Tired of Limp Hair? Make It Look Fuller Overnight With These 3 Heatless Curling Tricks

Full, bouncy hair provides instant glamour. Unfortunately, achieving that look gets harder as we age. Our hair starts to thin, which makes it difficult to create a sumptuous style. Using heated tools like blow dryers and curling irons perks up a hairstyle in the moment, but fine hair tends to fall flat in a few hours. Plus, it’s best to avoid heat, which can further damage and exacerbate these problems.

So, where does this leave you? Thankfully, you don’t have to live with thin strands. There are ways to make your hair look fuller sans heat. With the variety of safe and easy-to-use heatless tools now on the market, you can amp up your hairstyle without causing further harm. Read on to learn which overnight styling tool would work best for you.

1. If You Have Textured Hair: Try Foam Rollers

Hair rollers may seem old-fashioned, but they can work wonders on your locks. Foam rollers work well on a range of hair types, and are particularly useful for textured hair. Because they’re made of foam, they’re softer and more comfortable to wear to bed than other types of rollers, so you can easily make your hair fuller overnight. Stylists state that the foam material is better for creating a fluffy look rather than tight curls. Sleeping with rollers on might sound unpleasant, but once you roll up your hair, you’ll forget you have anything on your head.

To Do: Using foam rollers helps create grip for more coiled strands so you wake up with buoyant waves. Twirl 2-inch sections of damp hair around rollers before bed.

Try: Annie Foam Rollers (Buy from Amazon, $2.99 for a 10-pack of size large)

2. If You Have Medium Hair: Try a Headband

Headbands are cute accessories for everyday wear, but did you know that there are styling headbands you can sleep in? Yep: A styling headband can actually make your hair fuller overnight. This heatless tool is designed to give your hair a textural boost, and it’s easy to wear. Simply take the band (which is really more of a satiny rod), twist it into your hair, and wake up with gorgeous texture.

Because this type of headband is pliable, it’s easy to adjust it depending on your hair type and desired look. Bonus: The headband looks pretty chic, too, and it’s so much easier on your hair than heat styling.

To Do: Splitting damp hair in half, then wrapping it around a satin headband helps rein in heavier hair to create curly texture and long-lasting fullness. To ensure hair stays put while sleeping, secure strands to the headband with the included scrunchies.

Try: Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set (Buy from Ulta, $16)

3. If You Have Thin, Fine Hair: Try Silicone Curlers

Thin, fine strands may make you feel like loose waves are impossible to create. Luckily, this isn’t the case. Silicone curlers are a retro classic, and there’s a reason why they’ve been a beauty staple for so long — they’re easy to use and can give your strands a lovely texture, no matter what your hair thickness is like.

These curlers look a bit odd at first with their cup shape, but with time, using them is a breeze. Simply wrap your hair around the curler’s “stem” and fold the top part of the roller over. The unobtrusive profile makes these heatless tools easy to sleep in. Bottom line? While this kind of hair roller may be a different shape and size from others you’ve seen, these little pieces of silicone make a big impact, and you’ll be excited to see how they make your hair fuller overnight.

To Do: Defined curls prop up finer locks at the root for mega volume by sunrise. Just wrap 1-inch sections of damp hair around silicone pin curlers (the material grabs onto thin hair).

Try: Spoolies Medium Hair Curlers (Buy from Amazon, $33.99)

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First for Women.