The Perm Is Back! Here Are the Do's + Don'ts of 2017's Hottest Hair Trends

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Photo credit: Rachael Ray Show Aired August 23, 2017

Yep, you read that right -- the perm is back ya’ll, and it’s better than ever.

Is this news making you want to break out your scrunchies? Well hold onto your slouchy socks, because there’s even more shocking news: people are dyeing their hair gray ON PURPOSE. (Gasp!) AND, the whole grown-out-roots-because-I-forgot-to-make-a-touch-up-appointment look is A THING.

Before you faint in despair, allow hair expert Kyan Douglas to explain while you swoon over the pretty hair pics of celebrities who are rocking these trends. Here are his do’s and don’ts on pulling them off:

Kyan Douglas' Do's + Don'ts of the Blonde-Gray Hair Trend

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TREND: Blonde-Gray
Women have been trying to cover up their gray hair for years, and now young women are dying it gray on purpose -- but not a salt and pepper-type gray, more of a luxe silver gray with a bluish undertone. Kyan says this cool, edgy look gives off a kind of “ice queen” vibe.

How to Get It: A professional will first bleach your hair to lift out color and is then followed by a toner to cancel out any remaining yellow tone that is naturally left after bleaching. This process is called a “double process.”

Who’s Rocked It: Pink, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lawrence

Do’s:
- Tell your colorist about any color you currently have on your hair, i.e. has it been bleached at all? Is there any other color, glaze or toner covering over a previous bleach centered service?
- Schedule a consultation first before booking the service. This adds time and some inconvenience to the process, but it’ll reduce the chances of damaging your hair or being disappointed in the final look.
- Budget for maintenance. You can expect to need regrowth touch-ups and re-toning every 6-8 weeks, give or take.
- Ask your colorist to use a bond repair product such as Redken PH Bonder when they execute the service. This will help minimize damage as it repairs the damaged outer layer of your hair’s cuticle.

Don’ts:
- Do NOT try this if your hair is damaged, very fine or fragile, or already double processed.
- Do NOT try this at home!

READ: Kyan Douglas Updates 3 Iconic Hairstyles

The Perm Is Back! Here Are the Do's + Don'ts of 2017's Hottest Hair Trends

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TREND: Perm
For those of you with fine hair who go to great lengths just to make it hold a curl -- this one’s for you. Many women are turning to perms to get voluminous beachy waves -- not the tight, over-processed curl look from the 80s and 90s. (Phew!)

How to Get It: The hair is wrapped around an implement such as a perm rod or foam block. A chemical agent is used to break down side bonds in the hair's cortex (that’s the middle layer where the hair's texture is decided). Once the bonds have broken down while on the rod, another agent is used to re-establish new side bonds so that the hair now permanently has the texture dictated by the implement it was wrapped around. A neutralizer is used to bring the hair back to its normal PH.

Who’s Rocked It: Julianne Hough

Do’s:
- Find a hair stylist who regularly does perms and who has developed skills beyond the textbook perm sets that are usually taught in cosmetology school. This is different than the original perm, and someone who is current with this trend will know how to position the rods so that the effect is easy, breezy, wavy hair.
- Schedule a consult before scheduling this service, and have a conversation about the size of the perm rods, and how strong of a perm solution they will use. The larger the rod is, the looser the curl will be. The smaller the rod, the tighter the curl. The lower the PH solution, the looser the curls.

Don’ts:
- Do NOT pursue this if you have damaged or ultra-fine hair. Instead grow out the damaged hair and have the service when your hair is strong and healthy.
- Do NOT do this if you have scalp abrasions, a disease, or if you have had your hair chemically straightened.
- Do NOT try this one at home.


WATCH: Fixing DIY Hair Disasters with Kyan Douglas

Overgrown Roots Are Now a Hair Trend for 2017

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TREND: Overgrown Roots
It used to be that when your roots were overgrown, it meant you failed to make a touch-up appointment, but now it’s okay! Kyan says the point of this trend is that it's easy to maintain.

How to Get It: The color is applied several inches from your scalp so that you have the effect of very long re-growth. This process if different from ombre in that there is not a gradual progression from darker to lighter, but a more defined line of demarcation. Also with ombre, the darker sections of hair are usually color treated.

Who’s Rocked It: Drew Barrymore

Do’s:
- Stay within the same tonal quality of your natural base color: if you hair is ash to natural at the root, make sure the colored hair has an ash or natural finish. If your natural base color is warm, then go with a warm tone on the ends, even though they will be lighter. The whole point of this trend is that it's low maintenance, so don't fight the tone your hair will naturally want to go.
- Consider your skin tone when deciding how to color the ends. The color on the ends should be flattering to your skin tone, as if you were applying it from root to ends.
- Blend the color with the darker roots unless you are intentionally going for a "dipped" effect.

Don’ts:
- Do NOT try this trend unless you are comfortable with an edgier look. If you don’t like your natural base color (you’re going to be seeing a lot of it!), or if you have a lot of gray that you really want to cover.
- Do NOT go more than three levels lighter than your natural base color unless your hair is very healthy and you want an edgy contrasty look.


WATCH: Kyan Douglas' Bad Hair Fixes: Detangling & Flat Irons

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