Doing a boil perm is a simple way to reshape natural curls or create new ones in a pony's hair and to also add shine and silkiness. Because pony hair is plastic, heat does wonders on it. The perms last for many washings and many months and it is possible to undo the perms with lots of combing of wet, conditioned hair.
First you will need to pick your pony. Today I'm using Strawberry Scoops and will reshape her original curls. You will need some moisturizing conditioner, a comb, lots of bobby pins, and plain straws cut to about 4 inches in length.
First you will need to pick your pony. Today I'm using Strawberry Scoops and will reshape her original curls. You will need some moisturizing conditioner, a comb, lots of bobby pins, and plain straws cut to about 4 inches in length.
Wash your pony's hair. I like to leave the conditioner in for a few minutes to soften hair. Make sure to rinse very thoroughly. You can add a little leave-in treatment (I like Biolage's Leave-in Detangler because it leaves hair very soft) to hair after rinsing out the conditioner. Comb the hair out to eliminate tangles before and after rinsing out the conditioner.
Pat wet hair using a paper or cloth towel until hair is damp, but not dripping. You may need to dampen it more later. Dry hair is difficult to work with.
Separate the hair into as many curls as you'd like. I typically do three curls in the mane and 3-4 curls in the tail. For Strawberry Scoops, I've separated her hair by color.
Beginning your curls is the tricky part. This will take many attempts no matter how experienced you are at boil perms, but if you want nice curls, you have to focus on the ends of each lock. It helps to be sitting and holding the body's body firmly between your knees so you can pull the hair as tight possible. Begin wrapping your curl at one end of the end. Be sure to secure every strand neatly and tightly under a bobby pin or two. Then roll the lock of hair all the up the length of the straw right down to the roots and secure tightly with more bobby pins. The longer your straw is and the more you spread out the hair as you roll, the longer the curls will be. Tighter, shorter curls will require you to overlap the rolled hair and keep it close together.
Your completely rolled curl will look like this. Roll every curl in the mane and tail.
(If one of your curls gets messed up, like the pink curl in the second image, re-roll it. Your end result will be worth the time.)
(If one of your curls gets messed up, like the pink curl in the second image, re-roll it. Your end result will be worth the time.)
Time to boil a pot of water. Be careful so you don't burn yourself! If you're a kid, please get a parent to help you out with this. Burns are nooooo fun! Use salad or grilling tongs to hold and dip the pony.
When your pony is ready for her perm, dip her hair into the boiling water. Just a DIP. Don't hold her in there for more than a single second unless you want super tight curls of doom. Perming for just a dip will leave curls softer and you can play with them a little once they're dry. Be careful not to touch the bottom and walls of the pot with the pony or your skin.
When your pony is ready for her perm, dip her hair into the boiling water. Just a DIP. Don't hold her in there for more than a single second unless you want super tight curls of doom. Perming for just a dip will leave curls softer and you can play with them a little once they're dry. Be careful not to touch the bottom and walls of the pot with the pony or your skin.
Leave your pony out to dry for a few hours or overnight. Don't unwrap her curls until her hair is completely dry. Be careful while slipping out bobby pins. When you pull the straw out, pull DOWN toward the pony's feet so that the curls stretch a little and relax that way.
And there you go! (these curls didn't turn out perfect, but you can reattempt a boil perm) Add a ribbon for extra prettiness and display as you like :)
See how much a boil perm helped Rainbow Rider? Her hair is a million times softer and shinier, plus the curls are cute!