1. History of permanent waving
Permanent Wave
History of permanent waving

2. History
People have attempted permanent waving since Egyptians & Romans, but were not successful.
It was not until the 20th century, in 1905, that three professional permanent wave methods introduced a new art & science in cosmetology
Cold waving has almost become a specialty service because of the technical knowledge & practice it demands

3. History 1905 – first perm machine designed by Charles Nessler
1906 introduced in London
Machine permanent required electricity
to heat large metal clamps that were placed
over client’s hair
Not efficient, too much equipment
Oblong heating devices hung suspended
by cords & wires from a chandelier-like
structure

4. History
Women sitting underneath these contraptions had their hair covered with a chemical paste and wound around metal rods, starting from the scalp and working downward
These units were heated during the perm process
They were kept from touching the scalp by a complex system of counterbalancing weights, suspended from an overhead chandelier mounted on a stand

5. History
The tubes of the machine were then fitted over the rod, and the curl was electronically “ baked in”
1920’s the technique was modified
Hair was now wrapped from the ends up to the scalp in a method called “ croquignole waving
Created by Robert Bishinger, a beautician from Pittsburgh, PA

6. History 1930’s – came the cold wave and a new era in permanent waving
Chemicals instead of heat were used to process the hair
First cold waves took 6 – 8 hours for completion at room temperature
Term ‘overnight’ wave became popular
1932 first machineless permanent wave
Originally designed by a hairdresser in Pennsylvania
This design removed the risk of electrical burn or shock, and didn’t require the use of a bulky piece of machinery
External heat was generated through a chemical process & preheated clamps

7. History 1934-1st attempt w/out heat
Soft, small pads containing an exothermic (heat producing) mixture were wound around hair strands
Hot clamps kept the pad in place while the curl was processed
1934-1st attempt w/out heat
Original test chemical used was palmolive shaving soap
Strand of hair was cut from scalp
Saturated w/ shaving soap
Wound around nail
Placed in aluminum foil to keep from drying out
3 days later- unrolled & showed definite curl
Curl retained even after shampoo

8. History Next attempt 1938, Arnold F.Willat – birth of cold waving
Waving lotion for heat waving,w/out heating the lotion
Chemicals in the waving lotion softened the hair
Lasted 6-8 hours instead of 3 days
1938, Arnold F.Willat – birth of cold waving
Chemical lotion was sprayed directly onto set hair
10 minutes time a client had a full head of curls

9. History
Willat found that during the treatment hair was hydrolyzed – the protein of the hair was chemically made to combine with water instead of simply getting wet.
This process often caused many hair cells to break down & as a result the hair would break off when unrolled from the rod
Cold wave lotion, because of its low temperature, was not nearly as damaging as the heated alternative

10. History
Women could undergo repeated cold wave perms with little or no damage to their hair
The secret was not in the application of heat, but in the chemicals themselves
1940 – first commercial perm
1941 a woman undergoing a perm died
Her death was attributed to absorption of ammonium sulfide
FDA immediately took the sulfide lotion off the market

11. History 1941 – a substitute was needed quickly
Thioglycolate appeared in the salons and worked just as well as its sulfide predecessor
1948 FDA ruled that the new lotion was safe, and permanent waving enjoyed an even bigger surge of popularity
1946 – salon owners became concerned
Store shelves of home permanents appeared
Campaigns were launched on the advantages of a professional perm

12. History Early 1950’s – different strength per solutions appeared
Additives became popular
Placenta
Mink oil
Wheat germ
1952 – on rod method in neutralizing verses splash on method

13. History 1956 – finally more salon perms were administered
Slogans appeared everywhere
“Professional care is best for the hair”
TONI – the famous slogan “Which twin has the Toni?” ad landed the Toni Home Permanent Company in court when it was discovered that both twins had had their hair done in a salon, which charged $15 per treatment, as opposed to the $2 cost of a home perm
Toni was ordered to refrain from further false advertising

14. History 1960’s – perms and alkaline perms
Natural styles were emphasized & straight hair became the big look
By the 1960’s, scientific hair analysis had made us more aware of pH
Potential hydrogen
1965 – “reverse perm”
Removal of undesired curl, later classified as chemical hair straighteners

15. History
Early attempts to use chemicals to reform the hair quickly gave way to the alkaline cold waving method that is still in use today
This method utilizes a waving solution that is formulated with
Thioglycolic acid or its derivatives
Gentler curl
Ammonium hydroxide
Firmer curl

16. History
1970’s – acid wave was developed which help reverse the negative attitude with perming
Today
Although thioglycolic acid or a derivative is still the basic ingredient, the free ammonia or excess alkali is eliminated from the formula
This does not end the history of permanent waving because of continual exploration for the “perfect curl”

17. Summary
Charles Nessler invented the perm machine capable of producing “permanent” curl in hair
1st perms were called heat waves because heat and strong alkali produced the curl
1930 cold wave introduced
Today – acid waves popular because they have a lower pH than the cold waves and produce a more natural looking curl