Perm for a Man

Man with permed hair
Photo: KI Petro/Shutterstock
Q: Can a man perm his hair and if so how long should it be?
 
A: Of course a man can perm his hair.
 
Many decades ago, perms and color services were considered almost exclusive women's services. But the lengthening hairstyles in the late sixties and seventies as well as the fascination with the "curly fro" look, led many men to have their hair permed to create the style they wanted.
 
As to the question of how long the hair should be, the answer depends on the size of the curls desired (and therefore the size of the tools to be used). In order to create a "curl", the hair needs to be long enough to wrap around the tool at least one to one and one half times.
 
The longer the hair is (to a point at least) the easier it is to wrap, but the smallest tools can be wrapped on hair as short as one and one half inches long. The largest tools, not counting specialty tools, require lengths of at least 5-6 inches.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Perm and perming hair
 
How to know what size of perm rods you need
 
How much does hair shrink when you get a perm?
 
A look at men's hair care