Wait, they just found it by the tracks?

Gotta ask, do you think it's the perm itself that's dying or just the old school way of doing them? Seems like everyone in my shop is scared to touch anything past a curling iron these days. I wonder if the younger stylists even know how to wrap a proper rod set for tight curls. Maybe the skill is just fading out along with the demand.

@lee_butler nailed it. I had the same problem at a local book fair last year. A seller was showing off these ornate leather bindings with gold tooling on the spines, but the text blocks were loose and the joints were cracking. I asked him how the binding was constructed, and he got defensive. I just told him straight up, "A pretty cover means nothing if the book falls apart in your hands after a few years." He didn't like that, but the other collectors nearby started nodding. A solid sewing job and good materials are what keep a book together, not how much gold leaf you can slap on the outside.

Patting dry and overnight uncovered fridge rest was my turning point too, 18 failed batches before I wised up. Now I dust with cornstarch instead of baking powder and they crisp up even better.

Wait, @murray.cole, you measure from the tread edge or the face of the rise?