How to use your socks to create perfect curls
Forget curling irons, straighteners, rollers and braids, now all you need is a sock to get perfectly defined curls. This affordable everyday accessory is the current go-to on TikTok for getting wavy hair without using heat. Here's how it works.
Picture: Delmaine Donson / Getty Images
Users of the Chinese social network, TikTok, can’t seem to get enough of their socks right now, and that’s got nothing to do with the drop in temperatures over part of the globe.
Socks have simply become a must-have accessory in the beauty department. Already used to protect hair from dehydration, through the hair slugging technique, they’ve now become a must-have accessory for heat-free curls – in other words, waves created without using a hair dryer, curling tongs or straighteners. Such is the popularity of this technique that the #hairsockcurls hashtag has already exceeded 5 million views on TikTok, while #sockhaircurls has more than 1.2 million views.
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How to get simple, affordable curls
The method isn’t new – some videos date back to 2020, when hair salons were closed due to the pandemic – but many social media users are now bringing the trick back into the spotlight. On TikTok, there appears to be two distinct methods for creating curls using socks.
The first is simply to use socks to replace traditional rollers, which have recently been enjoying a comeback on the Chinese social network. The idea is to roll up each lightly dampened strand of hair using the piece of fabric, from tip to root, then secure it with a pin, just as you would with a conventional roller. In a matter of minutes, you’ll have bouncy curls, as if styled by a pro.
@mrtaliegnell Should i update how it looks at the end of the day?🙃 #sockcurls #heatlesscurls ♬ original sound – mars
The second technique is not necessarily any more complex, but it is a little more innovative. This time, you need a long sock. After splitting your hair into two sections, simply wrap each part of your hair lengthwise – from top to bottom – around the fabric, rather than rolling it up like a roller, and then tuck the whole thing inside the sock, for the added bonus of shiny hair. All that’s left to do is wait, and then remove the socks to reveal perfectly defined curls. The result is stunning, especially as it doesn’t require much, and saves on electricity. Not to mention the fact that this technique does not damage hair.
@makeupbyash.x Replying to @ell This is my new obsession!✨ #heatlesscurls #sockcurls #heatlesssockcurls #copperhaircolor #heatlesshairstyles ♬ get him back! – Olivia Rodrigo
A soda can or a strainer
This isn’t the first time that TikTok users have come up with unusual tricks to achieve perfect curls without resorting to heated curling irons. A little over a year ago, some users swore by soda cans to achieve the same effect, while at the beginning of the year, some TikTokers started using kitchen strainers, usually used to drain pasta or rice, to create luscious curls. All of these surprising hacks testify to the boundless creativity of users of the Chinese social network.
