For anyone with thick, textured hair, summer is not so much the season of sun-soaked bliss as it is a months-long stint of stubborn frizz. Sure, it’s fun to bask in the heat, but have you ever spent an hour blow-drying or waving your hair, only for it to go static the second you step outside? If the answer is no, consider yourself lucky.
Whether you’ve experienced this or not, it may be time to skip the heat and turn in the hot hair tools altogether (better to avoid the damage if the curl won’t keep anyway). Instead, there are plenty of heatless techniques to try, from tying olds socks in your hair to wrapping the ends around malleable rods, preferably satin.
“If you ask me about any tool that I love when it comes to creating heatless curls, then I am ready to recommend you a soft robe belt,” said Deseo Salon and BlowDry owner Sherry Velarde. “Put sections of hair around your belt before going to bed, and then tie the ends of the hair with a scrunchie. The result is wavy hair that does not suffer from any heat damage.”
The key to securing the shape, according to hairstylist Philip Downing, is to start when your hair is 80 to 90 percent dry.
“One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they try heatless curls is using completely soaked hair,” added Velarde. “The thing about soaking hair is that it may take several hours for it to get dry, and during the hot summer months, this process might take even longer.”
With that, sleeping on soaking wet hair can actually damage the hair cuticles, said stylist Starr Fox. “Hair is most fragile when wet, so allowing it to dry partially first helps protect the cuticle and creates longer-lasting curls.”
Downing recommends allowing the curl to set overnight for optimal results, and at the very least, four to six hours. To protect the hair from restless movement in the midst of REM sleep, Velarde suggests covering the socks or satin rod with a silk bonnet.
To help reduce frizz for anyone with already curly hair, a dollop of styling cream and two braids with do the trick, added Velarde. But too much product could weigh the texture down, causing the hair to become crunchy. In the case of limp curls, oil-based products tend to be the culprit. According to Velarde, these should be swapped for a mousse. “Mousse makes your curls structured without making them stiff,” she said.
“It may be necessary to note that, as part of heatless styling, there is need for some patience when styling curls,” Velarde continued. “It is important to allow your curls to settle first after removal from the braids. Avoid playing with your curls immediately you take off the braids or the wraps.”
