The word “perm” conjures up terrifying visuals from the ‘80s of triangular hair and poodle-esque tendrils in a constant state of frizz. Despite the negative connotation, the “permanent,” sits steadfastly on plenty of salon menus, causing patrons to wonder quietly to themselves, Do people really still get perms?The answer, at first glance, is a resounding no. Nobody is getting the kind of perm that was popular 20 or 30 years ago. But people are still getting them — including Julianne Hough. They’re just a different kind of perm. The permanent beach waves Hough recently debuted on Instagram don’t resemble anything you'd see on a faded glamour shot.The process remains basically the same — using heat and chemicals to break and rebuild hair bonds to create permanent texture — but the rod sizes and placement are different to better reflect current trends. Salons also tend to give these treatments updated names to bring clients’ minds out of the past. For example, Snip Snip Salon in Miami calls its perm a “Permanent Texture Change Curls” and La Vie Salon in Brooklyn has dubbed it the “Modern Wave Perm.”Hough has wanted to get a perm for over six years, she posts, but never did it because she has dyed hair and feared it would cause too much damage. But she finally had the treatment done. So, what changed? We reached out to her glam squad to see how it all went down and if this is indicative of a larger trend to come.“When Jules wanted a perm, I knew the only person I could trust is Dean, the owner of Olaplex, because perming on blonde hair — which is literally rule number one in beauty school to never do —is the exact reason why he invented Olaplex,” says Riawna Capri , Hough’s hairstylist. Olaplex is a bond-strengthening product that’s used as a “reset button” for hair. It rebuilds the hair from the inside out, making it possible to color or add a chemical to the hair without further destroying it.“I knew Dean would know who could help us create these air-dried, beachy waves Jules has been wanting for years, and that person is the king of perms, Joe Santy ,” continues Capri. Santy , who runs the Attitudes Hair Studio in Langhorne, PA, has been in the hair business for over 35 years. His specialty is the perm — he’s even penned two books on the subject. So, Capri flew Santy out to Hollywood to not only do Hough’s hair, but to teach the entire staff at her salon, Nine Zero One , how to create the gorgeous, permanent beach waves on chemically treated hair. The perm is now available for clients.