Heat damage is a big concern for people who regularly straighten hair with straighteners or hot blow dryers. The excessive heat damages your hair follicles and scalp, causing your hair to dry out and become brittle.
If you use heat-based styling tools and products daily or even several times per week, your hair will likely lose much of its moisture content and is likely to dry out as a result, causing you long-term styling issues.
Therefore, it’s undoubtedly worth considering how to straighten natural hair without heat, enabling you to achieve your desired look without applying too much heat to your precious locks. Join us as we introduce five simple heat-less styling methods to try if you want to achieve super sleek and straight hair this year.
[Related topics: How to keep straightened hair straight overnight]
1. Blow dry with cold or medium heat
The best way to straighten curly hair without heat is to use an ionic blow dryer with adjustable heat settings, like the Laifen Swift Special. Rather than blowing your hair with heat, you can use the cold or medium heat to dry your hair.
To master this technique, keep the blow dryer about six inches away from your hair and continuously move it from the roots to the tips. You can also apply straightening sebum while using this method to keep unruly strands under control.
What’s more, ionic hair dryers produce negative ions that combat and eliminate frizz, enabling you to achieve sleek and polished hair without using heat.
Pros & cons
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✅ Your hair is much less likely to dry out when you use your dryer’s cold setting. |
❌ Blow-drying your hair with cold heat takes longer and requires patience. |
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✅ Ionic hair dryers also eliminate frizz and help you achieve super sleek hair. |
2. Use a hair wrap
Wrapping your hair is another popular method of straightening hair without heat for curly hair. The first thing to note is that there are numerous hair wrapping methods depending on the thickness and texture of your hair, so you can spend some time on YouTube or TikTok searching for the best wrapping methods for your hair type.
But generally, this method requires long bobby pins, ideally three inches in length, and a satin hair scarf (turban). Then, you need to separate the top section using a fine-tooth comb, combing it straight and flat. You can then bring your hair around to the opposite side of your head from where it naturally falls before pinning it in place.
As there are numerous ways to wrap your hair, start with a video tutorial and go from there so you can follow a suitable method for your hair type and thickness.
Pros & cons
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✅ There are lots of online video tutorials to help you follow this method. |
❌ Trial and error is required to find a method that best suits your hair type. |
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✅ You can leave the wrap in overnight to achieve stunningly straight hair. |
3. Apply plastic rollers
Jumbo rollers are great for straightening your hair without heat. After stepping out of the shower, dry your hair to about 75% using a microfiber towel and ionic blow dryer, then apply the plastic rollers to your damp hair.
You can leave the rollers in overnight, or you can keep them in place for around four hours for impressive results. The result will be voluminous, bouncy hair with an impressive natural flow, and you don’t need to worry about any heat application to achieve the look.
Pros & cons
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✅ Rollers help you to achieve voluminous, bouncy waves that flow naturally. |
❌ You need to buy jumbo rollers if you don’t already have them, and this method can take some time to get used to. |
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✅ Once you get the hang of it, using rollers eliminates the need to use heat-based straighteners. |
4. Wear a hair mask
Though a hair mask in itself won’t necessarily help you straighten your hair, using appropriate ingredients will help to straighten your look. Specifically, opt for hair masks that promise to restore your hair’s protein content, as this can relax your hair and prevent frizz and breakage.
Manuka honey and avocado oil are great options for deep-conditioning hair masks, while coconut or almond oil can also help to straighten your hair over time. There’s no right or wrong frequency at which to wear a hair mask but shoot for once a week for a month to start seeing some impressive results.
Pros & cons
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✅ You can buy a ready-made hair mask or make one yourself at home. |
❌ A hair mask alone won’t help you to straighten your hair, so combine it with other methods. |
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✅ Hair masks are great for hydrating and nourishing straight hair. |
5. Use straightening products
Another option is to use products described as “straightening” hairsprays, conditioners, and shampoos. These products are fortified with protein and other ingredients that can help to style and straighten your hair.
Another great product to look for is keratin, which is present in numerous serums and conditioners. Keratin is one of the hair’s primary constituents and taking it in supplement form can help straight hair to thrive.
When looking for hair straightening products, go for natural, organic options where possible and avoid those with harmful ingredients like sulfates, parabens, and alcohol, which can cause your straight hair to dry out and frizz.
Pros & cons
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✅ Incorporating straightening products into your haircare routine is a great long-term strategy for straight hair without heat. |
❌ If you buy numerous straightening products, it can get expensive. |
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✅ You can find straightening shampoo, conditioner, serum, oil, and hairspray to help your hair thrive. |
The verdict: How to straighten your hair without heat
While most people assume you must use a heat-based tool like a blow dryer or straightener to straighten your hair, there are numerous ways to achieve the look you desire without overheating or drying out your hair.
We recommend the Laifen Swift Special as the best ionic hair dryer for blow-drying your straight hair, as you can use the dryer on its cool heat setting. Then, opt for straightening products and the other tips introduced above to achieve super sleek hair without worrying about it drying out.
