Heat-free Hairstyling: 5 easy styles that require no heat to achieve

Heat-Free Styling: 5 easy heat-free hairstyles

written by: Emily Hart @hartofcolor

We’ve come to that time of the year when it’s just too damn hot to do things. Cooking, exercising, moving — not going to happen. But, perhaps the biggest no-no of all is heat-styling. When it’s 90F-plus out, and the humidity levels are through the roof, the last thing any of us wants to do is blast our already overheated heads with hot air from our blow dryers. Same goes for our curling and straightening irons.

Just because the thought of styling tools makes you want to stand in front of the AC and never leave, that doesn’t mean you are doomed to a summer of lackluster hair. On the contrary — there are so many great products and techniques that make air-dried hair look just as good, if not better than, heat-styled hair.

If you want a break from blow-dryers, straighteners, and curling wands, try wet-styling your hair instead — as in styling your hair while it’s towel-dried (or spraying it so it’s damp), setting it, and unraveling it later for a gorgeous, dry ‘do.

For the below looks, start out with damp hair. However, if you want any of these styles to have a looser wave, wait until your hair is 80 percent dry, or dampen your dry hair with a spray bottle, before getting started. The wetter your hair is when you start, the longer each look will take to set, and the stronger your hair will hold the style.

 

  1. Loose Braid Waves

Start with damp hair and apply Redken Braid Aid 03.  This will help to define the curls in the final look

 

Loosely braid your hair in four equal sections. Don’t worry if the braids aren’t perfect. The lumpier and messier they are, the more organic your waves will look.

 

Unravel the braids. If the ends have creases, spray a little water on them to loosen them up.

  1. Pineappling

Gather dampened, curly hair into a high ponytail. Use a scrunchie to loosely hold it in place on top of your head. Only pull your hair through the scrunchie once or twice to prevent creasing.

Wrap your hair in a silk scarf while you sleep. Silk keeps in moisture and prevents your hair from becoming dry and frizzy. That way, when you take down your hair in the morning, you’ll be left with defined, voluminous curls.

Finish with Redken Frizz Dismiss Anti-Static Oil Mist.  This product is great for taming fly-aways, adding shine, and repelling unwanted static and humidity.

 

  1. Headband Curls

Prep your hair with Redken No Blowdry Styling Cream.  There are 3 different strengths of this product (airy, just right, and bossy) so pick whichever one suits your hair type the best.

 

Slip a circular headband around your head and wrap small sections of hair around it. If your hair is already dry, lightly dampen it with a spray bottle and place an elastic headband securely around your head;otherwise, start with it 80 percent dry. Next, loosely tuck 1- to 2-inch sections of hair over and around the top of the elastic (this will cause the curls to flow away from your face rather than toward it); do this until you reach the middle back of your head. Repeat on the other side. If you want your curls to be smaller, wrap the hair around the band tighter; for larger curls, wrap it looser.

 

Repeat step one until all your hair is wrapped around the headband

 

Unwrap your hair from the headband and slip it off to reveal your cool-girl curls. Use your fingers to separate the curls and fluff your hair.

 

  1. Low Bun Waves

Split your hair in two sections and twist. This style is great if you prefer your hair to be smoother at the roots and wavier at the ends.  Comb one section into a tight, low side ponytail and then twist the tail down to your ends.

Spray the twist with a good strong hairspray.  We suggest Redken Forceful for maximum hold without the crunch.

Spin the twist into a low bun. Secure with one elastic or a bobby pin. Repeat these steps on the other side, so you have two buns. Once the hair is dry, unravel the buns and use your fingers to separate the waves.

Finish with some more Forceful Hairspray.  This has humidity resistance and will hold and define your curls without drying them out.

  1. Sleep-in Beachy Waves

Apply the Redken No Blow Dry styling cream of your choice to damp hair.  Allow your hair to dry at least 80% in the open air

Split your hair into 2 sections from your natural part, all the way back to the nape of your neck.  Create 2 french braids, one on each side of your head, making sure to keep the sections loose.  If the braid is too tight you with have uneven curls and crimps instead of beachy waves.

Go to sleep. Try wrapping a silk scarf around your head and the braids while you sleep to prevent the braids from getting fuzzy.

 

Pull out your braids in the morning and use your fingers to separate the waves. Finish with Redken Triple Dry Texture Spray for organic, beachy waves.

 

 

 

How Water Affects Your Hair

For most of us, we always want to make sure our hair looks the best, whether its in style or just overall health. Healthy hair is essentially seen as a reflection of a healthy body.  So like the rest of our body, hair health depends a lot on what you put into your body, and water is an essential part of hair health and growth.

There are many ways that water affects hair, from both ingesting it and external application.

Drinking Water and Hair

We know that water is important for the body, but how does it affect your hair?

Your hair is made of up cells, like the rest of your body, and water is essential to cell growth and health.  It is the carrier for nutrients to the cells and for waste removal.  When your body is dehydrated, it functions less efficiently, and can hinder hair growth and health.

Think of your hair like your skin. When you’re dry and dehydrated, your skin can become dry, cracked and can generally look unhealthy. The same goes for your hair. Even though the cells that make up your hair are no longer living, your hair follicles are alive and creating cells that need hydration thrive.

Water and Hair Loss

While there is no magic solution to hair loss, there are studies that suggest thinning hair can be helped by drinking more water along with a better diet and exercise. Hair loss, as well as fatigue and dry skin, are signs that your body isn’t receiving enough daily nutrients and can be chronically dehydrated.  If  you’re concerned about thinning hair, drinking more water, is the quickest and most cost effective solution.

Washing Your Hair

We talk most often about drinking water and how it relates to your internal health, but hair health is also affected by external factors, like whether you wash or rinse your hair in hot or cold water. Essentially, hot water is great to remove oil and dirt from your hair and scalp, but it also opens the outer cuticle layer of your hair, causing it to lose moisture and appear dry, brittle and frizzy. Cold water closes and seals the cuticle layer, keeping your hair strong, sleek and shiny.  You should also pay attention to where the water we use to wash our hair comes from.  Water that comes from the city is treated with chlorine to kill off bacteria.  Too much chlorine can dry out your hair and can cause discoloration.  If your water comes from a well, it often has a higher concentration of minerals such as calcium and limestone.  These too can build up on your hair and can cause it to dry out.  You can combat these symptoms by adding a good clarifying shampoo to your routine at least once a week to remove any mineral deposits or chlorine buildup.  Redken’s Clean Maniac Clean-Touch Shampoo is powered by micellar technology to gently remove impurities and product buildup like a magnet for a non-stripping cleanse.

Humidity

Did you know that your hair can absorb 30%-50% of its weight in water? And this doesn’t even have to be in a shower or pool. It can absorb water from the air, which is why on humid days your hair can be unmanageable: its continually absorbing water that affects its structure and shape!

By: Emily Hart