Boys queue for curls as perms make a comeback – and men lead the trend
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Once seen as outdated 80s frizz, perms today are giving tousled, textured waves, and guys are lining up for them. Greyson Harding, 13, has always had a strong sense of style. First, there were his dad’s vintage Prada shirts. Then came the blond hair dye, and now the perm.
![[The ‘bubble’ perm of the 70s and 80s, popularised by football icon Kevin Keegan.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/32a72bea12ac8ead97da1e1a26c1659aa5a5a944/537_491_2303_1382/master/2303.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
“My hair is naturally super straight, so at first it was a bit of a shock,” he said. “But now the curls have settled, I’m really pleased. I totally recommend it.”. His father, Sam, who is the cutting director at Idlewild salons in Oxfordshire where Greyson got his perm, prefers his son’s waves to the time he himself ended up with a classic Kevin Keegan perm back in the 1970s.
“Unfortunately, back then the process wasn’t quite as refined as it is now,” he said, “And it was a bit of a lottery as to how curly it came out.”. Perms were the mainstay of salon business in the 80s, creating the definitively big, voluminous hair trend of the era. Three decades later, they have made a comeback – and not just for women.
Men of all ages are opting for a low-maintenance, wavy look inspired by curly-haired style icons such as actors Paul Mescal, Jeremy Allen White and James Norton, who last month showed off his curls at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards. Oon Ng, director of London-based NOH hair, said perms have long been popular in the Asian community and are really in demand with male clients. His salon opened two months ago, and they are now doing six to 10 perms a week. He thinks they are ideal for men as they are easy to maintain. “All you have to do is wash and put some styling product in, and then let it dry.”.
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