How to Curl Hair without Heat & within an Hour

Whoever said diamonds were a girl’s best friend, obviously had naturally curly hair. They are the luckiest girls alive but, obviously, even they want to straighten their hair occasionally.

There’s a perfect curly hairdo for every woman; short hair, long hair, it doesn’t matter. The longer the hair, the more time a girl will spend making it look just right. Not only time but the damage we do to our hair is unacceptable.

Heat from blow dryers, hot rods, and flat irons can hurt our hair. It’s easy to burn the hair, and once the strands are gone, they’re gone.  You or your stylist will likely cut the damaged ends. But did you know you have options?

Yes, you can learn how to curl hair without heat in less than one hour. You can make tight curls or deep wavy hair, but it’s your choice. What’s more is you don’t have to buy any new equipment or styling tools. You can even add some vibrant colors to your hair without causing any damage.

Learn the secrets to having luscious, curly locks without plugging in the curling irons. Want to know how? Keep reading!

How Do You Curl Your Hair Fast?

Sometimes we need an alternative to heat to get curls. In fact, some women prefer a natural way of doing things. For this reason, we thought you might need tips to curl hair without heat from a blow dryer or by a scorching styling comb.

These ideas to curl your hair naturally are simple ones; you may want to try more than one suggestion. That’s great if you do. Please, let us know which ones you tried and tell us how it worked for you.

Pigtails for Curls

All you need is about five minutes to complete this set.

• When you hop out of the shower, twist your hair. You don’t have to wash it, but your hair should be moist.  Or you can spray your hair with some It’s a 10 Miracle leave-in conditioner and twist it up into two sections. Tie it off with a pin or a rubber band.
• When dry, take the twist down and run your fingers through your hair to loosen the locks. Be gentle though. You don’t want to disturb too much of the hair.
• If you want looser-looking curls, pull your hair back into one ponytail instead of two. On the other hand, if you want tighter curls, part your hair in smaller sections. With thick hair, you should part in smaller sections to get the full effect of heatless tight curls.

… without Curlers?

The twist and curl is another great idea to try for overnight heatless curls.

• Start by washing and conditioning as usual. Use a natural shampoo, such as Christina Moss natural Organic Shampoo. Gently comb out, use a detangler if you have some. If not, we do suggest getting a bottle. But remove excess water from hair with a microfiber towel and let it air dry a little.
• When it’s almost dry, go ahead and make your part down the middle. Twist each of these sections until it looks like a coil. Making sure it’s done tightly, clip it or rubber band it, so the twist stays locked in.
• Go about your day or have a good night’s sleep in them. When you wake up, take out the clips and finger comb to style, and you’re done.

… without Heat?

Roller Set

You may have forgotten about these with all the up-to-date gadgets. However, they are still great styling tools. Likely, you can pick rollers up at the local drugstore.

If you have long hair, you should buy extra-large rollers, but if you’re aiming for tight curls, the smaller ones are effective in giving you tons of curly strands.

• Always start with clean hair. Blot or pat dry but you shouldn’t rub your hair. Now that your hair is almost dry, you can part a small section to begin rolling.
• Once you have rolled the hair up close to the roots, pin it to secure it.
• Cover entire head with rollers and leave them for about four to five hours. You can also sleep in them if you want the curls to set longer.
• Carefully remove the clips or bands and shake it off. Run your fingers through your hair or style your way and be about your day.

Sock Bun

Want wavy waves? Use the infamous sock bun trick. You’re going to need a long sock to pull this off. When you find one, cut the top portion of a tube sock. The cut is normally an inch and a half.

• Brush your hair back and put it into a ponytail. Position the ponytail where you wear your bun and fasten it with a rubber or tie.
• Spray your bun as this will help to set the pattern of waves. Take the end of your ponytail and pull it through the sock hole. Take sections of your hair and wrap it over the (sock) doughnut.
• Be careful to secure the ends under the sock bun. Keep rolling down the sock the ponytail and making sure your hair is still tucked in the sock. Once it reaches your scalp, it should stay in place until you take it down.

This is yet another curl hack without using heat. Check out the wavy hair.  Don’t forget to freeze it with a natural hair spray.

… overnight for Thick Hair

Twist/Braid Leave Out

This style is for every woman who has a thick head of hair but wants a simple, but sophisticated hairdo. Pull out your bending rods for this tip; you’ll need them now and later.

• Part hair into three sections; one big in the front and two split down the middle in the back. You are going to braid or twist the hair up toward your crown instead of toward your neck.
• When you reach the part, stop and pin braid/twist in place. Do the other side the same.
• Part the front of your hair in sections. You will start at the ends of the hair and roll as close as you can to the roots. Do this for the remaining strands.
• Let it sit overnight, as you get your beauty rest. In the morning, take the rods out and style. You’re ready for work or play.

The hair doesn’t have to be wet for this styling hack, but you should have clean hair.

• Take and section off your hair and twist. It can be a small part or a big one.
• But before you pick up the rods, apply a gel or mouse for extra hold. Once you have applied the gel and twisted your section of hair, loosely twist it until you feel it tighten at the scalp and turn back a notch.
• You don’t want to damage your roots or hair follicles.
• Start at the ends and twirl your hair onto the bendy rods or rollers. If your hair is thick, you may use more rollers than suggested for someone who doesn’t share in your glory.
• Go about your day or evening because you will need to leave in for about 8 hours or more. Again, it’s safe to sleep in the rods.

Heatless Curls for Medium Hair

With short and easy heatless styles like these, anyone can accomplish them. All is needed for this style is two pins or something else to hold the hair in place. This hairdo is for wet hair, so wait until you shower or spray it with a moisturizer.

