Is it ok for me to want to keep my hair permed in to tight ringlets?

about 9 months ago i went and got my hair permed in to super tight ringlets, it took quit a bit of time with two girls working on my head. My hair unpermed is past my shoulders but now it reaches just above my shoulders and the ringlets are pencil thick and super tight giving me quit abit of volume. Its been almost a year and the curls will not relax at all. When i pull on each curl it springs back in to exactly the way the perm is done. When my hair is wet just after i wash it goes back to super tight ringlets. Seems as this is more then just a perm as im stuck with the super tight ringlets. I am a bit of a girly guy but now feel as though i need be wearing dresses just so i don't get looked at in a funny way. I don't want to shave my head, but am i stuck with the ringlets.