If you’ve got poker-straight hair, then you'd be all too familiar with the struggle of ensuring that it looks bouncy and preventing it from falling flat every other minute. And maybe you have reached out for your styling tools to give your hair a few waves or a quick blow dry a few too many times. But as you know, regular use of these heat styling tools will leave your hair damaged, brittle and prone to breakage. Scary, isn’t it?
But don’t worry, this is the exact problem we are going to address in this article. If your hair looks damaged because of constant curling and blow drying, then we are about to share with you how to get heatless curls and prevent your hair situation from getting worse.
Before we begin, it is important to find out the various ways in which regular heat exposure affects your hair. Trust us, spending those extra few minutes to get heatless curls is totally worth it when you get to know how heat can mess up your hair texture!
- 1. How heat damages your hair
- 2. Types of curls
- - Voluminous curls
- - Undone curls
- - Headband curls
- - Mermaid waves
- - Beach waves
- 3. Frequently asked questions about how to get heatless curls
1. How heat damages your hair
Now that you know about the various ways in which heat damages your hair, let's look at the different types of curls.
2. Types of curls
Did you know that it is possible to achieve a majority of these curls without using heat? No, we are not kidding! Here’s how to get heatless curls in five different ways. Isn’t that really cool?
- Voluminous curls
If you are a lazy girl and someone who doesn’t want to spend too much time styling her hair, then here’s an easy, no-fuss heatless curling method for big, bouncy curls you are going to love. The best thing about this is that it is perfect to be worn on second or third-day hair.
Step 01: Begin by gently brushing your hair to get rid of any knots.
Step 02: Tie your hair in a high ponytail and secure it in place with an elastic.
Step 03: Take a one-inch section of your hair from the ponytail and dampen it with water. Wrap this section around your finger to create a curl and secure it against your scalp using a bobby pin.
Step 04: Repeat this process, in sections, for the rest of the ponytail and wait a couple of hours until your hair is absolutely dry.
Step 05: Once your hair is fully dry, remove the bobby pins and then the elastic from the ponytail to reveal bouncy curls.
- Undone curls
There is just something effortlessly sexy about undone curls. This type of heatless curls gives you a lovely ‘I-woke-up-like-this’ look and is just perfect for all your daytime looks. Simply pair this hairstyle with a ‘no makeup’ makeup look, jeans and a casual tee, and you are ready to slay the day!
Step 01: After you’ve brushed your hair out, start by dividing your hair into small sections.
Step 02: Dampen each section from the bottom and take about two inches of your hair and wrap it around the index and middle finger.
Step 03: Clip this section and repeat for the rest of your hair.
Step 04: Apply a bit of hair setting spray and allow it some time to rest, so the product can work its magic.
Step 05: After you’ve unpinned your hair, take a little curling mousse and apply it to your hair while scrunching them for added effect.
- Headband curls
In order to curl your hair without applying any heat, you don’t necessarily need to always scrunch and use a hundred pins to do so. You can do it by simply using a headband and about five minutes of your time. Yes, it’s really that simple!
Step 01: Start with dampening your hair and wearing an elastic headband.
Step 02: Divide your hair into two sections and brush them out thoroughly.
Step 03: Next, take the section on the left and twist it away from your face while wrapping it around the headband until you reach the end of the section. Repeat on the other side.
Step 04: Once you’ve wrapped and pinned both sides, spray a generous amount of hair spray to secure the hairstyle in place and unwrap the hair once it is completely dry.
Image courtesy: @m.lovethispic.com on Pinterest
- Mermaid waves
It may seem like mermaid waves are really difficult to achieve, and may even be impossible without a little heat, but turns out, you are wrong! This hairstyle looks really classy for a night look. From cocktail parties, sangeet nights to even bar hopping with your girlies, somehow you can never go wrong with this no-heat curl hairstyle!
Step 01: Divide your hair into two sections from the centre and thoroughly dampen both sections with water.
Step 02: Next, create a simple three-strand braid on each side. Ensure that the braid is tight, so you may have to be a little firm while braiding your hair.
Step 03: Put on some spray and leave these braids overnight to let them dry completely before undoing the braids to reveal really stunning mermaid braids!
Image courtesy: @luxebeautybychloej
- Beach waves
This hairstyle is everyone's favourite, whether or not you are going to be on the beach, right? But instead of ruining your hair by curling them with heat, here’s how to achieve heatless beach waves easily and with minimal effort.
Step 01: Start by applying a generous amount of texturising spray all over your damp hair. This will give your hair some extra grit and hold.
Step 02: Divide your hair two major sections from the middle and then further divide each section into two. You should have four sections – two on each side.
Step 03: Take the sections at the back of your hair and tightly twist them all the way down and then secure them together with an elastic.
Step 04: Do the same with the two sections at the front and allow them to rest for a little while.
Step 05: Once your hair is completely dry, undo the sections and your super gorgeous heatless beach waves are ready!
image courtesy: @melaniekroll
3. Frequently asked questions about how to get heatless curls
Q. What is the easiest way to curl your hair without heat?
A. One of the easiest ways to curl your hair without applying any heat is to braid damp hair before going to bed and then leaving them like that overnight. Undo the braids in the morning to reveal gorgeous bouncy curls, then spray a generous amount of hair spray to keep things in place throughout the day.
Q. Does sleeping in a bun curl your hair?
A. It depends on the kind of bun you are creating but tying your hair in a sock bun can help you attain gorgeous heatless curls. The only thing you need to keep in mind is to dampen your hair first and once the bun is ready, spray on a generous amount of hair setting spray to ensure that your hair can hold the curl.
Q. Do curls hold better on unwashed hair?
A. Yes, unwashed or second-third day hair is much better at holding not just curls, but any hairstyle, a lot better. This is because the accumulated natural oils on your scalp provide a lot more grit than makes holding your curls in place a lot easier.
image courtesy: @aashnashroff
Written by Urvi Dalal on Sep 25, 2020
Writer, avid reader and hardcore beauty enthusiast is the best way to describe Urvi Dalal. With over 5 years of writing experience in the beauty industry, you can trust her to have the latest skin, hair and makeup tidbits on her fingertips. In her time working as a beauty writer, she has had the opportunity to interact and work closely with a string of dermatologists, makeup artists and hairstylists. All that knowledge exchange, coupled with her flair and love for writing make it possible for her to bring you some authentic yet fun beauty content. When Urvi isn’t working, you’d usually catch her curled up with a big, fat book, drinking a cup of tea or practising her makeup skills; there is no in-between!