How to get wet curls with straight hair

Perfecting that gorgeous beachy hair is a lot of work, and adding a heat tool to the equation takes extra effort. Though using a wand or flat iron does give you that wavy look, some days, you just want to skip the heat or you might not have your tools handy. Luckily, heat isn't the only way to get yourself some flippy curls — there are actually a number of easy ways to achieve the same results without a touch of heat. Are heatless curls actually achievable on your own? We asked Andrew Fitzsimons, hairstylist to the Kardashians and founder of Andrew Fitzsimons Hair at Primark, to get his best tips on how to curl hair without any heat.

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"One of the easiest ways to get loose waves without heat is to braid your hair at night and sleep with it in," Fitzsimon says. That way, when you wake up in the morning, all you have to do is undo the braids and apply a smoothing hair oil to tame any frizz.

Fitzsimon recommends a versatile smoothing oil like .

If you're blessed with hair that has some texture, this is probably the most simple technique.

"Spray some sea salt spray on damp hair, from mid-shaft to ends, and scrunch upwards," Fitzsimon says. "This technique will encourage your natural waves for that chic beach vibe."

Try Redken's Sea Salt Hair Spray for the beachiest waves.

You might think hair rollers are more your grandma's thing, but they don't have to be! According to Fitzsimons, these babies can easily give you heatless glam curls.

"On damp hair, start rolling sections from the bottom up and secure with a bobby pin," he says. "Let it dry for two to three hours or overnight. You'll have gorgeous waves and can apply hairspray to set them."

It might sound a little strange, but it really does work. YouTuber Kayley Melissa designed this "halo" method to get heatless curls.

First, twist a T-shirt into a roller shape and tie the ends together to create a large DIY halo. Then, put the halo on top of your head, wrap pieces of hair around it, and pin the hair in place. Leave your hair in the halo overnight, and in the morning, you can remove all the pins to reveal soft, bouncy curls.

Here's another ~creative~ but effective method: cut the tip off of an old sock and roll it up to get a doughnut shape. (Or, you can just get a , but that's no fun!)

Once you have your sock bun, pull your ponytail through the hole, and then pull sections of your hair through it to create a large bun. Again, let the bun sit overnight, and pull your hair out to get gorgeous wavy locks.

All you need for this method is a good old headband and a texturizing product. Put your headband on over your hair, Coachella-style, and dampen your locks with texture spray.

Twist pieces of your hair and tuck them into the headband — you should end up with a funky updo situation. Add even more dampness to that updo and wait a few hours (or overnight) for your hair to completely dry. Then, unwrap your hair and you should have luscious curls.

This French twist technique is a super easy way to achieve salon-like waves. Twist sections of your hair over each other and gather the twists into little buns. According to YouTuber Vivian V, you should leave the twist braids in for at least six hours, and then gently pull them out to get the final look.

Pro tip: brushing out your hair afterwards will actually make your hair frizzier, so simply use your fingertips to detangle your locks.

YouTuber NaturallyChea shows us how to use Spoolies, which is a type of hair roller, to create heat-free curls. Simply twist and wrap pieces of your hair onto the Spoolies, then bend them to hold your hair.

Once your hair is rolled onto the Spoolies, you can let your hair airdry overnight, and then take them down when you wake up in the morning. The longer you leave the Spoolie on, the tighter your curls will be!

Though it's recently been popularized on TikTok, plopping is one of beauty's best-kept secrets. This method allows natural curls and waves to form with hair products overnight.

After showering, apply desired hair products to your hair and wrap it in a cotton T-shirt. Leave the shirt on while you catch some Zs. By the morning, your curls will bounce in no time.

1. Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Getting curls with naturally straight hair often involves heat styling. Prime and protect your locks by washing and conditioning with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.


2. Strengthen and protect your hair with a leave-in conditioner. Leave-in conditioner helps protect your locks against heat damage while promoting smoother, stronger hair.


3. Air dry or diffuse wet hair. Encourage your locks to develop a natural wave by air drying about 90% of the way, then blow-drying with a diffuser on the lowest setting while cupping sections of hair in the palm of your hand and scrunching upwards.


4. Use a curling iron on stubbornly straight strands. If your hair is still stick-straight after drying, it’s time to bust out the heat tools. Use a curling iron or wand with a smaller barrel than the size curl you want, as curls will loosen over time.


5. Try a no-heat curling method. From foam rollers and rag rollers to braids, buns, and pin curling, there are plenty of no-heat methods for creating curls. To enhance curls and ensure the style lasts longer, gently work in a curl-defining gel, spray, or mousse before rolling or pinning small sections of your hair into coils, buns, rags, or rollers.


6. Add volume and texture with a sea salt spray. Spritz a sea salt spray on your freshly curled locks and scrunch upwards, working the product into your hair to create plenty of hold, lift, and beachy texture.

 How to Make Wavy Hair More Curly

If your hair already has a wavy texture to it, soft, defined curls are easy to achieve. Here’s how to make your wavy hair curly.

1. Use a shampoo and conditioner that’s designed to fight frizz. Wavy and curly hair textures are prone to dryness and frizz. Wash and condition once or twice a week with an anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner.


2. Add definition with a curl-enhancing styling foam. Finger-comb a curl-defining foam into your strands to enhance your curl pattern and tame frizz.


3. Air dry or diffuse wavy hair to prevent frizz. Heat styling can damage wavy hair and promote frizz. After using a frizz-fighting styling foam or frizz mousse to define your curls, let them air dry. Cup your hands and scrunch your locks upward to encourage curls to form as your hair dries. In a hurry? Use a diffuser on the lowest setting to speed up the drying process.

4. Smooth frizzy flyaways with nourishing hair oil. A frizz-fighting hair oil helps moisturize, define, and smooth curls and waves without weighing hair down.

5. Spot-treat flat or misshapen curls and waves with a no-heat styling method. Pin-curling works great for this. Simply twist and coil any frizzy or lifeless sections of hair into small buns, and secure with bobby pins. Wait about 10 minutes, then remove the bobby pins to reveal soft, frizz-free ringlets.

6. Protect your style with hairspray. Spritz your style with a frizz-fighting hairspray to fight humidity and keep your curls in place all day.

7. Get regular trims. Dryness and damage can weigh your strands down, sapping its elasticity and preventing curls from bouncing back into shape. Getting rid of dry, damaged ends with regular trims helps ensure your curls stay fresh and healthy.

 How to Style Naturally Curly Hair

If you’re lucky enough to sport naturally curly locks, all you need to focus on is defining those curls and combating frizz. Here’s how to get the curls of your dreams.

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