I've tried the vast majority of the heatless hair styling hacks—these are the only ones worth your time

In the before times, the years before the unbridled consumption of social media, the phrase 'hack' never entered my consciousness. Memes were abundant, heavily filtered holiday pictures even more so. The idea of learning something from social media, though? Non-existent.

Now, shortcuts are available for everything. If peeling garlic makes your eyes stream intolerably, pop a few cloves in a lidded Tupperware and vigorously shake until the outer shell falls off. If you layer on too much blusher, take your foundation sponge or brush and daub over the top to take down the intensity of the colour. Apply eyeliner with your fingertips and scrub your sofa with pot lids and washing-up liquid—when it comes to your life, everything can be hacked. And of course, that includes your hair, too.

From outlandish to genius, the sheer abundance of hair hacks published on social media is astonishing. Recently, content creator Yesenia Hipolito posted a video demonstrating the surprising way she prolongs a blow-dry. Namely, by wrapping her hair in rod-filled socks. 36.5 million views later, TikTok is flooded with others trying the technique. 

A boon for fans of heatless hairstyling, this method is just one of the hundreds of ways people are bypassing the damage that comes from traditional heated styling tools such as curling wands. Ever the guinea pig, I’ve tried a large swathe of the heatless styling tricks on offer to see if they would help me achieve wavy hair. Here are the ones I think are worth your time.

 1. Velcro rollers

Something many of us will have experimented with, rollers have come full circle in popularity, no longer banished to the deepest corner of our bathroom cupboards. Instead, people are rolling, wrapping and sleeping in their rollers, impressed with the prolonged bounce and shape it gives the hair. Available in several sizes, from jumbo to the width of your index finger, velcro rollers are convenient and low maintenance. Simply pop them in and go about your business. Once the hair has been left long enough to set in shape, roll or twist them out. 

In my routine, velcro rollers help to maintain the flick, bounce and body of freshly washed and dried hair. I place medium-sized rollers along the centre of my head and ends of my hair for a swooping lift at the root and a smooth, curled-under finish. They travel well, can be shoved in hand luggage or a handbag and don’t require any other accessories – save for perhaps a few pins to secure them in the hair.

One thing to note: velcro rollers are non-heated hair tools designed for use on dry hair. This means they can’t undo a shape that has already been set into the hair. Remember, heat is what styles hair, cold is what sets it. 

 2. Heatless halo

The well from which many styling methods have sprung, the heatless hair halo isn’t entirely as new as TikTok suggests. A modernised iteration of ribbon or stick curling (the latter of which women were doing in Ancient Egypt),  the heatless halo is a firm, flexible rod that hair is wrapped around when damp or dry and secured with scrunchies or hairbands. Often slept in, the technique uses the soft curve of the rod to create medium-sized curls and waves in the hair. Because it leaves the back and front of the head free, it doesn’t compromise a good night’s sleep like some heatless hair styling methods do. (Side sleepers, this one might not be for you.)

 3. Two-strand braids

A simplified version of a French plait or braid, this is one of the easiest ways to encourage your hair to form waves and curls as it dries or sets. It works by taking two strands of hair and adding more to each one as you braid the way down. This video demonstrates how to do it. 

My favourite heatless styling technique, I put my hair in two-strand braids every single time I wash it. It’s easy, free and extremely comfortable to sleep in, whether you prefer to smush face down into the pillow, kip on your side or slumber on your back.

Worthy nominees

These three methods are not the gamut of admirable heatless hair styling methods. Others work perfectly well for some people. Hipolito, for example, favours roller socks and if the comment section on her videos is anything to go by many other people, too. However, when I tried it, I found the socks to be bulky and sleep nigh on impossible. 

Similarly, the claw-clip hack for extra volume (simply sleeping in a claw clip) made for very straight hair at the roots with a mass of curls at the bottom. Not dissimilar to a barrister’s wig minus the curly fringe.

My parting tip would be to use a hair cream or styling product that will help to nourish and condition your hair while it’s drying or setting, whichever heatless style you choose. My go-tos include the Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, the Ouai Finishing Crème and the Virtue Healing Oil.