry of a permanent wave
• Old advertisement for Toni brand perm Archived 2007-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Getting a perm in 1950 (demonstration) Archived 2007-10-24 at the Wayback Machine