Remember the hairstyles of the 70s and 80s? Some out there may be too young, but anyone who has watched retro-TV shows like the Brady Bunch and Starsky and Hutch may have spotted a male perm here and there, which may be poised for a comeback.
The folks at BuzzFeed video are behind the male-perm push. And us stylist thought it would be a good idea to give the guys a heads-up on this retro-look, so they’ll be fully informed before the cut hits the mainstream.
Man-Perm History
Men have been rocking perms since the early sixties when stylists were performing curling and coloring only on women. It was the long-hair trend in the late sixties and “curly fro” look of the seventies that led men to want their hair permed, which was considered by many at the time a chic-attempt to look rebellious.
Celebrities like, Weird Al, Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake took the male perm out of the underground and into the limelight during the 80s and into the early 2000s; and in 2015, Bradley Cooper was seen sporting the curls in his film, American Hustler.
The Process
Perming hair with chemicals has been around for decades. The practice involves dividing the locks into small sections and wrapping them around perm rod tools. The pro-stylist then coats the curls in a cold wave bath, which changes the cuticle’s chemical structure so that when its exposed to heat, a faultless and even curl forms.
Man-Perm and Hair Length
How long the hair should be before sitting in the chair really depends on the size of the curls desired. In order to create a “wave”, the hair needs to be long enough to wrap around the perm-tool at least twice. So, that means “let the locks grow” for men wanting to acquire a male-perm before everyone gets in.
Just keep in mind that the longer the hair is, the easier it is to curl. The largest perm-tools require hair lengths of at least five to six inches. Having said that, stylist can wrap even the smallest tools on hair as short as one-and-one-half inches long.
Man-Perm Maintenance
Low maintenance is probably the most alluring perk of the men-perm hairstyle. There is no blow-drying, no combing and no styling in front of the mirror to obtain the ideal pompadour; only wash the hair, spray on some perm product, and you are out the door!
MEN’S HAIRCUTS
For a man’s haircut in Oklahoma City, call me (Anastasia) for an appointment.