If you are considering perming your hair, you may have heard of both the air wave perm and the digital perm. Usually, when one thinks about perming hair, tight curls and ringlets come to mind. But the air wave and the digital perm aim for a wavy natural looking curl even if you have fine hair.
Even if the result that these two perming methods aim for is the same, the way they work couldn’t be more different. The digital perm will use heat and chemicals to produce the curls, while the air wave perm does not employ heat to achieve curls.
The air wave perming method sends ozone directly inside your hair shafts’ cortex to develop curls using air circulation. So, as you can surmise, these are two very different methods of perming, both with enviable results.
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What’s the Difference Between the Two Perms?
Both perming methods use chemicals to modify hair strands and their structure. They differentiate in how they set the curls.
A Digital perm uses temperatures from 100° to 120°. The air wave perm instead inserts ozone into hair shafts using air, permitting curls to be set at lower temps so that there is less damage to the hair.
Where the digital perm uses temps as high as 120°, the air wave will employ temperatures between 53° and 60°. That is significantly different in terms of temperatures and in the amount of potential heat damage to hair.
Consider the Expense Involved
The two methods have slightly different costs. A digital perm generally needs more than three hours, even four, to set curls and will require a hair care professional’s utmost attention to perm all your hair.
The digital perm uses digital means to control the heat rods inserted in the hair to achieve curling. After your hair is treated with perm lotion, the lotion is rinsed off and the heating rods are applied.
The digital perm also requires a considerable amount of time because a hair care professional must apply the perm which entails using heat protective sheets and endpapers. Digital perms are expensive, generally costing several hundred dollars.
The airwave perm requires less time and is a bit less expensive than digital perms.
The Curls: Air Wave or Digital Perm?
Digital perms are popular with rave reviews because of the curls they produce. The digital method produces voluminous curls and waves that are very natural looking, so much so, that it may not appear that you have permed your hair. Curls tend to be looser but long-lasting.
The curls produced by an air wave perm tend to be tighter but have a similar appearance to the curls produced by the digital perm.
The principal difference to note is how voluminous the curls will be. Digital perm curls tend to appear fuller with a bit of bounce. Air wave perms produce curls that are tighter but with less volume.
If you are after volume because you have thin or fine hair, the digital perm may get you the results you are looking for although the air wave can offer more volume at the roots and should avoid any frizziness.
Which Perm Is Best for Which Hair Type?
Originally, the digital perm was designed for straight Asian hair. So, if you have a bit of curl, the digital perm may not be the best choice. Likewise, the air wave perm gets the best results when applied to straight hair.
The digital perm is said to last quite long, anywhere from eight to twelve months. If you prefer to change your hairstyle more frequently, a traditional chemical perm may be a better choice because they do not last as long and are less expensive.
Ideally, the digital perm works very well on coarse hair and can provide a ridged look if that is what you have in mind. Due to the looser curls produced, this method works great with shorter hair.
The air wave perm only lasts several months and is less costly than a digital perm, so this is an option if you like to change styles a lot. It performs very well on soft hair and can provide volume directly at the roots.
Hair care professionals do not recommend either perm procedure for those with bleached, dyed, or even highlighted hair as treated hair is more porous.
The greater porosity of hair strands places them at greater risk for heat and chemical damage with these two perm methods, although if you must, the air wave perm is better suited to previously treated hair.
Perm Maintenance
Digital perms require specific care for them to last as long as they can. Your hair will need lots of hydration and moisture because the chemicals and heat used in the perming process can strip hair of many essential oils.
If you are spending hundreds of dollars on a perm you want it to last as long as possible, so drying hair and detangling it will require more attention.
An airwave perm produces less damage, so normal hair maintenance should suffice.
Comparing the Two Perms Directly
Digital perms
- Are generally more expensive
- Produce larger, more relaxed curls with a very natural look
- Hair maintains a shiny and smooth texture even when curled
- Last eight to twelve months when cared for
- Are designed and recommended with Asian hair in mind.
Air Wave perms
- Are usually less costly
- Produce curls that are tighter and smaller
- last several months
- Use considerably less heat potentially exposing hair to less damage.
Final Considerations: The Air Wave Perm or the Digital Perm?
Both perming methods are excellent for producing beautiful loose curls. Where the digital perm may be more impressive is that digital perm curls appear more natural than air wave curls. But if you are on a budget, the digital perm is more expensive although it does last longer.
