Perms, makeup and dresses, oh my! How male beauty standards have changed over the years

More and more men are getting their hair permed these days, especially younger men. You may have noticed the proliferation of wavy dos gracing the heads of Gen Z gentlemen in your neighborhood — or more likely, in makeover videos on TikTok, where the term “hair perm boys” has over 268 million views — over the past few years. And while it’s currently in vogue to embrace your natural hair, not all of these fellows are simply sporting the ringlets they were born with. Most of them have been to the salon.

Why are more men getting perms these days?

Young men — and not-so-young men, too — simply dig that tousled, boyish look, and as many boys report in their video updates, they feel more confident with their waves.

In the Reddit group r/AsianMasculinity, one user wrote about his first perm, “I FEEL visibly more attractive and I think this is turning a new leaf for me and going to focus more on hair care.”

Beyond the aesthetic, permed hair is also very easy to style. Men who might otherwise need to primp and preen, using styling products and/or blow drying their locks into place can pretty much just wash and go with the effortless, beachy look a perm provides.

This makes it an appealing style for low maintenance, busy guys and athletes, in particular, though part of the look’s allure is its ability to transcend social scene. Theater kids, goths and basketball players alike have been spotted with perms over the past few years.

What’s the story behind the curly hair craze?

This beauty trend — in its current, most popular iteration — traces its roots to South Korea, where men have been perming their hair for decades. In South Korea, beauty standards are driven by the music industry, and when popular artists began perming their hair, the style became de rigeur.

Thanks to the rising popularity of Korean pop music, K-dramas and beauty rituals in America, the hairstyle has taken off here as well. “Squid Game” actor Gong Yoo, “Pachinko” actor Lee Minho and the K-pop boy group BTS all rock the wavy coif.

In a New York Times article about the popularity of perms among men, Wilson Wong interviewed Han Kim, the manager of a Los Angeles-based hair studio, who said that from 2018-2019, about 90% of their clients were Korean and Korean American. Following 2020, that figure shifted to about 70% Asian and Asian American clients (including Koreans and Korean Americans) and 30% non-Asian men.

How have male beauty standards changed over the past few decades?

The wider trend of male perms outside of Korea is part of a shift since the early aughts, when men who paid careful attention to their appearance were often thought of as vain and referred to as “metrosexual.” What was once seen as effeminate — getting your nails done, wearing makeup and otherwise carefully grooming oneself — no longer carries the same stigma.

As style writer Jeremy Langmead — who grew up in the 1970s, and wrote the book “Vain Glorious: a Shameless Guide for Men Who Want to Look Their Best” — recalled the conundrum of male beauty in The Guardian, “As if it isn’t exhausting enough being unhappy, or not-quite-happy-enough, with how one looks (which, by the way, isn’t something we choose), there’s also the whole question of whether, as a man, you’re supposed to worry about it.”

Beauty standards have changed a lot since then, and where getting a perm may have once invited ridicule, in the U.S., it’s become more socially acceptable for men to don fitted clothing, wear makeup and rock a perm if they wish.

In past decades, Western male beauty standards idealized a very specific body type and look — Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio were the archetype. But as audiences have fractured and the worlds of film and fashion have slowly begun embracing a greater diversity of body types, sizes and features, there’s become more of a range of types of “perfect” guys one can be.

Thanks to social media, and TikTok in particular, the stereotypical body building, sculpted male body that was idolized for so long has given way to men who never would have been allowed to have a platform previously. Fashion brands, trying to keep up with the current moment, have begun working with more diverse models, as well.

In 2016, CoverGirl chose beauty influencer James Charles to be the cosmetic company’s first male brand ambassador. Then in 2020, Harry Styles graced the cover of Vogue — wearing a flowing blue dress — becoming the first man to ever do so. Established makeup brands, including Chanel, Mac and Tom Ford, now all carry makeup lines that are explicitly marketed toward men.

Even the most toxic or traditionally masculine consumers have come to slowly embrace the proud care and keeping of the male face and physique. One need only look to the marketing of grooming brands like Manscaped to see evidence of that cultural shift.

The upcoming generation has always been the one leading trends, and Gen Z is no different. Young people have grown up seeing a greater diversity of fashion models, actors and influencers, and they reject the stereotypical male aesthetic ideal, instead favoring a more androgynous look, and attempts to feel more comfortable with one’s natural self. As the BBC reported in 2021, “the fashion world is gradually becoming more diverse, perhaps in part because global social changes such as the Black Lives Matter movement have made brands recognize the need for diversity.”

Is a perm the right look for you?  

Though it takes some effort and disposable income to rock a head of textured, wavy hair on the regular, it evokes a carefree, striking sort of vibe that will get you noticed without being too in-your-face wild. You definitely notice a guy with a perm, but not in the same way your eye might be drawn to a mullet or rat tail.

It’s a fairly low maintenance do, and if you don’t like it, it’ll naturally grow out after a few months. Who knows? It could give you a confidence boost, like the many boys on TikTok who swear by their perms.