I Tried a Viral Heatless Hair Hack With Over 1 Million Likes

Whenever summer hits, my beauty routine changes pretty drastically. I start layering on way more SPF, wear less and less makeup, and try to use hydrating products on my hair. I also try to use fewer hot tools so I can give my hair a much-needed break from heat styling. I'm always interested in trying the latest hacks to make my routine easier, so when I saw a new one for heatless curls going viral on TikTok, I knew I wanted to give it a try.

In the TikTok video, user Nicole Adalina showcases how to achieve bouncy curls using only a scrunchie and a few hair clips. It sounded easy enough to achieve, so I gathered everything I needed and got to work.

To test this hack, all I needed was a hair tie and a few bobby pins. Before bed, I started out by pulling all of my hair into a high ponytail and securing it with a scrunchie. Since Adalina starts off with dry hair, I opted to do the same; however, I did spray my hair with a tiny bit of leave-in conditioner just to give it some dampness to help set the style.

From there, I divided my ponytail into four sections. I took each section and rolled the hair under toward the scrunchie using my fingers. After, I secured each section using a bobby pin. (The end result kind of looked like a flower sitting on the top of my head.) Once everything was secure, I slept in the hairstyle overnight.

In the morning, the first thing I noticed when looking in the mirror was that my hair was definitely disheveled. I've never considered myself a "violent" sleeper, but if the way my hair looked was any indication, I definitely moved a lot in my sleep. Despite its unkempt look, everything seemed to stay in place for the most part. I carefully removed each bobby pin to let down each section one at a time. Next, I removed the scrunchie. The end result was loose curls mostly situated at the ends of my hair.

I loved the way these curls turned out, but I've tested this hack a few times since my original try, and I've learned a few things. At first, it was a little difficult to get my front curtain bangs to lie nicely using only this hack, and I've found that if I sleep with my curtain bangs in a velcro roller or rolled back using just a bobby pin, they turn out way better than pulling them into the scrunchie. I've also found that adding a tiny bit of wave spray to my hair before putting it up in this style helps the style set and hold.

My favorite way to wear my hair after using this heatless hair hack is in a half-up, half-down style accentuated with a claw-clip. The curls look stunning, and the claw-clip adds a little extra pizazz. If you've been looking for a fun heatless hair hack that's easy and long lasting, definitely give this one a try.