Unplanned First

[Sarasometimes]

Yesterday I had an appointment at a different salon in good sized city in eastern Pennsylvania for a shampoo and roller set. I applied my makeup in mu car in a parking deck about a block from the salon. I was pleased with how I looked but not perfect. I entered the salon as the only client and met my stylist. She shampooed me and then started to set my hair and I realized I left my cell phone in my car. I was expecting several important text messages so I had to go and get my phone. Holly and I agreed it would be best if I had my whole head in curlers rather than half done. So when she finished putting them in off I went. Not too many people on the street but a few. and I must say although it was uneventful, the walk did seem longer both ways but I held my head high and owned everyone of those curlers in my head. Although unplanned it was first none the less.
Oh and my hair turned out beautifully.

[cdterri]

Back in the seventies when I was attempting to transition I took a walk to my parents house. I was wearing a skirt, sweater and flats. I walked past several young boys playing in frt. of their house. The only thing said was "Hey why do you have rollers in your hair?" Friggen kids

[Rhonda Jean]

I'm jealous! My curler days are over. Back in the day I was way into hair, especially roller sets and salon stuff. I slept in curlers for years. I was in rollers in public pretty often back in the mid 70's through the early 80's. I continued to have salon roller sets until just a few years ago. It became difficult to find a salon that even did them. Toward the end I was about the youngest person still getting them. Such fun while it lasted, though!

[Sarasometimes]

It is a lost art of sorts in most salons but you can still find some who will do them. I have MPB so I get mine done to my human hair wigs, such fun!

[Teressa]

I know you felt like a million.
Have been in rollers for a long time. My wife always did my hair but now that she is gone the only other person that knows Teressa is my cousin. Who just happens to be a hairdresser. We get together every couple of months and she does my hair.
and have a girls night. LOVE her to pieces.

[Brandy]

That's an awesome story. Wish I had the requisite hair to go get a set. Dumb genetics.

[ChristinaK]

Love your anecdote. How cool would it be to be able to curl your hair?

Yesterday I told my wife I'm getting a perm. She was not amused. No sense of humor. I can fix my hair anyway in a womanly style, but wish I could do curls or a perm.

Any pictures?

[Sarasometimes]

Brandy, they aren't cheap but human hair wigs can be set as mine is and some can also have highlights and I even had balyage done a couple of times which made me feel of so feminine!
I'm also into hair since I used to get perms as a guy in the early 80's. I so loved those appointments and oddly enjoyed the smell too, go figure?
Teressa I felt like a nervous million during the walk. Please do consider going to a salon in an area a bit from home if that matters and get a rollers set...Salons are so fun to be in and most are super welcoming and it will give you a chance to be queen for the day.
Anyone looking for salons in eastern pa on NJ PM me and I'll share.

[Rhonda Jean]

Isn't it amazing that back in the 80's it was absolutely no big deal for a guy to get a perm. Roller sets were a bit of a taboo, but perms were perfectly OK and very common for all ages. I knew several guys who got perms on a regular basis. Most guys got very tight curls. You'd occasionally see a guy with big loose curls. I knew one who got a spiral. Even that was no big deal. I have no idea how that fad took off so quickly. I tried a home perm a few times but they never took on my already-curly hair. I just wanted to loosen my curls, which is what I did with a roller set.

Looking back at hairstyles of entertainers then there were a lot of guys with highly styled hair. There had to be rollers and curling irons involved in those styles, but nobody wants to admit it.

[Claire Cook]

Hi Sara,

Thanks for sharing this! Part of what I love about CD'ing is that everytime I am out I learn something new about being a woman. When I am at the salon I'm sometimes jealous of the other older ladies in curlers. My own hair is much too short (and sparse :battingeyelashes:) to have it permed, but I have had my wigs styled there (synthetic, just cut and primped).

Glad you held your head up high -- I'll bet it felt great!

Hugs,

Claire

[Sarasometimes]

Rhonda, I agree "Isn't it amazing that back in the 80's it was absolutely no big deal for a guy to get a perm." I found that it was an ice breaker with women my age back then. They would ask me if it was a perm and then we would discuss either how each of ours was done, how long it took, did you go under a dryer, how bad it smelled, cost...I can't recall any real negative comments from girls or guys.
I love the process and how once Pam started I was in for the duration. I think she enjoyed putting me through my paces. I think she wrapped one of the tightest perms, often with 2 stabilizers per rod. The occasional smock she would give my might be a pastel one or with cap sleeves and a button on the ladies side. Most of mine required sitting under a dryer set of course to the highest heat setting marked "perm".
Today I still enjoy my salon time it is just a little different.
Nice to hear from others here with a similar love for beauty salon time.

[donnalee]

Reaching really far back, i remember both my sisters doing those home perms (Toni and a couple more) in the '50s when they were in high school with their friends or each other. I always liked that smell.

[Sarasometimes]

Donnalee, I remember my mom and her sister doing each other's home perms and the smell. My sister also went through a perming phase a bit before I did and we both had the same hairdresser, Pam. There was a time when both of us got Apple Pectin perms and I think they were by far the most aromatic. I loved waking up the morning after a fresh perm and having my pillow hold the scent.
Over several years, Pam changed salons often so I got to sample the ambiance and perming methods found in many salons. At the last salon where she gave me perms she was using these flexible rollers (follow link below) and a perm that took nearly 4 fun filled hours to complete (several conditioning steps under the dryer then the perm). Oh how I miss those days. I'd love to get a wig permed but I don't think it would work if I was wearing it (my hair underneath would be affected and I'd have that smell to explain).
Flexible Rollers
https://jwagemakers.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/200.jpg

Pictures similar to how I looked ( I loved/hated that drip tray)
http://bygumbygolly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/perm-rods.jpg

The cotton
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BmUDGupiOjw/hqdefault.jpg
The dreaded and painful time at the sink:

http://previews.123rf.com/images/racorn/racorn1308/racorn130801204/21222935-Hairstylist-doing-a-perm-placing-a-heairnet-over-the-tightly-rolled-curlers-in-a-customers-hair-befo-Stock-Photo.jpg

Oh what fun to reminisce

[pamela7]

the only rollers I've experienced have travelled 4000 miles before they arrive at our Cornwall surf beaches. so what exactly are they for? (seriously)

[Sandie70]

My earliest memories are of my mom walking around the house in rollers (also called curlers?) and I always identified them as something uniquely girly/woman.

Then I remember when I was small, my mom would take me to the salon and I would marvel at those huge hair dryers all the ladies would sit under. I thought they were space helmets and wanted so badly to see what it was like to be under one of them.

I guess when we grow up and start our journey to being fem, those early memories seem to define how we approach our crossdressing.

[Sarasometimes]

Pamela we are talking about hair rollers or curlers. You can google them for more info.
Sandie, I too remember my mom in curlers often as she worked around the house. She also took me to the salon when I was little and I had the same marvel and curiosity about being under the dryer. When I first started to go to Pam for my men's cut she suggested conditioning my hair which I agreed to not realizing i would go under the dryer. I was pleasantly surprised when she put a plastic cap on my head and led me to a dryer. That first time as I sat under it I glanced across the salon sans glasses(I have had horrible eyesight since early childhood) I saw a client getting a perm under another dryer and I was thinking she must think it is odd for a guy to be under a dryer. I later discovered she was a he and clearly he didn't care about me since he was getting a perm.
Most salon services and treatments are great opportunities to experience typically feminine treatments.