The New York TimesThe New York Times

Why are more men getting perms?

By Wilson Wong

30 Apr 2023 · 8 min read

Editor's Note

With the hashtag #menperm gaining more than 20.7 million views on TikTok, The NYT explores the trend's growing popularity, its ties to K-pop and South Korea, and the shift in male beauty standards.

The modern men’s perm is loud for a hairstyle so soft. On TikTok, the hashtag #menperm, referring to one of the latest hair trends to be born from the app, has garnered more than 20.7 million views.

Those videos often begin with a man in a salon chair, pictured from the shoulder up. The camera orbits around his head just before a final shot of his crown: silky, voluminous waves lacquered with the aplomb of K-pop boy bands.

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