Hair Styles

Get Perfect Heatless Curls: Learn How To Do Sock Curls

Sock curling is a method to curl your hair overnight without using any heat. The viral hair hack on TikTok teaches you how to do sock curls.


Written by Gayatri Sarin

On Apr 18, 2023 – 12 minutes read

Get Perfect Heatless Curls Learn How To Do Sock Curls - Feature

It will take you a little practice to master the art of how to do sock curls overnight and know how much hair you should use with each sock for the best results. 

Sock curling is an effective and heatless curling technique. It helps you get gorgeous, bouncy waves overnight without the damaging side effects of curling irons. The process requires basic materials like your hairbrush, scrunchies, pins, four to six socks, water, and a hair spray. 

How To Do Sock Curls? Benefits Of Using Sock Curls

Many benefits make this hair styling hack a favorite. The first is using no heat at all and having curls formed effortlessly while you sleep. 

Another benefit is that you can do sock curls on second-day hair. You may have to use some dry shampoo on the roots to revive the texture, but when you have natural-looking curls, people might not even notice your roots. 

How To Do Sock Curls? Benefits Of Using Sock Curls

The third advantage of heatless curls with socks is that it does not take too long to remove the socks from your hair. Unlike spending hours with a curling iron, you can go to bed after wrapping socks around your hair and remove them time the next morning, treating yourself to a few extra minutes of sleep. 

The video on how to do sock curls has gained immense popularity. It is no secret that everyone’s trying the hair-setting trick. Interestingly, all you need to do is weave socks onto your damp hair and let them stay there till they dry. Do it overnight to get fresh, bouncy, and gorgeous waves the next morning. 

How To Do Sock Curls? What Do You Need To Do?

For the sock curling method, you need two or four long socks. The number will depend on the number of sections you want to wrap. The length of the socks must be sufficient to cover the area between your ends and roots. Apart from socks, you will need hair ties, scrunchies, long bobby pins, or claw clips to keep the sock secured to your hair. 

A list of items required to get those perfect curls are:

  • Four to six socks (maybe more if your hair is thick and long)
  • Hair clips
  • A hair brush
  • Hair ties
  • Hairspray
  • A hairdryer (only if you want quicker results and more volume at the crown)

How To Do Sock Curls? Tips For Choosing The Right Materials

Before you start sectioning your hair and using the socks to create curls, you must know how certain materials can affect the outcome. A long sock, such as a knee-high sock, has a larger circumference and will give you looser waves. Shorter socks, on the other hand, will generate tighter curls. 

The number of socks you need will depend on how loose or tight a curl you want. The shape of the curl is determined by the amount of hair you tie down with each sock. If you have long hair, opt for longer socks because you need more socks to wrap your hair around. A pack of baby socks is enough for short hair. 

Some people use the sock bun method to create bouncy waves. It is suitable for long hair and gives loose, natural-looking curls without the use of heat. For this method, you need to prepare the sock. Make sure you get one with a good elastic. Cut off at the toe portion to get two open ends. After turning the sock inside out, roll it over itself till you reach the other end. You should be able to create something like a doughnut. 

Do not try to curl your hair using short ankle socks. Moreover, the socks you use should be thin. If you use thick woolen socks, they would make it tougher for your hair to dry at night, and you wouldn’t get the desired heatless curls with socks. 

Learn How To Do sock curls?

Once you get everything in place, it’s time to start curling. This step-by-step guide will help you get the curls you’ve always wanted to wear to your date, office party, friends’ lunch, or family dinner. 

1. Start With Clean And Damp Hair

While the hair styling hack works on second-day hair as well, ensure that your hair is clean and damp. Pat dry after a good wash so that your hair is not dripping wet. If you’re going to try the trick just before going to bed and don’t wish to go through the entire washing routine, use a spray bottle to give it a good spritz. 

2. Remove Any Tangles By Brushing The Hair Well

Detangling your hair knots will give a clean look to your hair.

Your curls will never look good if there are tangles caught up in them. Brush through your hair to eliminate any tangles and have hair that is easier to work with. This is how to do sock curls without any tangles.

3. Section Your Hair

Divide your hair into sections. Four sections are good enough for fine to medium hair. These sections include one in the front, one at the back, and two on the sides. Thicker hair means more sections. So, get more socks accordingly. Keep the sections in place with the help of hair clips till you weave your socks into them. 

Learn How To Do sock curls?

4. Place The Socks

Take one sock. Select a section of hair. Using a hair clip, secure the toe end of the sock as close as possible to the scalp. Don’t fuss too much about the placement of the sock. In this step, you’re basically trying to place the sock securely to weave the hair around it later. 

5. Weave The Sections Of Hair Around The Socks

There are two ways you can wrap your hair around the socks. The first option is to crisscross your hair around the sock. For this, make two halves of the section in your hand. Twist them around the sock in a way that one half goes over the top while the other goes underneath. The goal is to curl the hair around the sock to make the strands crisscross over each other. In the end, the sock should appear like a tube with many Xs down the sides. If that’s what you’ve got, you’re amazing, and you’ve weaved your hair around the sock correctly.

