The perm: Reinventing 1980's big hair fashion - The perm, big hair personified, is making a comeback. The must-have 1980's hairstyle is the latest fashion statement, along with other elements from the decade of excess like shoulder pads, pochettes, and glitzy accessories. But it's the hair that's triumphed! 

If you find it hard to imagine the permed hair styles of Julia Roberts, Madonna, and Farrah Fawcett coming back into fashion in 2018, just take a look at celebs like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone on the red carpet, and check out the way they are wearing their hair.

Styling techniques have come a long way over the last 30 years, and getting a perm today is quite different from the way it was achieved back in the heady '80s. Browse the gallery and take a look at how celebrities used to wear their hair and compare the style with today's modern makeover.

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'Pretty Woman' (1990) - Who can forget actress Julia Roberts in the movie 'Pretty Woman', replete with her long, flowing curly hair?

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'Pretty Woman' (1990) - This super curly and voluminous effect was achieved using a perm hairstyling technique.

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'Pretty Woman' (1990) - This styling technique was a head-turning success during the 1980s and early '90s.

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'Pretty Woman' (1990) - In fact, the exaggerated perm was the fashion look of the '80s. 

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'Flashdance' (1983) - Big hair was a big screen success. In 'Flashdance', actress Jennifer Beals wore her hair in a generous perm for the part.

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'Flashdance' (1983) - In the 1983 film, Beales' character, Alex Owens, has a full head of permed black hair, flowing and curly and cascading over the shoulders in a display that "owned" the hair styles of the period. 

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'Flashdance' (1983) - Another styling feature of the '80s perm were curly fringes that tumbled over the forehead.

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'Grease' (1978) - Oliver Newton-John's character Sandy Olsen wore her hair big and bountiful in the blockbuster musical 'Grease.'

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Olivia Newton-John - The UK-based Australian actress adopted her character's perma-wave hairstyle for her off-screen persona.

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Madonna - The pop diva was another celebrity who permed her hair to reflect the fashion trends of the era. 

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Farrah Fawcett - Some of the biggest hair was found on the head of the late actress and model, Farrah Fawcett. She was considered one of the most alluring sex symbols of the time, and took great care with the way she looked.

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Sarah Jessica Parker - And here's the thing. Eternal Carrie Bradshaw of 'Sex and the City,' which ran from 1998 to 2004, would today not look out of place in the 1980s.

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Cher - The singer and actress was another superstar who adopted the wild and bushy perma-wave, a look accentuated by her long black strands.

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Europe - Perms also had their male advocates. In fact, wild herds of permed men known as bands styled themselves with big, frizzy, flowing hair perfecty exemplified by the members of Europe, a rock band formed in Sweden in 1979. 

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Sepp Maier - Not to be outstaged, or outgrown, football players too opted for a perm, perhaps because they thought it would help them score more easily? Here's German goalkeeper Sepp Maier, curled up in the 1980s. 

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Amanda Seyfried - The 1980s passed and the perm was consigned to the hairstyles of yesteryear. But, it's back! All of it! The '80s have been resurrected—and permed hair is leading the way along with other fashion elements from that super extravagant decade.  

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Jennifer Lawrence - Showing off a head of curly blond hair at this year's Oscars ceremony was American actress Jennifer Lawrence.

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Emma Stone - The star of 'La La Land' (2016) also rolled up to the red carpet with curls.

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Blake Lively - The actress was seen at the same glittering event, showing off a long, wavy hairstyle but with a super natural look.

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Jaime King - Not to be out-permed herself, model and actress Miss King waltzed past the paparazzi with, you've guessed it, curly hair of the natural waves variety.

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Vanessa Hudgens - Toady's version of the perm is styled with less volume than in the 1980's big hair heyday, and the look is more forgiving in a kind of post-beach way.

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Vashtie Kola - A perm cut also serves to better define the curly locks of those women who already have, er, curly hair.

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Origin of the perm - Did you know that the perm is a hair styling technique which dates back to the early 20th century? Yes, the man to thank (or blame) is German hairdresser Karl Nessler, who created the look in 1906.

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Karl Nessler and his technique - No, it's not a movie still from 'Bride of Frankenstein' but a demonstration of the Karl Nessler technique where the hairdresser created his "permanently" curled hair by coating fine hair with a cocktail of chemicals.

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Bad hair days and disasters - Nessler carried out early tests on his wife's hair. The poor woman almost went bald as a result. They are chemicals, after all!

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Perfecting the technique - Eventually the Nessler technique was refined by using a combination of bicarbonate and sodium borate, and several metal rollers that were heated by fire. 

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The 1980s, the height of big hair - The perm reached a crescendo of popularity in the decade of excess, where anybody worth a magazine cover wore their hair with extra volume, tight waves, curly fringes, lots of spray... and a wide grin. 

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The comeback - By the mid 1990s, the '80s were definitely considered passé, along with the "tacky" perm. But what goes round comes round, and the hairstyle has made a triumphant return.  However, the perm today is less ostentatious and far more subtle in style and presentation.

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The modern, current look - To achieve a more natural and post-beach effect, you'll need to use different rollers sizes. Curling should start midway along the hair and not at its roots. The 1980s do seem a long time ago, don't they.

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