I would really appreciate some help!

So I have pretty short hair (grown-out pixie cut, maybe 5-7 inches) and I have very dense, heavy, thick straight hair. I hate how straight my hair is, and it's impossible for me to get that beachy wave look without breaking out the curling iron, and even then it doesn't look like the way I want.

When I searched for inspiration, I found a lot of looks that I love like this one and this one (I want a more masculine look). Is this possible with a perm or is this just hair styling? If this is possible, how should I ask at the salon? Just show them a picture? I'm trying to do research, but I really don't know anything about perms!