Perms are coming back, but with softer, looser curls

This new generation of perm, reinvented as “texture,” involves thicker rods that are rolled in a loose, more random manner — no scalp-tugging rollers packed onto your head like sardines.

“Back in the ’80s, we tried to get as much curl out of the hair as possible; we’re not as interested in that right now,” said John Anthony Marinucci, an artistic director at Dino Palmieri Salon & Spa at Beachwood Place. “The whole idea is natural, to keep it soft and full of body.”

The “p-word” doesn’t scare Stephanie Torres of Mayfield Heights, who was sitting in Marinucci’s chair, about to watch her bone-straight hair transform into curls. The word “perm” doesn’t bother her, likely because at age 18, Torres wasn’t around for the frizz-fest of the ’80s.

She spent so much time and used so many products to get her hair to curl that her friends encouraged her to try a more permanent solution. This was the first time she had chemically treated her hair, but she knew she was in good hands; she’s worked with Marinucci as an assistant at Dino Palmieri for about a year.

Although the new perm still involves chemicals, manufacturers have made them less harsh so they’ll create looser waves and work with color-treated hair. Some versions, like one from Paul Mitchell, are even ammonia-free. (That’s a relief for those of you who still have nightmares about the nostril-burning fumes.)

“The curl is definitely coming back, but it’s a more organic curl,” said Rachelle King, owner of The Studio in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. “It looks lived-in. You don’t go through that ‘I hate my hair’ phase for the first two weeks while it settles down.”

King’s grandmother used to give her a home perm on Friday so the smell would wear off in time for school Monday.

“These versions don’t have that, sh The Plain DealerInstead of packing rods tightly in rows along Stephanie Torres’ head, stylist John Anthony Marinucci has wrapped them loosely in an alternating pattern.

Also unlike those perms of yesteryear, this generation is personal — stylists can customize it to give you the kind of curl you want. The Studio, for example, offers at least five types of perms, each with a different rolling technique or chemical application to create a certain look.

“This is a whole different game in how stylists are using texture,” said Thom Reid, a spokesman for Illusion Unlimited Salons in Parma, Strongsville and Broadview Heights. Reid said all three locations have noticed an increase in the number of clients seeking curls.

What was once “out” — way out, if we’re talking perms — is in again, Marinucci said. Trends are always changing, and sometimes they change fast.

At Dino Palmieri, Maria Tsirigotakis quietly handed Marinucci rods as he gave Torres the hair Tsirigotakis wants. She used to use a clothes iron to straighten her naturally curly hair, then a semipermanent fix called keratin came out.

In a bit of unfortunate timing, though, she used the keratin treatment just before the trend reversed. Now she has to wait a few more months for the treatment to wear off and her curls to come back.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up.