For cosmetology students, salon professionals, and experienced at-home perm users setting a cold (chemical) wave rather than a heat-styled curl. Pink rods are on the smaller-diameter end of BaByliss Pro's cold wave rod range, so they're chosen when the desired result is a tight, closely-wound curl pattern rather than a loose wave. Not a heat tool, so it isn't a fit for anyone looking to curl hair with a curling iron; it only works as part of a full cold-wave/perm system with a separate waving lotion and neutralizer.

The rod's value is in the wrap, not in any electronics: a non-slip injection barrel keeps sectioned hair from sliding while it's wound, the attached band and button hold it secure for the full processing time, and the unusually wide slot down the center lets waving lotion soak in evenly instead of pooling at the surface. Being color-coded pink also makes it quick for a stylist to grab the right diameter out of a multi-size rod set without measuring each one.

Shampoo hair and towel-dry so it's damp, then section it into clean, even partings sized to the rod. Wind each section around the rod starting from the ends and rolling toward the scalp, keeping tension even, then secure with the rod's attached band and button. Repeat until the whole area is wound. Apply cold waving/perm lotion to the wound rods according to that lotion's own directions and let it process for the time specified — the rod does not need to be heated at any point. Rinse, apply neutralizer while the rods are still in, then rinse again and unwind.

• Non-slip injection design with an attached band and button holds each wound section firmly through the perm process
• Extra-wide center slot lets cold-wave lotion reach and saturate hair evenly along the rod
• Smaller pink diameter produces tight, well-defined curls
• Reusable and easy to rinse clean between services
• Requires a separately-purchased cold waving/perm lotion to actually form the curl — the rod alone does nothing
• Small diameter means more rods and more wrap time needed to cover a full head
• Wound too tightly, the band can pull at the scalp during processing