How to Curl Hair Without Heat: Overnight Heatless Curls That Hold

Overnight heatless curls are the easiest way to get bounce without a curling iron. You do the work at night, the curls set while you sleep, and your hair gets a break from hot tools. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) puts it simply: "No matter your hair type, excessive heat can damage your hair."

There's a learning curve, though. Stylist Valery Joseph told NBC Select, "Heatless curlers take some practice to get uniform curls." Give it two or three nights before you judge.

Why curling without heat works

Hair takes the shape it dries or cools in. A curling iron does that fast with heat. A heatless curler does it slowly: you wrap damp hair around a form, and it holds that shape as it dries.

That's also why damp, not wet, matters. Too wet and it won't dry by morning, so the curls drop. Too dry and there's nothing to set.

How to get overnight heatless curls with a curling rod

1. Start with hair that's about 90 percent dry

Joseph told NBC Select your hair should be about 90 percent dry before you wrap it. Shop TODAY's Danielle Murphy, who ranked five heatless curlers, used slightly dampened hair and wore each for at least eight hours overnight. Let it air dry after washing, or mist dry hair with water.

2. Prep for your hair type

Stylist Meleesa Luna told NBC Select: "If you have fine, straight hair, you would want to spray your hair" before wrapping, so the curl has some support. "If you have curly or frizzy hair, you might want to use a serum or a cream to soften it." A light mist of hairspray or a styling spray is enough for fine hair.

3. Center the rod and split your hair

Place the middle of the rod on top of your head, like a headband, with the ends hanging by your ears. Part your hair down the middle. You'll wrap the left side around the left end and the right side around the right end.

4. Wrap in small sections, away from your face

Take a section near your face and twist or wrap it around the rod, going back and away from your face. Add the next section to it, working down toward the ends, a bit like a French braid around a rope. Smaller sections give more defined curls.

5. Secure the ends, without pulling

Wrap the last few inches around the rod's end and hold them with a scrunchie. Keep it snug but not tight. The AAD warns that styles that pull on the hair "can cause tension that leads to breakage."

6. Sleep on it, then unwrap gently

Leave it in overnight, or at least until your hair is completely dry. In the morning, take off the scrunchies and slide the rod out. Loosen the curls with your fingers instead of a brush, which pulls them straight.

7. Set the curls

Murphy recommends hairspray for the longest hold. Flip your head to break up the roots, separate a few curls with your fingers, and spray lightly.

Silk rod for heatless curls: is it worth it?

A silk rod for heatless curls is worth it if you have long or easily frizzy hair and don't mind a splurge. NBC Select says satin-covered curlers are gentler because there's less friction, and silk works on the same idea. Joseph told NBC that the SILKE London rod is longer than most, which suits long hair.

Satin works well for most people. The Kitsch satin rod was NBC Select's best overall, and it's a fraction of the price.

Heatless curler size: match it to your hair length

Luna's rule: "The longer your hair, the bigger the rod you want, because the hair would wrap more times around the diameter of the rod." And "the shorter the hair, the smaller the rod you want." For shoulder-length hair or shorter, small individual rollers often work better than one long rod. If you do want a hot tool, our curling iron sizes chart shows what each barrel gives you.

How to use velcro rollers (self-grip rollers)

Velcro rollers, also called self grip rollers, are the fastest heatless curler for volume. They hold on their own, with no pins. Here's how to put rollers in your hair, adapted from stylist Sam Villa's roller set (his version uses a blow dryer and curling iron first; this one skips the heat).

1. Start with hair that's almost dry. Conair says its rollers work "on wet or dry hair, with or without styling lotion or gel." Damp hair holds a stronger set but takes longer to dry.
2. Section to the roller's width. Villa uses the length of the roller as the guide for each section.
3. Place the roller near the ends. Villa says to "place a Velcro roller one rotation down from the tips," let the tips fall around it "(no tugging!)," then "lightly twirl the roller down to the roots with very minimal tension."
4. Lift the base for volume. Villa's tip: the higher you lift the base of each section as you roll, the more volume you get. Roll the crown sections up and back.
5. Let it set fully. Leave the rollers in until your hair is completely dry. Villa leaves his in "to cool fully" before taking them out.
6. Take them out gently. Villa presses "the edge of your hand against the base of the curl to release the roller," then unrolls it and catches the curl. He works from the back to the front.

