Lockdown TikTok has seen its fair share of hair trends, from pink dye jobs to home-cut bangs. Another look has taken over the platform: the perm. Unlike its heyday in the 80s, the craze is being driven by young men looking for the perfect head of curls. Countless videos on the app show teens going for a makeover to emulate the wavy, brushed-back waves of stars like Timothée Chalamet, Kit Harington, and Harry Styles. In early July 2020, #perm has over 334.8 million views on TikTok – viewers are revelling in videos that bring them along for the ride as guys sit down in rollers before revealing their ringlets to the world.

Men’s attitude to looking after their locks is shifting in the wake of a shake-up of masculine ideals. In fact, 80% of men agree that adverts influence gender stereotypes, and 69% do not feel represented by brands. What this means is that men are beginning to question the images of masculinity presented to them and are redefining it for themselves. They're embracing self-care regimes as they become more normalized - a fact which is having a huge impact on the beauty industry, with sales of men’s skincare jumping by 7% in 2019. The icons of a new era of masculine style are emerging in stars like Tyler the Creator, for example, who are inspiring men to express their personalities by embracing and being open about their beauty and style routines. So, whether it’s skincare, make-up, or hair dye, the time is ripe for brands to look to social media content and the icons that inspire it for what young men really want from beauty.

Isabel Evans is a junior behavioural analyst at Canvas8. Fascinated by how and why people do things, she has an MSc in cognitive and decision sciences from UCL. You can often find her drinking endless coffees, running around Regent’s Park, or delving into a book.