How do you curl your hair without heat? – Curl your hair naturally
Now, when it comes to straight hair, you’re either born with it or you’re using a flat iron. There’s very little else you can do to straighten your hair and to be perfectly honest, none of the straightening creams, lotions, and shampoos of the world are ever going to really give you poker-straight hair. They’re relaxants at best, and you’re going to have to follow up with a flat iron. You could consider blow-drying as well, I suppose, but most women find that while that particular technique is genius for creating straight hair with body and volume, it too requires some touching up with a flat iron. In a nutshell, when it comes to straightening your hair, all roads lead to the styling tool.
But when it comes to curling city, you’ve got so many more options. And while I love straight, smooth hair as much as the next person, there’s no denying the coquettish charm of curls. They’re a fun, flirtatious style statement to make and I enjoy the amount of flexibility that comes with the texture—both in terms of creating it and wearing it. Whether you’re going short for the summer or keeping your locks long, knowing how to curl your hair can open up a world of styling options. Hair trends for summer 2018 revolve around boosting and experimenting with texture, which is why I’ve decided to share my favorite 5 easy ways to curl your hair. And because we’re all about sharing cool hacks and new ideas around here, we’re not going to feature the universal favorite —curling tongs! In fact, we’re not going to be using any heat at all, so no tools needed at all.
1. Knotty Twists
The secret to curly hair looking good is in well-defined curls. Curly hair usually tends to descend into a mass of indistinguishable locks and it can be really frustrating to have spent all that time and effort in curling your hair only to have it all fall into an unrecognizable mess. However, that’s not something you have to worry about when you curl your hair using this technique.
You’re going to want to work on wet hair—fresh out of the shower wet. Brush your hair through carefully to make sure it’s free of any knots and tangles—getting those out post-curling can ruin much of the effect. Do be careful when you brush wet hair—it’s at its weakest at this point but if you’re gentle and meticulous, there should be no breakage.
We’ll be working in lots and lots of small sections about an inch wide each. Take a section and begin twisting it in on itself, away from the face. Twisting tightly will soon cause the hair to start looping and spiraling along its own length. Once the entire section is twisted, gather it all up in a knot on the head and pin it into place. You can use your little finger as a base to wrap the knots around and quickly add pins/ clips to keep the knot in place.
Repeat this process with all your hair. Pull on a scarf or hairnet to keep the whole thing in place. You should be able to sleep comfortably on this hair, and a scarf will ensure that there’s very little frizziness the next day—if any at all. A beanie might make things more comfortable— depending on the weather, of course!
When you’re ready, just pull out the pins and let each spiral fall naturally. Once all the knots are loose, carefully run your fingers through your hair to blend the curls together. You can add some hairspray for extra hold, but even without it, the curls will last for a long time.
If you’re not already familiar with Bantu knots, I do recommend checking them out. As a stylist, I am constantly exposed to rich cultures and practices from all over the globe and it’s always such a thrill to learn something new. Bantu knots are a lot more complex than this twist-and-knot style, but they make for a beautiful tradition that’s totally worth your time.
How to Make Perfect Curls
Want to get salon quality curls, without the hassle and expense of a salon? We’ll show you how to make perfect curls that will last.
2. The Wet Wipe Wonder
This method is a great alternative for the rag curling method, but faster and more efficient. It’s great for when you want small, springy curls. All you’ll need is a packet of baby wipes. Depending on how thick/ long your hair is, you can use a single wipe per section of hair or if you have fine/ short hair or you want extra-tight curls, you can cut the wipes into thinner sections before you start curling.
The technique itself is pretty simple. Just pick up a wet wipe, place it at the bottom of the section you want to curl and then tightly wind the ends of that section around the wipe until all of it is twisted around the wipe. Once that’s done, start rolling the wipe upward, moving towards the scalp. You could always try simply rolling all of each section upwards with the wipe, but wrapping the ends first helps add that extra bit of security and makes the curls tighter. When the entire section is wrapped up, simply bring the ends of the wipe together and knot them off.
The best part about this technique is that because the wipes are pre-moistened you don’t have to wash your hair and wait till it’s 70% dry or keep spraying some water in every time your hair gets dry. The only thing you need to focus on is twisting and rolling. The wipes stay in place without any trouble and you can remove them after a couple of hours or keep them in overnight for long-lasting curls.
You can use regular store-bought wipes or make DIY wet wipes at home. What’s so great about this technique is that given how strong wet wipes usually are, they’re going to be as good as new with a couple of spritzes of water. So, you can keep using the same pack over and over again and get a number of wears out of it before you’re ready to discard them for good. Efficient, easy, economic and environment-friendly styling for the win!
3. Sock It!
Sock buns have been dominating the style scene for a couple of years now, ever since they became a mainstream favorite with women who enjoy the topknot/ high bun. There’s more to these babies than just a popular look though: they’re a great texturizing tool once you know how to use them.
