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

This super curly and voluminous effect was achieved using a perm hairstyling technique.

▲This styling technique was a head-turning success during the 1980s and early '90s. In fact, the exaggerated perm was the fashion look of the '80s.

▲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.

▲Another styling feature of the '80s perm were curly fringes that tumbled over the forehead.

▲Olivia Newton-John's character Sandy Olsen wore her hair big and bountiful in the blockbuster musical 'Grease.'

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

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

▲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.

▲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.

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

▲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.

▲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.

▲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.

▲Showing off a head of curly blond hair at 2018 Oscars ceremony was American actress Jennifer Lawrence.

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

▲The actress was seen a few years ago showing off a long, wavy hairstyle but with a super natural look.

▲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.

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

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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.

The hairdresser created his "permanently" curled hair by coating fine hair with a cocktail of chemicals.

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

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

▲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.

▲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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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.

▲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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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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Big hair was all the rage in the 1980s. Celebrities Julia Roberts, Madonna, and Farrah Fawcett were famous for their perms—flowing, curly waves held in place by a can's worth of hair spray. Then suddenly, the perm was history.

But 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.