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By Lollie Hancock
Beauty and Self Care Reporter
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Curling your hair can be time consuming, difficult to get right, and damaging to your hair when using heat excessively—but what if there was a way to get perfect curls while you get your beauty sleep?
Heatless curlers have taken the hair tools market by storm, allowing users to create salon-quality curls with minimal effort, but they can at times be uncomfortable, especially for people who sleep on their side.
Luckily, a new method, dubbed "unicorn curls" by social media users, is making the results easier to achieve than ever. In a TikTok video that has reached more than 435,000 viewers since being posted on February 10, Sophie Barkley (@sophiebarkleyy) shared how she uses the technique her followers "need to try."
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The British influencer is a huge fan of heatless curling, telling Newsweek "I love heatless curls because they are a healthy and fun alternative to using regular heat on your hair. I use heatless curls probably three or four times per week."
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Newsweek discussed the video, which has 13,400 likes, with celebrity hair stylist Jay Birmingham, who gave some insight to the heatless curling trend, and the benefits that come with it.
"This new technique has become a huge trend thanks to social media, especially TikTok, and it is something that many clients have opted for, while allowing their hair a break from electrical appliances and heated styling tools such as straighteners, dryers and tongs.
"It allows the individual to receive gorgeous hair while keeping damage or dryness at bay."
The "unicorn" hack, named after the fact the heatless curler resembles a horn, offers results of fuller curls around the entire head, while the original method focused curls more around the front.
Birmingham explains, "The reason for the fuller curls is the wrap method at the back of the hair. The hair is wrapped centrally, as opposed to other methods of heatless curls—with the center parting being utilized the curl mold is centered and receives much more strength."
How To Do the 'Unicorn' Heatless Curls Trend
The difference between the "unicorn" trend and other heatless curling methods comes with the placement of the curlers, with Barkley clipping the curlers down her central parting rather that splitting the two sides around her head.
Explaining in the video how she uses the curler on her long, straight hair, Barkley said: "Take a small section from each side and wrap it around the curler.
"After I wrap each section around, I go and take another little piece of hair from the side of my head and then wrap the whole thing around again."
The method, like plaiting, can be difficult to get right on the first attempt, but Barkley reassures viewers that, "once you get the hang of it, it really is so easy to do."
For those who don't have a heatless curler, there are alternatives already in your home that you can use to try the trend.
Birmingham suggests that you, "use a hair scarf, curl pillow or soft item and place this in the center parting of your hair."
If you're unsure if the curls are wrapped correctly, Birmingham explains, "It will then resemble a French braid—leave overnight and unveil your curls when you wake up."
A common issue for those using heatless curlers is that the curls can become loose at the end, also affecting the hold and position of the curler.
To troubleshoot this, Barkley recommends "once you get to the nape of the neck, you want to start crisscrossing the pieces around the curler" before securing with a scrunchie for the night.
Speaking to Newsweek, Barkley shared further information on how she uses the method, telling us how: "I have tried so many heatless curl methods, which have had millions of views combined on TikTok, so I definitely have some good tips on getting the best heatless curls.
"One of my favorite tips is to run your hairbrush under a tap, and then brush through your hair to dampen it before putting your curlers in. This is a quicker way to dampen the hair and means that it won't be too wet to dry during the night.
"I also always say to run a little bit of hair oil through the ends of your hair before applying the curls, just to make sure they stay nice and soft and are protected during the night."
What Do the Comments Say?
One commenter picked up on Barkley's trick for longer heatless curlers, saying, "Folding the curler in half is so smart!"
Another added: "Obsessed with this result."
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