A woman was left in sheer panic after a perm gone wrong left her looking like ‘Annie’, having just taken on a new acting gig.
Many of us have had the painful experience of a dodgy hairdo, instantly rushing to the car to grab a hat or heading home to frantically Google how to regrow a fringe in 24 hours.
But one TikToker in the US had a particularly nasty surprise when she went for a perm, having become fed up of taking care of her hair.
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The woman, whose handle is @i.literally.dont.exist, said: "I've had a perm one other time in my life and I used the tightest curl ring. This was like two years ago, and it didn't come out like this! So I went and got another one because I'm sick and tired of taking care of my hair.
"But guys, what do I do?!”
The TikToker added that she had a film role coming up that could be affected.
“I literally booked a role for a movie, and this is not what they're expecting,” she said.
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"What do I do? What do I do?!”
While some users sympathised with her situation, others couldn’t help but be reminded of a famous fictional character known for her hairstyle.
"It’s giving Annie,” one said, with another agreeing: “Tbh lookin like little orphan Annie... but in a cute way!!”
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It got worse, though, as some also thought she looked like an American painter...
“It’s giving Bob Ross,” another commented.
“BOB ROSS WHO?” a second agreed.
Others, meanwhile, suggested she simply styled it out, with one writing: “Rock it girl, ur in too deep now.”
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Another offered: “It’s chic, it’s French??”
But many people tried to offer up some help, suggesting she should wash her hair as soon as possible to help undo the effects of the perm.
One person wrote: "Wash it, if you wash it within 72 hours of getting it done, it releases the curls."
Another said: “WASH IT WASH IT WASH IT.”
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A third added: “If I learned anything from Legally Blonde it’s that if you wash it asap the curls won’t stick.”
A fourth echoed: “BABE try washing it asap. It should loosen up.”
According to Madison Reed, a brand of hair care and hair color products, there are ways to undo the results of a perm or ‘relax’ it.
The company advises on its blog: “Wash your hair immediately. (We all know about this perm trick from Legally Blonde, right? Good, just checking.)
“Most perm formulas need 28 hours to neutralize, which is why stylists typically recommend waiting 48 hours before shampooing. If you want to undo the results of a perm, or relax a perm, wash your hair with Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner to cleanse and hydrate your hair, and to help relax your curls.
“Apply a deep conditioning treatment or hot oil treatment, cover your curls with a shower cap, and leave on for several hours. If you want, you can even leave it on your curly hair overnight and wash it out in the morning.”
It adds: “If none of these options work, or if it has been too long since you got your hair permed, you may just have to have patience - your perm will relax over time.”