The History of the Permanent Wave

Thaison Desmoulin

Welcome to a research project that goes over the history of a famous hairstyle known as the permanent wave

The permanent wave has been around for well over a century and is now an iconic look that is easily recognizable anywhere you go. Though it has evolved since it was first invented, the way it looks is recognizable at a glance. The photos on this page show different styles of permanent waves showcasing perms from the 1920's to our modern day and age of 2024. Though, when people think of permanent waves they often think of the voluptuous and shapely hair of the 1980's. This study will be going over some lesser known information of this cultural phenomenon and the cosmetologist who is credited for founding this hairstyle.

The Founder

The founder of the permanent wave was Charles (Karl) Nessler. Nessler was credited for creating the first permanent wave machine, he was also known for the patent on false lashes and brows. Nessler was born in 1872 in a small town called Todtnau, the town is located within the Black Forest and is very close to the boarder of Switzerland.

In his early life Charles was enamored with hair and hair textures. His family had varied hair types ranging from curly to balding. Nessler wanted to know how and why this was the case, this desire to learn more about the structure of hair was driven further when he got a job working as a Shepard. He'd always been fond of curly hair and noticed that the wool of sheep consistently had the same texture. Now, Nessler knew that people with straight hair could achieve a curly style of hair by breaking down and reforming temporary bonds but couldn't find a way to make the curls permanent.

Eventually, Nessler found himself as a barber surgeon apprentice and moved to become a barber surgeon himself in Switzerland. At the end of the 19th century Charles moved to England where he got a job working as a salon receptionist which gave him ample time to work on his own personal projects.

An eccentric man of below average stature

To begin, this is a part of my study where I share my personal thoughts on Charles Nessler from what information I've been able to find. Let me start by saying that I think this man is an extremely odd individual who collected the hair of strangers and harassed sheep. Although, in his defense, I would consider him a genius for making multiple groundbreaking inventions.

This almost excuses the fact that he placed his own obsessions above the wellbeing of his loved ones, namely his wife Katharina Laible. Speaking of his wife he met her through a personal newspaper ad he allegedly posted, the ad read "Man with nothing would like to meet a women with a little bit of capital". According to Nessler this ad got him a grand total of 29 offers; I think this number is wildly overinflated. This eccentric man of below average stature literally had nothing to offer a women except perhaps drenching her head in cattle urine.

Overall, I do think Charles Nessler is a pioneer in the field of cosmetology and deserves the praise and credit he receives. Outside of his career, Nessler is quite eccentric and I think it is absolute madness that he was allowed to perform amputations and dental surgeries. In my personal time I will be respectfully referring to Nessler as "Charles Hair-Sniffer Nessler".

The Permanent Wave Machine and Nessler's career

An opportunity that changed his life and boosted his career was when he was asked to speak as a hair expert in a court of law. His many inventions became highly sought after and this lead to him being an instructor to talk about curly hair with other professionals within the field in 1906. His theory was to set and bake curls in an alkali solution rather than water so the formed hair bonds would stay curly longer. The machine was created to make this process easier and more convenient.

In 1909 the first permanent wave machine was created in England. The machine itself was a chandler-like contraption with rods that dangled freely from it like curtains. The rods were made of bronze and could weigh up to a kilo each, the curlers themselves could be heated electrically. In some of his earlier attempts he tried to use gas to heat the curlers. The waves were set permanently by what was effectively boiling the hair to the rod with his alkali solution. The first person he successfully permed was his wife, and this ended up taking anywhere between 4-10 hours. It was difficult to get consumers to actually try the permanent wave and didn't catch on until years later.

Conclusion

An honourable mention I will include is Marjorie Joyner, a black women who was one of the first women to own a patent in the US. Marjorie paved the way for black beauticians and I wish I had more time and space to discuss her vast amount of achievements; in my sited sources list I've included a resource to learn more about Marjorie Joyner. Both of these individuals radically changed the way the hair industry works and are part of the reason why it is what it is today. This history should be learned and preserved so that new people entering the industry understand their diverse roots and to thoroughly the complexities that come with it. Thank you for taking the time to read my report on Charles Nessler.

Sources Used