14 Things You Should Know Before Getting a Perm

The modern perms blowing up on Instagram are loose, tousled styles and not like the gravity-defying coils from decades gone by. No two perms are identical, so it's important that you and your hairstylist are on the same page regarding what you want. Have a consultation. Bring photos and talk about your hair. Processing time, curl pattern and how open hair follicles are during the treatment will also impact the final results.

Perms are a chemical treatment as opposed to a thermal one and come with different looks. "[Hair] is not going to look like it has been curled with tongs or blow-dried big and bouncy," says Brendan O'Sullivan, creative director of Brendan O'Sullivan Hair and Beauty. "Perms give more natural-looking curls." 

Image via @bykileyfitz