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.

When 19-year-old Charles Chen got a perm in early 2022, it was a spur of the moment decision. “I was looking for something simple to style,” he said of his “naturally bone straight” hair ...