Decades teach us a timeless lesson: what once fades into obscurity often returns, whether it’s welcomed or not. This year, the contentious trend of skinny jeans is making a comeback, and so are seemingly harmless items from grandma’s beauty arsenal, like baby pink blush and chocolate brown mascara. Regardless of personal stance, in 2025, trends are making a significant swing back.
This principle applies to hairstyles too. A particular 1980s coiffure is inching closer to a potential resurgence, causing many to dread the nightmares of their past salon missteps and fleeting, texture-heavy phases: perms.
Thankfully, it seems the perm is far from making a comeback. These perms have become a punchline from the past, a joke we make while reminiscing over our 1980s prom photos. While more modern, relaxed versions of perms have occasionally popped up in hair salons, the extreme perms of yesteryear are still avoiding us. We’re hopeful this continues, for the sake of society and the health of our hair.
The first perm machine was introduced in the early 1900s, and the perm machines of the 1930s were reminiscent of an exaggerated medieval contraption. They were commonly used to achieve the curly short bob that was all the rage during that era.
Salon chemical perms became a hair trend sensation half a century ago, peaking in the 1980s alongside lavender eye shadow, shoulder pads, and hammer pants. The style was characterized by a voluminous, fluffy head of tight spiral curls that were ready for dramatic teasing.
Once professionally applied, the perm typically lasted three to six months, requiring a considerable commitment to maintain. The trend persisted through the 1990s, with references in shows like “Saved by the Bell” and “Friends,” and into the early 2000s, with actress Reese Witherspoon donning perms in her “Legally Blonde” courtroom scenes.
More recently, pop culture has brought perms back into the spotlight, albeit for specific trendy reasons. For instance, Gen Z teen boys have been opting for loose, large-barrel perms to achieve a voluminous, wavy short hairstyle. Some adventurous women have also been spotted at salons requesting similar perms for a beachy or naturally curly look. Thankfully, none of these new perms resemble the dreaded 1980s version, suggesting we are safe from the perms’ chemical frizz. At least for now.
