Coffee curls

Last week (August 2) I permed my hair with braids. Securing the ends with perm wrappers and rubber bands, the Jheri Redding One ‘n Only acid perm worked well. I waited five days to wash it out. The smell lingered even after the wash.

Tiny waves are locked in. This took a lot of do-it-yourself effort; about four hours worth. My hot crimper can have a break. Hair maintenance is working nicely. Prior to washing, I’ll be sprinkling in baking soda to prevent residue. A cool rinse helps too. Dry baking soda is a messy dry shampoo. Best thing is washing it out. It’s a water softener.

Porosity allows processed hair to absorb color. For instance, a platinum blond can play with food coloring to get rainbows. I’m experimenting with coffee as a leave-in conditioner to see what happens. I’ve noticed tiny color bursts: the oils from brewed coffee (cooled down) created subtle tones with a dab of shine.

Hard water makes a mess of color treated and permed hair. It turns brassy brown. That’s partly why I stopped coloring and started giving myself long bob cuts. The color is now a naturally blended two-tone ombre. The length after four months growth is almost five inches.