If you’re looking for a way to curl your hair without heat and while you sleep, all you need is a sock bun.
Begin on freshly washed, semi-dry hair. Add a texturizing product of your choice; if you use a curl-enhancing product like a mousse or crème, spread a small dollop through your hair. However, if you don’t have anything of the like at home, an even coating of hairspray will do too.
Brush your hair and secure it into a high ponytail. Make sure the base is completely smooth. If you have long bangs, you can tuck them in with the rest of the hair or clip them up at the front.
Pull the ponytail through the rolled up sock and carefully bring the sock to the base of the ponytail, so that it rests securely and evenly on your head.
Divide your ponytail into two sections so that it is easier to work with. Simply use your fingers to part your hair.
Take one section and carefully start looping it around the sock. What you’re doing is lifting the section, tucking it under the sock, bringing it out over and then tucking it under again. Repeat this step until the section is completely wrapped around the sock. Once you reach the ends, just lay them flat against the crown and clip/ pin them into place.
Repeat the previous technique with the other half of the ponytail. Pull a hair elastic over the whole thing for some added security.
Once you’re done, you’ll basically have a little bun on top of your head. If you’re doing this in the day, you just have to wear your hair up as you go about your routine. If you’d like to sleep with it in place, add a soft scarf or a cap or hairnet to keep the bun in place comfortably. You shouldn’t need any pins to keep the bun in place but feel free to add a few if it makes you feel better to have some extra grip going.
When you’re ready to remove the bun just undo the clips/ pins, gently ease out the sections, remove the sock and undo the ponytail. Prepare to be amazed by loose, voluminous waves. Whoever thought getting Old Hollywood hair could be that simple?
4. Straight Hair’s Band Around Here
Here’s another quick and easy way to create curls using a wrapping technique similar to the one we’ve discussed in the previous step.
Begin with slightly dampened hair. Pull a headband on. You can also wrap and knot a long sock around your head. Basically, whatever you use should be tight and elastic enough to be springy and retain its position even after you’re done arranging the hair but not so tight that it gets uncomfortable.
Once the headband is in place, just start taking small sections of your hair and looping them around the band, traveling down the band as far as you need to. The size of your curls will depend on the size of each individual section: larger sections will produce waves while smaller ones will give you ringlets.
If you’ve got heavy hair and are worried about the band sliding under all that weight, just crisscross two bobby pins over each other next to both ears. That should keep the band and the rolled hair in place.
Spritz some hairspray on to keep the curls defined for longer.
Unwrap whenever you’re ready (after a couple of hours have passed) and carefully pull the headband off. A touch more of hairspray can help you keep your no-heat headband curls in place even longer if you’re expecting some humidity or just generally want the look to wear a while.
5. Two-in-One Stylin’
What if I told you there was a way to wear your hair in a super funky hairstyle through the day and undo it to reveal gorgeous curls at night? Sounds good, right?
Begin on freshly washed hair. I recommend waiting until your hair is about 30-40% dry: this way the dampness will help give the structure of the curls but the hair’s a lot stronger and ready for some braiding. Spread a styling product through your hair and brush it through: this will help coat all strands evenly and will also rid your hair of any tangles.
Carve out a middle part, separating your hair into two halves.
Moving from the front to the back, start braiding one of these sections into a French braid. You’ll want to start right at the hairline, ideally above the highest point of your eyebrow. Done right, the French braid will follow the natural contours of the head, which means it will lay diagonally on the head. Continue the braid till the nape of your neck and secure it with an elastic band, leaving the rest loose.
Repeat the previous steps on the other section, creating a second French braid that meets the first one at the back of your head.
Carefully merge the two unbraided sections together and make one regular three-strand braid out of them. For ease of styling, I recommend keeping the two French braids secured until you’re done with the bottom braid. Once you’ve topped it off with an elastic band you can snip away the two bands securing the French braids at the back of your head or just leave them in place if you so prefer.
You can also use double Dutch braids to very similar results- it depends entirely on which technique you’re more comfortable with and what will be easier for you to wear through the hours. Dutch braids are more ‘3D’ and sit atop the crown instead of being woven in, which means your curls will tend to start an inch away from the roots.
Once the braids are set, all you have to do is leave them in for a while for the curls to form and set. This is one of my favorite techniques because you don’t necessarily have to sit around waiting for the curls to take—or even just sleep the hours off. You can step out and do your thing and look super styled all the while. If there ever was the perfect day-to-night hairstyle, this is it.
After a couple of hours, just loosen the braids and say hello to the sexiest, bounciest curls ever. Flip your hair upside down and add some hairspray for some unbelievable volume and great hold and get ready to dance the night away.
How to Make a Dutch Braid
The Dutch braid is a fun hairstyle that you can create at home. Watch this video to learn how it’s done.
How to Blow-dry Curly Hair
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