• You want to part your hair in the manner you normally style it and twist the sides of your hair.
• After which, you want to pin the ends to the back of your head. Repeat for both sides, and you’re through until dry.
• Remove pins and shake the hair loose. Grab your purse and keys and enjoy the rest of your day.

No Heat Curls for Short Hair

The Bantu Knot is two hairdos in one; popular among African American women. You will need several rubber bands to match your hair color for this twisted hairstyle.

• Start with a damp head of hair. Section it off in small portions.
• After you part the hair in sections, you should twist the locks until it forms a ball.
• Secure the ball and the ends with rubber bands. Repeat throughout the process for the rest of your hair.
• Let dry completely before removing.

This hairstyle can be worn as is as little as an hour or later taken down for tight, touchable curls.

… naturally at Home

If you have long hair, this is one of the best practices to curl your hair without heat and within an hour.

1. Begin by brushing your hair, so there aren’t any tangles.
2. Spray your clean hair lightly.
3. Part down the middle or side, depending on how you wear your hair.
4. Twist your hair, using your thumb to control the coil and the pressure.
5. Twist until you reach the ends and repeat for the other side.
6. You shouldn’t need to tie the ends, however, if you find it necessary, please do so. Nonetheless, you will need to repeat twisting your hair up to five times to help set the curls.
7. Once your hair is dry, gently pull apart the twist.

Notice how wavy your hair is without using any heat. You look gorgeous!

Pin Curls

Along with the rollers, I thought pin curls were history. However, I was wrong! Pin curls make long-lasting wavy hair. It doesn’t matter if you have natural hair, air-dried hair, or red hair, you can pull off pin curls.

Part your locks into sections, of course. Coil the hair til it makes a firm curl. Use a bobby pin or clip to secure. You only have a few only before you can take it down, so apply your makeup while you wait. When you take the pins out, you’ll have a fresh, springy do without using a curling rod or flat iron.

Natural Hair Curlers

Hopefully, you air dried your hair to eliminate the heat, but in case you didn’t, you’ll need to protect your hair.

• Spray your strands with coconut oil or Argan Oil.
• Using a wide tooth comb, smooth out the hair and part into tiny sections.
• Start at the ends of the hair and roll your hair, so it’s going to the back.
• Pin the section off and keep going until the deed is done.

For best results, leave in overnight, but you can take the curls down when dry.

Braid Out or Boho Waves

Braids are wonderful hairstyles but what happens when you take them down is incredible. They add volume and texture to your hair, and you don’t have to use heat to get curly or wavy hairstyles.

You can braid the hair starting from the root or farther from the scalp.  You can make wide parts and braids or small ones. This technique works on short hair as well as long hair. So, if you’re ready, take out your styling gel, rubber bands, and a hair clip.

• Your hair should be wet when braiding but not excessively wet.
• Part down the center of your head or part the way you normally wear your hairstyle and clip off or tie off the other sides. You’ll want to have at least four sections.
• French braids work well. You want to braid the hair going toward the back and fold the ends of your hair under. Do this for all four parts. Pull apart slightly if you need to loosen the braids a little.
• When it’s dry, remove the braids and finger comb out. You should have wavy hair in about an hour.

The Headband Trick

You can do this with dry hair, so don’t stress if you just washed your hair. Spray hair with a lifter especially if you have thin hair. When that’s dry, put on a headband. If you don’t have one, you can hack it with a long sock.

• Wrap a section of your hair by going underneath the headband. Wrap it around the top of your head and the back or until all of the hair is tucked nicely into the band. If you do it tightly, your curls will be tighter. You’ll lose a little curl as your hair relaxes, but the style will last, so don’t worry.
• Go on about your business and put your makeup on, clean your room or watch a half-hour sitcom. After the show is over, or whenever you’re ready, take off the band.
• Shake the hair loose, spray with a style spritzer or something that will pump up the hair volume and hold the style in place.
• Style it and you can leave the house now and watch heads turn.

No Heat Scarf Curls

This style doesn’t need wet hair to complete, but you will need to cut a scarf into about four pieces. Also, you will need to part your hair into four sections. After you have parted and secured them, you will need to tie your hair off close to the roots.

Take the hair and wrap it tightly around the scarf. Keep wrapping until you reach the ends of the hair and roll into a bun. Keep rolling around the bun until the scarf disappears. This will hold the hair in place. After about an hour, remove the pieces of the scarf and finger comb hair into your style.

More Styling Tips

The experts say that using a terry cloth towel doesn’t do anything to protect your hair. In fact, you should always use a microfiber towel to dry your hair. It will rob your hair of its definition.  Always pat or blot your hair to dry it rather than rub your hair.

There’s one thing you should remember when using the microfiber towel, however. Don’t throw it in your dryer but instead, hang out to dry. If you don’t have a microfiber towel, use an old t-shirt.

If you have naturally wavy hair, to begin with, styles to curl your hair will enhance your waves. With that in mind, most of the hairstyles can be done with any hair, but most work best when hair is damp. All of these methods can be done in an hour or less.

We’ve explored many ways in which to curl the hair without using heat, except for one thing. Putting on a wig is the easiest and fastest way I know to get curly hair within an hour or less. I can have long hair, short hair, wavy, curly or straight.

If not a wig, you can use clip-on hair extensions. They are inexpensive, and you can buy more than one color. Add color as desired, and you can even mix and match pieces fitting for the occasion. Better still, you won’t dry out your hair and scalp.