What to Look for When Buying Spiral Perm Rods

Size

The most important thing to look for is the rod size, which determines whether your curls will be loose or tight. To achieve large, loose curls, you’ll need to buy large rods. To achieve small tight curls, you’ll need smaller rods. Most people select medium sized rods or opt for a combination of different sizes to create a more natural effect. However, if you have very short hair that’s less than two inches long, you’ll want to stick with the smallest type of rods, and if you have hair that is longer than six inches, you’ll want to stick with larger rods.

There are six different rod sizes, two small, two medium, and two large. You can differentiate between the sizes by their color. Colors adhere to a universal standard used by all perm rod manufacturers.  From smallest to largest, the colors are red, blue, pink, grey, white and purple.

Design

When buying spiral rods, look for ridges. Standard rods lack these ridges and they won’t produce the same beautiful spiral curls.

Quantity

Make sure to purchase enough rods to perm all of your hair. You don’t want you run out partway through the process and end up with a head of half curly hair. Buy at least four-dozen small or medium rods, or three-dozen larger rods. If you’re blending rod sizes, buy at least four-dozen rods. It’s better to have rods left over, than left over hair.

Considerations

Although many people choose to perm their hair at home, if you are unsure about the process, go to a professional beauty salon. There are risks involved with perming your own hair, including breakage and severe damage if you don’t perform the steps correctly, and you’re better off visiting a professional than causing damage to your hair that will takes months to grow out.