My Digital Wave Perm Experience in Jakarta & Tips
I've been wanting to try Digital Wave on my hair for a couple of years now but in the United States it's actually kind of pricey (starts at around $300) and I just feel more comfortable getting it done at places that's been doing this type of procedure for years. Last year when I went to Jakarta I was going to get it done but I chickened out and didn't do it. I actually ended up chopping my hair super short.
This year I knew that was the big expense I was willing to spend in Jakarta so I did my research online. There were a couple of Korean owned salons in Jakarta that have been around for awhile that do this procedure and I ended up with a place called Ando and Yun. They have multiple locations in Jakarta and each location has a local Indonesian stylist or a Korean stylist you can book.
This year I knew that was the big expense I was willing to spend in Jakarta so I did my research online. There were a couple of Korean owned salons in Jakarta that have been around for awhile that do this procedure and I ended up with a place called Ando and Yun. They have multiple locations in Jakarta and each location has a local Indonesian stylist or a Korean stylist you can book.
The Research & Before Picture
I basically stalked the Instagram page of Ando and Yun until I found a couple of stylists that I liked. I looked through their feeds and basically figure out which stylists do a lot of digital wave and I narrowed it down to 2. They highly recommend reservation but because I'm not in Jakarta I had to ask my cousin to book it for me. I ended up at the Central Park Ruko branch (ruko stands for 'rumah toko' or store house which is just a type of strip mall. This is what my hair looked like before I left for Indonesia.
Digital Wave vs. Regular Perm & Types of Digital Perm
So my understanding is that the 'digital' stands for the actual machine; meaning that it has a digital reading like a digital clock. The process is similar in that you get the chemical treatment and then a neutralizer but the result is different in that the digital wave curls are much more malleable and heat induced. As long as it's not dry I can play around with it until I'm happy and then set it with a blow dryer. It's also apparently less frizzy than a regular perm and I think saying "no damage" is a little absolute because with any kind of chemical treatment you will have some damage but I've never had a regular perm so I don't have anything to compare it to.
The types of digital perm are usually classified as a "C" curl or a "S" curl and that just means the shape of the curl. "C" curls are if you want to have to have only the bottom of your hair either flips out or flips inward in that "C" shape. "S" curls are the ones I got and depending on how long your hair is and how tight you want the curl you can get a double S or even a triple S.
The Process
I basically stalked the Instagram page of Ando and Yun until I found a couple of stylists that I liked. I looked through their feeds and basically figure out which stylists do a lot of digital wave and I narrowed it down to 2. They highly recommend reservation but because I'm not in Jakarta I had to ask my cousin to book it for me. I ended up at the Central Park Ruko branch (ruko stands for 'rumah toko' or store house which is just a type of strip mall. This is what my hair looked like before I left for Indonesia.
Digital Wave vs. Regular Perm & Types of Digital Perm
So my understanding is that the 'digital' stands for the actual machine; meaning that it has a digital reading like a digital clock. The process is similar in that you get the chemical treatment and then a neutralizer but the result is different in that the digital wave curls are much more malleable and heat induced. As long as it's not dry I can play around with it until I'm happy and then set it with a blow dryer. It's also apparently less frizzy than a regular perm and I think saying "no damage" is a little absolute because with any kind of chemical treatment you will have some damage but I've never had a regular perm so I don't have anything to compare it to.
The types of digital perm are usually classified as a "C" curl or a "S" curl and that just means the shape of the curl. "C" curls are if you want to have to have only the bottom of your hair either flips out or flips inward in that "C" shape. "S" curls are the ones I got and depending on how long your hair is and how tight you want the curl you can get a double S or even a triple S.
The Process
I wasn't sure how the process was going to go. I just knew that I had to be there by 10:00 am. I didn't know if I had to consult and come back a different day and to be honest I actually didn't know the exact cost until I got to the salon. The first thing I did was got my hair washed and then the stylist I requested - Jinha checked my hair and talked me through some of the issues that my hair had which mainly revolved around it being bleached quiet recently so we're talking late summer of last year. I got it chopped before I left for Indonesia but he suggested cutting it again. He mentioned that since my hair was quiet damaged from the bleach he wasn't sure if the chemical was going to penetrate and that some of the curls might fall out faster.
At that point I think I had two options which is to just leave and not get it done or trust my stylist... and I chose the latter. That started a process that took almost 3 1/2 hours. First he cut my hair and then I had to do a hair spa which is a treatment for your hair followed by cold steam and then the waving began. I was hooked up to this machine for a little over an hour and then once they un-rolled the hair they poured some neutralizer to stop the chemical and then washed my hair one more time and then styled it. My stylist just recommended a serum to use before drying my hair. Since it's wavy I don't have to blow dry it if I don't want to and I just have to do a lot of twirling. They did recommend not washing my hair for 48 hours, before I left though one of the staff member kind of whispered and told me to wait 4 days. I did end up waiting for 4 days which by the way is very difficult in a humid tropical country.
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| Hooked up to the digital perm machine |
The Result
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| Wet hair |
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| No Heat |
I have to say I was really scared while I was washing my hair but it stayed intact. It's over five months now and I do an at home creambath treatment (which I will talk about in my haul post) every 2 weeks and it seems to be okay. I don't use the hair dryer all the times, sometimes I would just air dry it but the wave isn't as prominent. Sometimes there are waves that are a little straighter and I would just kind of bobby pin it or use a sponge curler to re-shape.
The curl has definitely fallen down towards the bottom half of my hair. If I'm lazy it just looks like I tried and got a really nice blow out.
Here's some timeline photo so you can see how the curl gradually falls out.
The Cost & Would I Do it Again?
The curl has definitely fallen down towards the bottom half of my hair. If I'm lazy it just looks like I tried and got a really nice blow out.
Here's some timeline photo so you can see how the curl gradually falls out.
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| 6 weeks after |
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| 2 1/2 months after |
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| 4 1/2 months later at a salon in Philly - new color for the summer |
The Cost & Would I Do it Again?
Ando and Yun had an instagram discount if you mentioned and followed them. The discount applied to the cut & the digital wave but not the hair spa treatment or the serum. I paid around $250 excluding the serum + tips. Without the discount it probably would've been closer to $350.
I would probably do it again. It's one of those "you want what you don't have" situation. I definitely have my hair down more when it's wavy. I think it's also because I can control how wavy I want it on a given day it doesn't feel as permanent as a regular perm. I also noticed that I get really good bun with wavy hair I think the texture just gives it a better hold than my ol' straight asian hair.
So it is pricey but if it's something you are interested in investing it, I would say do it. Just remember that if you want to get a digital perm to not bleach your hair before you get this done, wait to do it after because you can do it a few weeks after the process just not before.
Phew! That was a long post but that's for sticking it through. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the Digital Wave process. Let me know if you have any questions about Digital Perm or visiting Jakarta/Indonesia. As always thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Jessica
I would probably do it again. It's one of those "you want what you don't have" situation. I definitely have my hair down more when it's wavy. I think it's also because I can control how wavy I want it on a given day it doesn't feel as permanent as a regular perm. I also noticed that I get really good bun with wavy hair I think the texture just gives it a better hold than my ol' straight asian hair.
So it is pricey but if it's something you are interested in investing it, I would say do it. Just remember that if you want to get a digital perm to not bleach your hair before you get this done, wait to do it after because you can do it a few weeks after the process just not before.
Phew! That was a long post but that's for sticking it through. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the Digital Wave process. Let me know if you have any questions about Digital Perm or visiting Jakarta/Indonesia. As always thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Jessica
