How you can style perfect curls using perm rollers and NO HEAT

-The best products to style curly hair that won’t clump

-How to set the curls without heat

-How to achieve the finished curly hair look

Maybe it’s day 2 or maybe you are transitioning to curly hair and parts of your hair won’t clump..we’ve all been there! This is a trick for how to style curly hair without using heat!

My trick for curling those tricky areas without heat will have it sorted in no time. You will need a spray – I love a priming spray like Bumble and Bumble Curl Reactivator Spray but a water spray would also work!

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It will mean making one small purchase, but believe me, it’s worth it.

It’s perm rollers.

Don’t freak out. We’re not getting a perm! Promise.

Black perm rods for creating curls without heat

This idea came after much experimentation.

I was determined to rid my hair of heat styling and needed something to wrap my hair around as it dried to encourage those areas which didn’t clump. Something just the right width to match my curl pattern. 

Wooden spoon?

Done it. I seriously wrapped my hair around the handle of a wooden spoon and I’ll be honest, I loved the results! The problem..how to keep it in place.. There was no way of securing the spoon to my head so that I could simultaneously do other things. I had to sit there and hold the spoon. I did it, I sat and held the spoon. Ok, spoons. 

Alternative way of curling hair

I knew I needed something like a roller but NOT a velcro one – way to ruin curly hair! 

A colleague was putting perm rollers in one day at the salon and..bingo! I knew that was the answer. They have the rubber attachments to hold them. Perfect. That day I bought a cheap pack of perm rollers and have never looked back. 

The perm rods are available in a variety of sizes. I chose black (16mm) which is the largest size and creates a fairly large curl which fits my curl pattern. Tighter curl patterns would need one of the smaller sizes.

This is a quick prep and then you can get on with other things while it sets!

How to use the perm rods

  1. Separate the strands that need curling, I actually find that larger sections work better (roughly an inch) but it is worth experimenting to see which matches your curl pattern best.
  2. Spray with a primer spray
  3. Leave a couple of inches from the root and place the roller so that you will be wrapping the hair away from your face
  4. Wrap tightly around the roller, taking particular care towards the end of your hair to ensure that this is also curled
  5. Attach the rubber to secure in place and either leave the roll to hang or apply a small banana clip.

Wait a minimum of 10 minutes (it will still help achieve a curl if you remove when hair is partially wet but it will be less curly – probably more of a wave) or remove when hair is dry.

Finally, unroll carefully so as not to disrupt the new curl!

This can be done on wash day or to refresh curls on following days

The rest I let dry naturally!

No heat at all – perfect for a transition to curly hair. This is a time when we are being as nice to our hair as possible and encouraging the curls to form.

Perm rods setting in hair creating curls without heat

Curl Refresh

The same method applies but this time from dry hair. Add a bit of spray to the strands and then roll the roller into place. If you have the time to leave the rods in until your hair is dry this will work exceptionally well. Personally I like to leave them in while I drive to work! This is how to style curly hair without heat whilst multi-tasking!

Once you have removed the rollers fluff your hair up gently with your fingers, this will separate the curls and make them bigger!

Finished look styled curly hair without heat

The result is bouncy curly hair without the damage of heated appliances.

Read my post on why curly hair is susceptible to heat damage

Let me know how you get on – this is my favourite curl trick for styling no heat curls when they aren’t behaving!

Lauren xx

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