Hacking heatless styling

Space buns, Braiding and Drishya Bhagyanath

What do a sock, drinking straws, toilet paper, clothes pegs, a T-shirt, and a headband have in common? They've all been used by nifty beauty bloggers to style their hair in viral videos. "During the last two years especially, people have become slightly more conscious about the impact of heat styling on their strands. This has spurred an uptick in the popularity of heatless styles," explains hair stylist Drishya Bhagyanath, warning that while these styles appear deceptively simple, they may not work for all hair types. "If you have very frizzy hair, heatless styles will not give you the same smoothness as using heat. Also, if your hair is very straight, several curling and volumising techniques will, quite literally, fall flat quite quickly," she adds. And so, while they may not make the cut for a fancy ‘do, you could experiment with heatless techniques to add more volume, a slight wave and some bounce to your hair.

Braiding

This sounds almost too simple to be effective, but Bhagyanath assures us that it is still one of the most tried-and-tested ways to create soft waves. This technique works best for those who already have wavy or curly hair. Braid hair that is still slightly damp and apply a setting mousse or lotion to the lengths. Looser braids will create beach-like waves, while tighter braids will create smaller, tighter curls. You can roll up the braid into a bun and secure it with a scrunchie, to avoid denting your lengths.

Velcro rollers

These work well to add some body and volume to otherwise flat hair. However, it may be better suited to short-to-mid-length hair as longer hair could become entangled in the rollers, says Bhagyanath. "You could use these rollers near your crown and to style curtain bangs for a blown-out look. Leave them on for an hour before taking the rollers out. If you don't have rollers, simply rolling up and pinning your hair will achieve the same effect," she clarifies.

Space buns

For longer hair, twisting your lengths into buns can do the trick. A top knot will result in waves that begin closer to your root, while a lower bun will result in smoother waves. You could use this technique while your hair is still damp or while you sleep. Remember, the smaller the bun, the tighter the resultant wave will be, the hair stylist concludes.