Tight curls, gentle and soft curls, wavy hair – curls are amazing. And the best part is that they flatter just about any type of hair, and on any length. But if you’re blessed with poker straight hair, (and we say blessed because straight hair looks amazing too, right?) then what do you do?

Hair curling is an option, but what about hair damage? Fortunately, there are several techniques that teach you how to curl hair without a curling iron or tongs. We’ve put down the fastest and the best ways for hair curling without heat.

Top Ways to Curl Your Hair Without Heat

#1: Old t-shirt for New Curls

1. Wash your hair the way you usually do. Blot it dry with a towel.
2. Cut a t-shirt in long strips from the neck to the hem.
3. The thinner the strip, the tighter the curls.
4. Take a small section of your hair, and roll the strip and the hair upwards till your scalp (or till as much as you want). Roll inwards so the curls turn towards your neck.
5. Tie the end of the strip to hold the hair in place.
6. Repeat this for all the hair.
7. Let your hair dry completely before removing the strips.

#2: Headband for Retro Curls

1. Wash your hair the way you usually do. Blot it dry with a towel.
2. Slip a headband around your head.
3. Take sections of your hair and wrap around the hairband until all the hair is within the band.
4. Secure loose ends with pins.
5. Let your hair dry completely.
6. Gently remove the headband and pins, and unleash your curls.

#3: Braiding for Natural Waves

1. Wash your hair the way you usually do. Blot it dry with a towel.
2. Make a center parting and tie two ponytails.
3. Braid the two ponytails and secure the end with a rubber band.
4. For tight curls, make more braids, for looser curls, make just one braid.
5. Let your hair dry completely.
6. Gently loosen the braids and shake your curls free.

#4: Sock Bun Waves

1. Take an old sock with the toe part cut out and roll it into a doughnut shape.
2. Wash your hair the way you usually do. Blot it dry with a towel.
3. Pull your hair into a ponytail at the top of your head.
4. Pull your ponytail through the sock. Wrap the hair and tuck it in securely.
5. Roll the sock to include more hair.
6. Continue rolling and tucking until you reach the top of your head.
7. Secure the bun with the help of clips.
8. Sleep in with the bun and loosen it in the morning for gorgeous tumbling waves.

#5: Waves are Easy

1. Wet your hair lightly unless you’ve just washed it.
2. Detangle your hair and make a center parting.
3. Twist each section tightly to form a bun on the two sides of your head.
4. Let your hair dry overnight.
5. Gently open the buns the next morning and voila! Waves!

#6: Roll with it

1. Get your hands on some hair rollers. Big rollers give big curls, and small ones give tighter curls.
2. Wash and condition your hair, and blot it with a towel.
3. Separate a section, roll it and immediately encase it in a roller. Secure the roller as per instructions.
4. Repeat the step until all hair is sheathed in rollers.
5. Leave untouched for 4-5 hours.
6. Gently remove the rollers and enjoy the curls.

#7: Twist & Curl

1. Wash your hair the way you usually do. Then dry it with a soft towel.
2. Comb your hair thoroughly and make a center parting.
3. Twist each section until it resembles a tight coil. Secure it to the top of your head with a clip. Do the same to the other side.
4. Allow your hair to dry overnight.
5. Remove the clips and enjoy your curls.

You are thinking that the above methods can be used in curling long and medium hair lengths, right?

Well, if you are wondering how to curl short hair without a curler, then we can assure you that, the methods mentioned above are workable on short lengths of hair.

Rather the braiding and the headband roll methods are best for short hair, and will give you waves with an oomph!

Also, we have given such a detailed DIY for heatless curls, there definitely must be some benefits of this method of curling your hair. Well, the following points are the most important as per our perspective and hence we think you should try heatless curls.

What are the benefits of curling hair?

• You get added volume in your hair with effortless curls and waves
• You don’t have to style it a lot, as waves and curls settle and give you a fresh new look in accordance to the curl diameters
• Reduced hair fall due to reduced styling and combing of hair
• You can easily avoid ponytail ridges and hair pin marks due to curled hair

Now that you know the benefits of curling your hair, refer the below points for added benefits of heatless curls.

Disadvantages of using Curling Irons

• Split ends – The heat emitted by the curling irons ends up giving us more split ends than usual
• Hair Loss – Due to excessive heat, hair is weakened, and thus prone to increased hair loss
• Loss of Shine – Over time, excessive heat leads to dull, lifeless hair
• Brittle and Rough Hair – Over styling also leads to brittle and rough hair

Getting curls with no heat method eliminates all the above stated disadvantages and hence it is advisable to use our no heat hair curling methods the next time you feel like sporting curly or wavy hairstyle!