Noun
She got a perm last week. Verb
She got her hair permed at the salon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The return of the perm is upon us, with everyone from Emily Ratajkowski to Bella Hadid experimenting with tight corkscrew curls (mostly with the help of thin-barrelled curling tongs, as opposed to the chemical ’80s approach) recently.—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2023 The Romp in Providence drew mostly white Gen X and baby boomer women who each paid $10 to peacock about in Mrs. Roper’s signature look (tight red perm, floor-sweeping caftans, chunky costume jewelry) and compete in trivia and limbo contests.—Erik Piepenburg, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023 Created in 1909, a relaxer (sometimes called a perm) refers to the chemical treatment used to straighten or relax coily strands.—Tayler Adigun, Allure, 4 Oct. 2023 Compared to the classic wave, which feels beachy and relaxed, the bubble perm is not for the fainthearted.—Tish Weinstock, Vogue, 31 July 2023 Now that perms are back, can the mullet be far behind?—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023 The impetus for Eric Ambriz’s perm was a desire to try something new.—Wilson Wong, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2023 Her Hair Journey Watching her hair fall out from a perm, not once but twice, Luvvie began to embrace her natural hair.—Noel Cody, Essence, 17 Aug. 2023 There are numerous perm types including spiral perms, beach wave perms, pin curl perms, body wave perms, and more.—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023
Verb
Step 4: The stylist removes the perm rods and rinses out the perming solution, then applies a neutralizing solution to set the new shape.—Annie Blay, Allure, 22 Sep. 2023 Lotions and conditioners can help alleviate itchiness.2 After your hair fully recovers, consult an oncologist and dermatologist before coloring, bleaching, and perming your hair.—Lead Writer: Wendy Korn, Health, 1 June 2023 Wilson grew his own beard, and hair department head Kekepania Vasquez-Tamali'i and her staff fitted the actor with six versions of the same wig, which were permed and also dyed to match Wilson's facial hair.—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2023 The character is clearly inspired by Ross, showing off the three p’s that defined him: perm, painting, and public TV.—Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023 This update allows users to perm any two from the four cameras in the handset.—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 8 Apr. 2021 At one point, Shelton asked a friend to perm his long hair, according to the article.—Madeline Buckley, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2020 Camila Cabello's long, beachy curls and a piece-y curtain fringe have become her signature look since perming her naturally-straight hair.—Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 5 Feb. 2020 By the end of the week, residents in Georgia will be able to get their hair permed and nails done.—Anchorage Daily News, 23 Apr. 2020 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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