Main content

The 4 Best Ways To Curl Your Hair Without Heat

heat free curls

There is no sexier hairstyle than curls but if you aren't naturally blessed with ringlets, chances are good you typically use heat to create curls. As much as we love our hot tools (we’ll never part with our flat irons), constant heat styling can take a serious toll on your dark brown hair or ash blonde strands.

You shouldn’t have to compromise the health of your hair to slay your favorite hairstyles. If you’re a straight-haired babe looking for a way to curl your hair without heat, you’ve come to the right place. We’re breaking down four of the best ways to curl your hair without heat.

For all of these styles, we recommend beginning with freshly washed, damp hair. Allowing your hair to dry while curled will help your ringlets last longer. If you want your curls to last even longer, we recommend applying a foam styling product like Mizani’s Styling Foam Wrap to your damp hair before styling it. This professional product smooths and shapes natural hair for a sleek, wet set, high-hold look that will last all day.

How To Curl Your Hair Without Heat 

Heat free curls ribbon curlers

Hot Tools Ribbon Curlers

Remember when you used to use a special tool to thread beads onto your strands? Hot Tools' Ribbon Curlers are just like that but instead of bejeweled strands, you’ll be rewarded with exquisite curls. Ribbon curlers come in a variety of shapes and lengths, so you can create bouncy barrel curls or stunning spirals no matter how long your hair is.

Once you’ve chosen your desired style, thread a 1-inch section of hair through the styling hook and feed it through the ribbon curlers. Once the ribbon curler reaches your roots, gently pull the styling hook out of the ribbon curler. Continue this process until you’ve curled your entire head. Allow your hair to dry before removing the ribbon curlers completely.

Heat free curls soft pillow curls

Hot Tools Soft Pillow Rollers

If you want to go to sleep and wake up with flawless heat-free curls, Hot Tools’ Soft Pillow Rollers are perfect for you. Simply wrap a 1-inch section of hair around the curler. Fold over bottom flap to secure ends and roll the curler towards your roots. Secure the curler by folding the top flap over the roots and tucking the flaps under the curler. When you wake up, remove the rollers one by one and finger comb your ringlets for flawless curls.

Heat free curls spongy rod rollers

Hot Tools Spongy Rod Rollers

Hot Tools Spongy Rod Rollers are a great way to create heat-free curls and unlike the other heat-free hair curling tools, these can be used on wet or dry hair. To begin, wrap a 1-inch section of hair around the spongy rod roller and roll it towards your roots. Once you reach your roots, fold the spongy rod roller to secure the curl in place. Continue this process until you’ve curled your entire head. If your hair is wet, allow it to dry completely before removing the spongy rod rollers. If your hair is dry, allow the curls to set for a few hours before removing them.

Heat free curls bantu knots

Bantu Knots

If you don’t have any hair tools on hand, fear not—you can still create heat-free curls with nothing more than a few hair elastics. Bantu knots are an amazing two-for-one because they’re a popular hairstyle and also a great way to create ringlets without using heat.

The key to bantu knots is all about how you part your hair. If you want small, tight curls, part your hair into tiny sections. If you want loose curls, part your hair into large sections. Once your hair has been sectioned off, coil each section around itself until it forms a tight twist. Then, wrap that twist around itself to form a “knot” and secure with bobby pins or a small, clear elastic.

Slay the style for a few days or allow your hair to dry before removing the bantu knots completely and you’ll have stunning heat-free curls.

Now you can wear gorgeous curls every day of the week without having to worry about heat damage!

Interested in having your hair curled by a professional? Use our salon locator to book an appointment at a salon near you.

Take Our Highlights Finder Quiz

Orientation message
For the best experience, please turn your device