Big rollers on the crown give hair rollers for volume without much curl. Smaller ones toward the ends give a bouncier finish.

Heatless curls for fine hair

Fine hair can drop its curl by lunch. Spray it before wrapping, as Luna suggests, and leave the curler in until your hair is fully dry. A volumizing shampoo helps it hold shape. See our best volumizing shampoo for fine hair picks. If you'd rather use a hot tool on special days, the best curling iron for fine hair roundup covers low-heat options, and our heat damage guide explains how to protect it.

Picks that help

Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set

Best for: your first heatless curling rod.

• The Kitsch store listing on amazon.com describes a 34-inch satin heatless curling rod with two matching satin scrunchies, made for all hair types.
• NBC Select named it best overall. Updates editor Mili Godio said, "This set is the best," and that "the satin material is soft and easy to use once you get the hang of it."
• Keep in mind: it's one long rod, so it gives loose, face-framing waves rather than tight curls.

Check price on Amazon

SILKE London Heatless Hair Curler

Best for: long hair, and anyone who wants a silk rod for heatless curls.

• SILKE says the rod is covered in "100% pure 22 momme grade silk" over foam, and comes with a clip and a bag. It says to leave it in "for a couple of hours or overnight."
• NBC Select named it its best splurge, and Joseph said the rod is longer than most, which suits long hair.
• Keep in mind: it costs several times more than a satin rod. Satin gets you most of the way there.

Check price on Amazon

Conair Self-Grip Hair Rollers, 31 Count

Best for: volume and bouncy curls the same day, on short to long hair.

• Conair's set has 31 self-grip rollers in five sizes: six 2.5-inch, six 1.5-inch, five 1.1-inch, nine 0.9-inch and five 0.5-inch.
• Conair says they hold "without pins or clips" and suggests "the smaller rollers for tighter curls and the larger rollers for soft waves, volume, and lift." It comes with a zippered case.
• Keep in mind: velcro can snag. Release each roller at the base, as Villa does, instead of pulling it out.

Check price on Amazon

FAQs

How do you get heatless curls overnight?

Wrap hair that's about 90 percent dry around a satin or silk curling rod, secure the ends with scrunchies and sleep on it. In the morning, unwrap gently, separate with your fingers and add a little hairspray. Shop TODAY's tester wore each curler for at least eight hours.

How do you use a heatless curling rod?

Center the rod on top of your head, split your hair in two, and wrap each side around its end of the rod in small sections, away from your face. Secure the ends with scrunchies. Leave it in until your hair is completely dry.

Should hair be wet or dry for heatless curls?

Slightly damp. Stylist Valery Joseph told NBC Select hair should be about 90 percent dry. Soaking-wet hair may not dry by morning, and fully dry hair holds less curl unless you mist it first.

How long do you leave velcro rollers in?

Until your hair is completely dry and cool, so the shape has set. Start with almost-dry hair to keep the wait short. Sam Villa leaves them in "to cool fully" before taking them out.

Are self grip rollers bad for your hair?

They're a heat-free option, but they can tangle if you yank them out. Roll with "very minimal tension," as Villa advises, and release each one at the base. The AAD notes that styles that pull hard on the hair can lead to breakage.

Why won't my heatless curls hold?

Usually your hair was too wet or too dry, or the sections were too big. Try slightly smaller sections, a mist of styling spray before wrapping, and hairspray afterward. Joseph's advice to NBC Select: it takes practice.

Damp hair, a soft rod or rollers, a full night to set: that's all overnight heatless curls need.