Are you guilty of overusing hot tools to curl your hair? We were too…and our hair was not happy with us! The fact is, if you’ve convinced yourself that your hair is so unmanageable that you can’t go without heat styling, you may actually be contributing to the problem. Although using a curling wand or flat iron to give your hair some texture, tame those stubborn flyaway, and calm that unruly frizz, might seem like an easy fix, it’s actually doing your hair more harm than good in the long run.
Exposing your hair to heat—especially consistently and at a high temperature-causes breakage, dryness, and is overall extremely damaging. Think using a heat protectant means you’re immune to heat damage? Not exactly. While applying a heat protectant prior to styling can help reduce the effects of hot tools, your hair is still at risk. As well, if you bleach your hair regularly, heat styling your hair every time you wash it can increase dryness and make your hair more brittle. Basically, every time you wrap your hair around that curling wand or twist it around some hot rollers, you’re instantly zapping the moisture out of your hair making it more susceptible to breakage.
We know what you’re thinking: what’s a girl to do, right? If you resort to hot tools, you’re perpetuating an endless cycle of heat damage, but the alternative is looking like Mia Thermopolis from The Princess Diaries (pre-makeover) or ending up with lifeless hair. Either way, we understand your dilemma.
Lucky for you, we’ve found some ways to get amazing curls without any heat, so you can rock beautiful heatless curls or beachy waves while maintaining the health of your hair.
Here’s a list of different ways you can achieve gorgeous runway curls, without any damage.
LAZY CURLS FOR LAZY DAYS
If you’re a low-maintenance gal who often teeters between styling her hair and rocking a bun, lazy heatless curls are your perfect match. A ‘do that requires minimal effort, it’s ideal for when you’re working with second or third-day hair, if you want to achieve quick waves while you multitask, or are just having a lazy day.
Step 1
Start off by pulling your hair up into a ponytail.
Step 2
Spray small one-inch sections of hair with water so they are a little bit damp, wrapping each individually around your fingers to create a curl.
Step 3
Use a clip to secure the curl against your scalp. Once you’ve worked through your entire head, let time work its magic.
Step 4
Once your hair air dries completely, unpin the individual curls and take down your ponytail.
RUNWAY READY HEATLESS WAVES
There’s something about the model-off-duty look that has a certain appeal. Minimal, no-makeup makeup, imperfect waves, and a classic outfit are the epitome of effortless-chic. This heatless wave instruction will help you recreate the effortless runway bends you’ve always dreamed of, without a curling wand. All you’ll need to achieve this look are a few hair clips, hairspray, a spray bottle with water, and some hair wax.
Step 1
Start at the base of your hair and work in small sections, using your spray bottle to dampen each section as you go. Begin wrapping each section of hair around your middle and index finger in the same way you would wrap your hair around a curling wand.
Step 2
Repeat all over your head, pinning each curl into place as you go.
Step 3
Finish off with some hairspray, leaving some time to allow your hair to set (usually about 40 minutes depending on the length and thickness of your hair).
Once you take down your curls, warm up some hair wax between your hands and apply it to your hair in a scrunching motion. This will help prolong the life of your heatless waves while giving you that coveted tousled look. Sounds pretty simple, right?
HEATLESS HEADBAND WAVES
Don’t have time to wait for your curls to dry? That’s okay! If you want a simple tutorial that doesn’t require multiple clips and pins, this technique is perfect for you since all it requires is a single headband.
Step 1
With the headband around your head and your hair damp, begin by dividing your hair into two sections.
Step 2
Then, twist each section away from your face wrapping each twisted section over and under the headband until you reach the end of your hair.
Step 3
Use some hairspray to hold everything in place and let your style set. Be sure to let your hair dry completely before letting it down.
Finish off with some texturizing pomade for some added hold and definition and you’re done!
BOUNCY HEATLESS CURLS
If you have limp, fine hair and want to inject some bounce and volume into your strands, this is the perfect heatless curls tutorial for you. Once again, all you need are a few hair clips, a spray bottle filled with water, and your hairspray of choice.
Step 1
Section-off your hair into one-inch sections, using a spray bottle to dampen your hair as you go.
Step 2
Then, loosely wrap individual sections of hair around your middle finger, slide the curl down and secure it with a hair clip. Unlike the previous heatless waves tutorial where you used both your middle and index finger, use your middle finger alone, as this will give you a tighter curl-think of it as though you are using a smaller barrel curling wand.
Step 3
Repeat all over the rest of your head, ensuring your sections are small enough that the curls won’t fall out of the clips.
Top it off with some hairspray before unraveling your bouncy, long-lasting curls.
So whether your hair is dry, damaged, or plain old unmanageable, challenge yourself to go a week without heat. Although it may seem difficult at first, it does get easier with time. Plus, your hair will actually get healthier and more manageable when you’re not consistently exposing it to heat. Not to mention, you’ll be preventing split-ends, hair breakage, and flyaways.
While every single heatless wave technique may not work for everyone, remember to be patient; it’s truly a matter of trial and error. Depending on the length and natural texture of your hair, its ability to hold curl, and your personal preference, you may find that some heatless curling methods work better than others. If these tutorials seem tricky initially, we promise: once you get in the groove of heat-free styling, creating these heatless waves will be second nature. Best of all, you’ll be saving your hair a whole lot of heat damage and over time, your natural texture will get more manageable.