A sharp smell of sulfur fills the air of the Valesca Hair hairdressing salon in the Seefeld district of Zurich. Orlando (19) has a head full of rollers called Papilotten. Gets a perm. Hairstylist Julia-Valesca Bliedung (37) applies the chemical wave liquid to Orlando’s wrapped strands with a tube. Evoking chilling memories of curly manes, neon sweatpants, and shoulder pads, the ’80s hairstyle is making a comeback among the older generation.
It is especially popular with men between the ages of 18 and 30. The hairstyle is also very popular among Orlando’s friends. She grows her hair up to her shoulders and therefore gets a loose perm. Bliedung says the Papilotten technique is well suited for this. “The waves look very natural with it.”
Perm prices start at 140 francs. The procedure, from wrapping the strands to applying the rippling liquid to fixing and styling, takes about two hours. Between the different steps, the chemicals need to act for about 15 minutes. “It’s unusual to sit at the hairdresser’s for this long,” Orlando says.
«A few perm clients per week»
Bliedung braced itself for the recurring trend early on. “About two years ago, I noticed that more and more people were walking around with curly hair,” she says. “So it was only a matter of time before the perm came back.” So he offered the hair salon what is now called Modern Perm. Now about three men a week come to her for perms.
The hairstyle is also in demand at the Cannazza Hairdresser at Klusplatz in Zurich. “We’ve been offering them again since the beginning of this year, as we’re getting more and more requests,” says hairstylist Julia Somm, 28. She is in the process of letting go of a 31-year-old client who wishes to remain anonymous. “I wanted to try something new and was inspired by a colleague I knew,” she says. Because she has very straight hair, she chooses the cut that is currently on trend for many: short on the sides and curls on the top. “My mom laughed when I said I was going to get a perm.”
No more need for drying hoods
It’s hardly surprising that the perm, another trend from the past, is suitable for everyday use and is cool again. A look at today’s teens in cargo pants, crop tops, and bling-bling bags shows that many things that were once fashionable will come back at some point. While the perm made parents laugh, it has evolved quite a bit since the 1980s.
It has received an upgrade not only in its name, but also in the way it’s done. The drying hood, under which a woman is dreamed of with a magazine in her hand, is rarely seen today. Because it gives the perm a lush volume, hairdressers say that with the Modern Perm, it is not the goal. Either the curls are very prominent today with a clean cut, or the hairstyle goes in the direction of beach waves, loose beach waves.
Although many chemicals are still needed to restore hair, the tools are gentler than they were 40 years ago, according to hairdressers. Still, they advise their clients to wash their hair with a moisturizing shampoo to keep the curls as healthy as possible.