Kate Williams writes...
When Kiss and Makeup's editor Steph, asked me to review the Digital Perm treatment at the beautiful Eleven Hair studio in central London I was suspicious... why wasn't Steph taking this one for herself? Turns out, Steph had actually been refused the treatment because the staff said the result would not improve on her already curly hair, which impressed me from the off: Eleven obviously puts the happiness of their customers before their bank manager's.
My hair, on the other hand, was another story. Unsure whether to be offended or excited by my suitability, my simple, long (and a little limp) locks were the perfect candidate for the treatment. I was all set to take on the mammoth five hour quest for the beautiful voluminous hair that Steph was born with.
So what is a Digital Perm? Well the treatment thermally reconditions the hair and reconstructs it into the curls of your choice, whether you're after loose, boho waves or big, bouncy curls. It's called a 'digital' perm because the rollers are heated up once they're in the hair by being plugged into wires (which looks a little bit terrifying in the pictures, as you can see below).
Upon arriving at the intimate salon (looking like I do in the picture above) the process began with a consultation with Digital Perm expert Sebastian. I opted for the largest loose barrelled curls I could get (tight set ringlets are really not my style) and we set to work.
The treatment began with a normal shampoo and condition, followed by a spritz of some pre-treatment sprays. A solution was then applied in sections to the main bulk of my hair to break down the proteins. After sitting with this in for approximately ten minutes Sebastian tested my hair, which unbelievably (and a little worryingly) had become stretchy like elastic.
Sebastion rinsed the solution out, and then my hair was sectioned and put into rollers, starting at the back and working around the head. The rollers were then plugged with wires and heated at 60 degrees - I sat looking like some kind of mad scientist experiment for the next thirty minutes:
Sexy. My hair was then allowed to cool gradually for around twenty minutes, and then a neutralising mousse was applied and left in for five minutes. Then it got another wash, and some leave-in conditioner.
Now for the exciting part: when wet, my hair didn't look much different. But, as Sebastion dried my hair, curling it gently with his fingertips, I could see beautiful curls taking shape in my hair without much effort at all. You can see the fresh finished result in the picture right at the top of the post.
So, the after-effects: if I leave my hair to dry naturally I get pretty beach-like waves, and when I style it, it's much more effective, the curls are better formed and they hold for ages. It's added a new lease of life to my somewhat boring do, and I've noticed no negative side effects at all.
Your hair does have to be a in a certain condition to be appropriate for this treatment to begin with, so if you're interested it's definitely worth a consultation. Exclusively available at London's Eleven hair studio, it costs between between £250 and £320 depending on length and thickness.
If you want to add definition, volume and shape to your hair, and find yourself wasting hours with tongs, I'd definitely recommend it. For more information visit Eleven Hair online here.