What is a digital perm?

A digital perm uses heated rods and a gentler solution to build a loose, defined wave that shows when hair is dry. It suits coarse, resistant or frizzy hair, and it stays in the hair we treat until you cut it off.

What is the difference between a digital perm and a traditional perm?

A traditional cold perm creates tighter curl that is most visible when hair is wet, and it loosens over time. A digital perm applies controlled heat, producing a looser wave that shows when hair is dry and stays until you cut it off.

Can I get a digital perm on bleached hair?

Usually not. Heavily bleached hair, or hair colored at home with box dye, can be damaged by the process. We assess condition at a free consultation and will recommend a treatment plan first if the hair is not ready.

How much does a digital perm cost in Indianapolis?

At Beulah Beauty Boutique a digital perm starts at $350, depending on hair length and density. A free consultation confirms the price before booking.

Korean Specialty

Korean beauty, shaped for you.

Perms have a bad reputation in the United States, earned in the 1980s and never revisited. Korean perming is a different craft: lower heat, gentler solutions, and a result closer to hair that simply grew that way.

If your hair can’t take one of these, we’d rather tell you at the consultation than halfway through the appointment.

Korean digital perm rods being wound into a client’s hair

Perm rods being wound, section by section.

Specifications

Digital perm

$350+

Heated rods set a loose, defined wave that shows when the hair is dry.

Time: 3 to 4 hours
Lasts: Permanent until you cut it off
Result: Loose wave, visible dry, minimal daily styling
Best for: Coarse, resistant, or frizzy hair
Not for: Heavily bleached (blonde) or at home box dyed hair. It will lead to damage. Book the consultation and we’ll tell you what your hair needs first.

Aftercare: Recommended to not wash for 48 hours for the best results. Dry with a blow dryer till 90% dry while twisting the hair either forward or backwards whichever way you prefer.

Magic straightening

$350+

Also sold as Japanese straightening. Permanently restructures the hair to sit flat. Unlike keratin, it doesn’t wash out.

Time: 4 to 6 hours
Lasts: Permanent on treated hair. New growth needs a touch-up.
Result: Pin-straight, no daily heat styling
Best for: Thick, coarse or strongly wavy hair
Not for: Bleached hair, and anyone who might want their curl back. The straightening is permanent and the texture will not change over time.

Aftercare: Recommended to not wash for 48 hours for the best results

Multi perm

$400+

Two techniques in one appointment: magic straightening on the top, a digital perm underneath. The most tailored service we do.

Time: 3 to 4 hours
Lasts: 6 to 8 months
Result: Basically magic straightening the top while digital perm on the bottom
Best for: People with frizzy hair that want to straighten/lift the roots while curling (magic perm) the bottom
Not for: Very short hair, or hair with recent chemical damage. Ask at the consultation if you’re not sure whether yours counts as recent.

Aftercare: Recommended to not wash for 48 hours for the best results

Traditional perm, with cut

$185+

The classic cold perm, cut to suit. Tighter curl than a digital perm and a lot cheaper.

Time: 2 to 3 hours, cut included
Lasts: 4 to 6 months. The traditional perm can still be loose but is just not permanent so that’s why it loosens over time.
Result: Defined curl, most visible when wet
Best for: A wet curl look that will loosen over time
Not for: Anyone looking for a loose beachy wave. That’s the digital perm, listed above.

Aftercare: Recommended to not wash for 48 hours for the best results

Iron perm, with cut

$185+

Soft texture and movement on top, cut to shape.

Time: 2 to 3 hours, cut included
Lasts: Permanent until you cut it off. How long that takes depends on how many haircuts you get.
Result: Textured volume on top, easy to style
Best for: Shorter hair (men or woman) and for people who want a clean blown out look without using extra time to style or products
Not for: Under an inch of length on top. Grow it out and come back. Also not for a wet look. That is the traditional perm, listed above.

Aftercare: Recommended to not wash for 48 hours for the best results

Also offered

A scalp treatment can be added before a chemical service. Ask at the consultation whether it’s worth it for your hair.

Scalp treatment from $85

Before you book

Is this the perm my mother had?

No. That was a cold perm set tight and small. A digital perm uses controlled heat on larger rods, and the result is a wave rather than a curl.

Will it damage my hair?

Any chemical service changes the hair. What condition it’s in beforehand decides how it turns out, which is why the consultation comes first.

I have bleached hair. Can I still book?

Book the consultation, not the service. Depending on how much lift the hair has had, we may want to do a few treatments first. We’d rather lose the booking than wreck your hair.

I have textured or curly hair. What can you do?

Cuts, color and conditioning work on any texture, and keeping your curl is a perfectly good outcome. If you do want it smoother, magic straightening and keratin are the two we’d look at, and which one depends on whether you want it to stay straight, or you’re happy for it to go back to your texture over time.

Can I see perms you’ve actually done?

Yes. Finished work goes on Instagram.

Request a consultation Recent perms on Instagram