How To Curl Short Hair Without Heat

Since 2020, when at-home styling techniques started taking off on TikTok, heatless curls have been absolutely everywhere, in every shape and form. Starting with humble bathrobe curls which have now evolved to full 100% silk heatless styling sets, it’s clear that heated tools are out, and kinder, heat-free options are definitely in. Promised to keep hair strong, while eliminating any breakage that would have been caused by a curling iron or hair straightener, heatless curls have become a go-to for girls going for long, healthy locks. Plus, you can style your hair in your sleep – we’d call that a win. But what about short hair?

From shaggy bobs to classic pixie crops, we’ve been seeing short haircuts doing the rounds in the mainstream media for a while now. However, the short hair trend is expected to hit an all-time high in the upcoming months. Big names such as Gigi Hadid, Tyla and Sydney Sweeney all rocked cropped styles at the 2024 Met Gala, seemingly setting one of the top summer 2024 hair trends. However, as we don’t all have teams of stylists on hand, anyone with short hair will know that it’s takes a bit of styling to stop a bob falling flat. So, whether you’ve taken inspiration from the celebs, you’re starting fresh by chopping off your ends, or you’re into something a little more low maintenance, it also begs the question, can I use a heatless curler on short hair?

Heatless Curls On Short Hair: Does it work?

Most of us have seen the gorgeous reveals of heatless curls of women with long, luscious locks, with short hair results being few and far between. At SILKE London, we believe in healthy hair options for all hair types and lengths, so we are here to inform that for those rocking short hair, we’ve got you covered with best heatless styling options with the 100% silk SILKE London Heatless Curler.

With 37 years’ experience as a hairstylist, our founder Maria confirms that heatless curls are for all hair lengths and explains how those with short hair can achieve heat-free waves with the SILKE Heatless Curler. Maria recommends, “the best way to use a heatless curler on short hair is to begin wrapping the same way as you would with long hair. However, any hair that cannot reach to go around the curler should be left out.” After using Maria’s method and once you’ve wrapped all the hair that you can around the curler, then secure with the 100% silk hair ties provided, and leave for at least 2 hours or overnight. The best part about the curling rod is that while it is made from the highest quality, durable foam, it is also comfortable to sleep on, so no restless nights!  

Maria then recommends that “once the curler is removed, gently brush the waves into the rest of the left out hair to blend,” making for soft waves to add a bit of texture and bounce to your bob.

So how does this method differ from medium/longer hair? Maria explains, “the difference is that not all the hair will be wrapped around the curler. If the top layers are longer towards the front of the head, then position the curler further back on top. If the hair has longer layers at the back, then position the curler slightly more forward. When wrapping medium to longer hair all the hair will wrap around so there is more flexibility when positioning the curler.” As there is huge variation between short hairstyles, there is also lots of room for personalisation when it comes to heatless styling, so it’s all about finding your groove and what works best for your hair, to make it look its best and stay that way.

What can I do to make heatless curls last?

There’s not much point putting in all the effort of styling your hair if it’s not going to last the course. Luckily, our founder Maria shared her tips on the best way to make sure your heat-free waves stay put from dusk till dawn, so you never have to think twice about flat or lifeless hair. To help your curls last, Maria recommends that “the hair should not be more than 85% dry before wrapping around the curling rod”. By leaving hair slightly damp before styling, it will help the curls to set as they dry around the curler, helping to guide and manipulate the hair’s ‘memory’, as to what it naturally wants to do. This is particularly important for straighter hair, with less of a natural wave, which resists styling and texture.

In terms of additional products, Maria also recommends testing out using a holding styling product, such as a hairspray or texture spray, before you wrap to give some extra hold to your style when you come to take the curler out. Maria suggests to “spray a holding styling product evenly through the hair. Unlike a mousse, which tends to saturate unevenly, a spray will be more likely to hit more your strands and give more hold throughout your style.” In the same way as the curls being damp, a texture spray will also help to set the curls as they dry. We recommend making sure the hair is completely dry before taking out the curler.  

In order to keep the hold and make the waves last, Maria recommends that, “when you come to take out the curler, add a little more spray and brush out the curls with a gentle tool such as a wide tooth comb”. This will also help the curls to stay in place and avoid dropping throughout the day.

THE TAKEAWAY

When it comes to short hair, while styling options may seem a little more limited, we believe it doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with the latest trends or get the most out of healthy, no-heat styling options. Whatever your hair length, the SILKE Heatless Curler is designed to give perfect curls and big waves, adding volume and texture, so your style never falls flat. The best part? Results can be tailored to exactly the style want with no damage, dryness or breakage that would have been caused by heat damage, so your bob stays looking fresh for longer. The most important thing is that you test what works best for you and your hair. We for one know that every head of hair is different, so considering your layer length and your hair type is key in finding the best styling method for you in order to make the most out of your curler.

We would love to see your short hair results over on Instagram and TikTok, so don’t forget to tag us @silkelondon.

Love, SILKE xo