Perms can be expensive. And, as the name implies, you will have permanently curly hair, until it grows out. So, if you like to wear your hair curly one day and straight the next, a perm isn't for you. Getting curly hair doesn't require a curling iron or hot rollers. You only need to buy a few styling products and put forth a little bit of effort.
Start out with wet hair. Hair tends to curl better when it has not been freshly shampooed. So, if you have shampooed your hair the day before you want to wear it curly, simply get it wet in the shower. Run your fingers through it to try to get out any leftover styling products from the previous day. If you must shampoo your hair, be sure to use a thick, creamy conditioner as well.
Squirt enough leave-in conditioner into the palm of your hand to cover all of your hair. Rub your hands together so that the conditioner evenly coats your hands. Run your fingers through your hair to apply the leave-in conditioner.
Scrunch your hair by grabbing sections of it and squeezing your hands together.
Apply curling putty or paste. There are many brands of curling putty or paste--it can be purchased at drug stores or salons. It may take a bit of trial and error to find one that works best with your hair. Rub some on your hands and apply to your hair by scrunching.
Attach the diffuser to the hair dryer. Turn the blow dryer on to the highest heat setting and the lowest speed.
Place the diffuser as close to your head as possible and hold it there for a few seconds at a time. Keep your hair moving while you dry it--continue to scrunch it and shake it out.
Continue moving the diffuser around your hair until it is dry, or mostly dry. Drying your hair this way will take a while, especially if you have thick hair.
Apply more curling putty or paste. Rub some between your palms and apply by scrunching.