How to Style Frizzy Hair without Heat
Written by Editorial Team
Updated on
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From hair straighteners and curling irons to blow dryers and hot air brushes, heating tools offer instant style when you need a sexy look.
However, it’s also undeniable that heat styling tools can be very damaging to hair, as they dry it out and make it more susceptible to breaking. In fact, the older you get, the more problematic it is to apply heat to your delicate locks, especially during summer.
But what can you do when your hair is frizzy, and you just need a pick-me-up?
Well, you just have to know how to style frizzy hair without heat.
Here are the top tips on how to do just that!
Table of Contents
- 1. Start Using a Wide-Toothed Comb
- 2. Treat Your Dry Hair to a Deep Conditioning Treatment
- 3. Use the John Frieda Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioner
- 4. Use Serum After Showers
- 5. Trim the Ends of Your Hair Regularly
- 6. Use a Microfiber Towel on Damp Hair
- 7. Get Yourself A Boar Bristle Brush
- 8. Take Some Time to Prime
- 9. Ditch the Sulfates
- 10. Use Dry Shampoo for Voluminous Tresses
- No-Heat Hairstyles for Frizzy Hair
- Curly Styles for Straight Hair
- Straight Hair for Curly Girls
- Get a Cool Blow-Out
- No Heat No Frizz!
1. Start Using a Wide-Toothed Comb
A wide-toothed comb can be your saving grace if you frequently struggle with detangling.
Frizzy hair is dehydrated, and as a result, it’s also fragile. That’s why it’s not a good idea to brush it with a regular bristle brush. Your hair cuticles can suffer if you do that.
A wide-tooth comb is gentler on your hair shaft and does not cause friction.
Comb from the bottom up.
Detangling your hair from the top is never a good idea — if you do that, your knots keep getting pushed farther down your hair. This can easily result in breakage, messy ends, and even more unwanted frizz. And as you already know, the more frizz there is, the more likely breakage will occur.
So instead, always comb from the bottom up. Do it gently and consciously to remove tangles slowly as you go. The comb will make it easier to untangle knots. This applies to all hair types, but for those with frizz, it’s a game-changer.
2. Treat Your Dry Hair to a Deep Conditioning Treatment
In order to sustain its health, your hair deserves to be pampered every now and then as well. Treating your hair once weekly to the nurturing moisture of a deep conditioning hair mask can do wonders for frizzy hair. And if you have curly hair, using a deep conditioner ensures that your fine curls won’t be stripped of moisture.
Look for products with nourishing, hydrating ingredients such as avocado oil and milk protein, which moisturize hair generously.
3. Use the John Frieda Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioner
John Frieda Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioner
John Frieda’s Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioner delivers transformative hydration for frizzy, unmanageable hair. This ultra-nourishing treatment harnesses the frizz-fighting power of epsom salt and heart-leaf avocado oil to strengthen, smooth, and restore dry, damaged strands. Just one use leaves frizz and flyaways dramatically reduced for 72 hours. The formula saturates thirsty hair with moisture without weighing it down, reviving dull locks.
4. Use Serum After Showers
Serums are grossly underrated, especially when it comes to the management of frizzy hair. Not only do they help in adding shine and defining your hair, but they also make it easier to style your hair, especially when air drying. Choose your serum carefully depending on whether you have fine hair, coarse hair, or wavy hair.
The best way to apply serum is to drop a dime-size amount into your palm, then rub your palms together before distributing evenly over wet hair.
Check out the Redken anti-frizz serum we highly recommend.
5. Trim the Ends of Your Hair Regularly
In order to maintain hair health, it is essential to trim it every 6 to 8 weeks. This not only prevents split ends it also makes hair more manageable overall. Chop off your hair ends before they become frayed and messy.
Treating the ends of your hair with conditioning sprays and serums is also a good idea. Leave-in formulas tend to work best for those with frizzy and/or curly hair. Apply it when hair is damp.
6. Use a Microfiber Towel on Damp Hair
Curly hair can be damaged if you don’t towel it properly. Excessively towel-drying your hair can make it easier to tangle and frizz.
When drying your hair, it’s always a good idea to take as gentle an approach as possible. Don’t rough up your hair. Start by gently wringing out excess moisture, then wrap your hair in a towel.
For this, switching to a microfiber towel is highly recommended if you’re currently using a cotton one. Using a microfiber towel also makes it easier to create heatless hairstyles for frizzy, curly hair.
After leaving your damp hair in the towel for 10-15 minutes, take it out. Using your microfiber towel, gently squeeze and dab at your hair until it has stopped dripping water. You’ll start noticing that your hair feels much softer afterward than when using a cotton towel.
Aquis Microfiber Towel
7. Get Yourself A Boar Bristle Brush
One of the best-kept secrets of hair care is the boar bristle hairbrush. It’s the perfect way to tame frizzy, unruly hair without using hot tools.
This is because boar bristle brushes carry the natural oils of your hair — also known as sebum, produced by your scalp — from the top to the bottom of your strands. In doing so, the oil build-up is reduced, and the entirety of your hair shaft is moisturized, which will naturally add shine. In fact, sebum is much more effective at hydrating hair than any serum or conditioner could.
