The Complete Handbook of Hair Permanents & Straighteners

Solid, thorough content that does what it says on the cover. The chemistry chapter actually explained disulfide bonds in a way that finally stuck with me, and the troubleshooting guide saved me on a client with damaged hair last week. But I have to say, some sections felt a bit dense and academic, and I found myself re-reading paragraphs. A few more step-by-step visual descriptions would help for the actual wrapping techniques. It's a valuable reference, but not an easy weekend read.

I bought this thinking it would help me decide between different brands for my home setup, and it does that, but it's really written for professionals. The business chapter was honestly a surprise and I skipped most of it. The strength is the neutral tone—it doesn't push any particular brand, which I appreciated. My main gripe is that it assumes you have a certain baseline knowledge of salon procedures. I'm a serious hobbyist and I got lost in some of the technical parts. That said, I'm keeping it for reference.

This is the book I wish I had when I got my license. I've been in the industry for nine years and I only ever learned the brand-specific methods my salons used. This handbook gave me the 'why' behind everything, so now when something goes wrong, I can actually diagnose it instead of trying random fixes. The chapter on choosing products based on pH and thio concentration instead of marketing hype changed how I stock my kit. If you do chemical services professionally, this is essential. I've already recommended it to two of my coworkers.

Really pleased with this. It's dense and thorough, which is what I wanted. The chapter on types and specifications, with the comparison tables, is something I still refer back to when ordering new inventory for the salon. I took off one star because I think the FAQ chapter was a little basic compared to the rest of the book, and the future trends chapter felt more speculative than the rest of the text. Otherwise, it's a solid investment. I won't need another book on the subject.

I'm a cosmetology educator, and I've been looking for a single text that bridges textbook theory and practical salon reality without all the fluff. This fits. The chapter on maintenance and troubleshooting is particularly well-organized for someone who needs to look things up quickly. My only nitpick is the occasional use of highly technical language without an inline reminder of the definition, but the glossary in the back covers that. A great assistant for building my lesson plans, and I'm recommending it to my senior students.

Very good, practical book. The author clearly knows the business side as well as the chemistry, which you rarely see in these handbooks. The business opportunities chapter gave me a concrete framework for evaluating whether to launch a private-label product line, which I've been thinking about for a while. It doesn't try to convince you to do anything, it just lays out the costs and the risks, which is refreshing. I only wish it had more specifics on pricing strategies, but I guess that's not the point of a reference book.