Yes, boar-bristle brushes tend to be somewhat expensive, but they’re an investment because they will last you for many years — the best ones will even last a lifetime.
Don’t be alarmed if your hair gets all poofed up after brushing it with a boar bristle brush. Gently twist your hair strands to allow them to fall naturally.
Denman Boar Bristle Brush
8. Take Some Time to Prime
Instead of using a blow dryer, the best way to fight frizz is to air-dry your hair. However, before you air dry, we recommend using a hair primer while your hair is still wet. A good primer holds your hair lightly in place while giving it definition, making it unnecessary to use heat styling.
But that’s not all a primer does. It also protects your hair from humidity and frizz, and the best ones can do that for much longer than just 24 hours. Do your research and figure out which primer best matches your hair.
9. Ditch the Sulfates
Sulfates are chemicals that are present in the vast majority of shampoos. If your shampoo lathers up, it most definitely contains sulfate. Through the lathering effect, sulfates clean your hair by getting rid of dirt and oil in your hair.
However, sulfates can also be quite damaging, as they dry out strands very easily. And once again, if you want to achieve the perfect heatless styles for frizzy hair, you can’t do that with dry hair.
So, if your hair is particularly prone to frizzing, we recommend switching to a shampoo that does not contain any sulfates.
Redken Frizz Dismiss Shampoo
10. Use Dry Shampoo for Voluminous Tresses
Dry shampoo is a treasure for when you want to refresh your hair without taking a shower or washing it. But it’s a particularly useful tool in the arsenal of one with naturally curly or frizzy hair. With dry shampoo, achieving better hair texture, lift and grip are easy, even if you suffer from chronic frizz.
Klorane Dry Shampoo
No-Heat Hairstyles for Frizzy Hair
Tired of having to deal with frizz when styling your hair?
Try these hairstyles for defined curls that look healthy and fresh.
Plopping
If you have naturally curly hair, you have probably already heard of the ” plopping ” technique. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s time to change that now. Rather than wrapping your hair in a towel and stretching out your curls, try plopping.
Start by detangling with a wide-tooth comb in the shower after you have applied conditioner. Then rinse your hair out, but don’t towel-dry it. The next step is optional: spread styling foam throughout your hair.
Afterward, place a cotton T-shirt in front of you, then flip your hair forward. The hair should be placed in the center of the shirt.
Next, placing the bottom of your T-shirt at the nape of your neck, tie the sleeves of the shirt into a knot. This will get rid of excess moisture.
After 20-30 minutes, unravel the hair wrap and shake your hair out. You might want to use a smidge of styling spray afterwards to prevent frizz and highlight your natural curl.
Plopping gently absorbs excess water, enhances volume, and prevents frizz and dryness.
If plopping overnight, we recommend using a silk pillowcase as cotton ones rob the hair cuticle of moisture.
The Twist
The next heat-less hairstyle we recommend for those with naturally curly hair is the twist, which is easily done with your fingers. Here’s how to do it.
For curly or frizzy hair that does not behave, hydration is key. So before trying this hairstyle, be sure to hydrate your strands. For this, you can use a leave-in conditioner or a butter masque.
Starting at the roots of your hair, twist small sections of hair, then smoothen the strands with your fingers as you go downwards to the ends of your hair. To add volume and definition, using a few pin curls might be helpful.
The result is a beautiful display of your hair’s natural texture, achieved without heat. After the twist, your natural waves will look thicker, healthier, and more hydrated.
Curly Styles for Straight Hair
If you have straight or wavy hair that is prone to frizzing, it might seem impossible to get curls in your hair without using a curling iron or similar heating tool.
But not if you use curlers. In fact, the bigger the curlers, the better! Styling your locks is easy with oversize curlers if you want to create instant volume and gorgeous waves.
Straight Hair for Curly Girls
Curlers are not only for creating curls. If you have natural curls, large hair rollers can even help you achieve the straight hair look. This is because, if your curlers are large, their diameter can naturally straighten your curls if you wrap the strands of hair tightly around them.
No need for hot rollers, of course. Leave them in for two to three hours or overnight. And voila! No frizz, just beautiful beachy waves, depending on your hair type.
Get a Cool Blow-Out
It’s undeniable that using heating tools can help you achieve the exact hairstyle you want. So what can you do if you’re trying to avoid heat? Well, blow-drying with cold air might be the answer to that. Perhaps you won’t get the exact look you want, but a cold blow dry gives you a relaxed hairstyle.
For this to be effective, however, it’s important to prep your hair with essential oils and other similar products.
Related:
No Heat No Frizz!
If you’re tired of damaging your hair with heat, you’re naturally wondering how to style frizzy hair without heat. By now, you know that a lot depends on whether you are willing to do the research and identify the right styling products and tools for your hair.
Try out the hairstyles for frizzy hair without heat that we have detailed above. We think you’ll like them. And remember, with a little help, your natural texture is the best texture.
Good luck, and goodbye to frizz!
About the Author
Editorial Team Articles researched, written, and edited in collaboration by Salon-Worthy Hair team members.