The other option for how to do sock curls is to wrap every section of hair in a French-braid style. Here, you keep moving in one direction till the end of the sock. Wrap a one-inch section of hair around the fabric away from your face. Keep adding more sections of hair as you wrap and move down the sock. It’s the same technique as a French braid. 

6. How To Do Sock Curls Using Hair Ties

On reaching the bottom of your hair, there are two options to tie them. If you’re using long socks, pull the open end of the sock over the entire curl to secure it. You don’t need a hair tie in this option. But there is a chance that the sock will fall off while you’re sleeping. The other option is to secure the sock to the end of your hair with a hair tie. You can also use hair pins to secure the socks.   

7. Do The Same On All Sections Of Your Hair

how to do sock curls in one section of the hair as part of a more sophisticated hairstyle, you can go off to sleep after the previous step. But if you want to curl all of your hair, repeat the process on every section of your hair. 

Take someone’s help if it is not easy for you to do the back section of your hair. Make sure you guide them to start weaving as close to your scalp as possible. However, if you’re trying to get curls that start further down the length, let them know. 

8. Allow It To Dry

how to do sock curls while going to sleep?

Go to sleep after you’ve wrapped all the sections of your hair around socks. If you’re doing it in the morning, go about completing all your household chores and tasks or watch a movie. You have to wait till your hair is totally dry. 

9. Enjoy Your Beautiful Curls

Remove the socks one after the other and see how beautiful your curls look. Break them up a little by running your fingers through them. You can put on a little hair spray to give them a stunning look. 

How To Do Sock Curls To Get The Best Results

Apart from knowing how to do sock curls step-by-step, keep some things in mind to ensure you get the best results. 

  • Don’t twist your hair around the socks too tightly. Make sure you leave a little slack near the scalp with adequate tension so the sock is secure. 
  • For longer-lasting curls, remember to spritz with hairspray before wrapping. 
  • Follow the French braid technique and add hair strands every time you wrap around the sock. 
  • Remember to wrap away from your face for the easy movement of your hands. 
  • The texture of the curls you get will depend on the way you wrap hair around the socks – loose or tightly coiled.
  • Use a styling gel(1), mousse, or leave-in conditioner to enhance the look and improve the hold. 
  • If you have thick hair at the back, use more than two socks and take someone’s help. 
  • Wrap less hair per sock and use more socks for tighter curls. 
  • The thickness of socks influences the result and dictates whether you’ll get looser or tighter curls. 
  • Run your fingers through the curls after removing the socks to break up tight curls. 
  • Use a hair dryer to finish the process a bit faster, especially if you want curls for the same day. This tip also helps in adding more volume to the crown of your head. 

How To Do Sock Curls Without Making Any Mistakes?

  • If you have a sensitive scalp, don’t pull and wrap hair sections too tightly, as it can stress your strands. It can then lead to an undesired headache. Moreover, just like pulling a ponytail too tight, wrapping the hair too tight around socks can mean an unwanted bald spot. 
  • Your hair should be damp and not wet. 
  • Use thin and long socks instead of thick ones. Thick socks will add frizz to your hair and make you uncomfortable while sleeping. 
  • Do not undo the sock curls till the hair dries off completely. 
  • If you remove the socks without your hair drying completely, the weight of wet hair might make your curls fall off during the day.

How To Do Sock Curls? Tips For Maintaining Sock Curls

Who doesn’t want the curls to stay bouncy and gorgeous for more than a day? Try these tricks to maintain your sock curls:

  1. Create sock curls on long hair after a good wash. If your hair is not clean, curls can get weighed down due to buildup. 
  2. Remove the socks after your hair is totally dry. If you have thick hair that takes longer to dry, start weaving hair around socks in the evening. 
  3. Use a silk rag to keep frizz at bay.
  4. Wear a shower cap before sleeping if you fear that the socks or bobby pins will fall out as you toss and turn.  
  5. Use hair products to add volume and keep the curls for longer. 

Recommendations For Products That Can Help

By following the above steps and tips, you can create sock curls on medium hair and long hair. Some hair products can help you get longer-lasting curls with a better all-day-long look. 

Wonder how to do sock curls? try using the products mentioned below.

Recommendations For Products That Can Help

How To Do Sock Curls Using Anti-Frizz Serum

Your hair might develop more frizz when you brush your curls. Moreover, as your hair rubs against your pillow and socks all night, it can lead to some flyways. Use an anti-frizz serum to smoothen unruly strands. 

Take a few drops of the serum onto your palm, rub your hands, and massage it gently from your scalp to the ends for a sleek finish on your curls. 

Volume Spray

How to do sock curls using volume spray for a better volume?

Sock curls are likely to give your hair uneven amounts of volume. Spray in a volume spray to add more texture and lift your roots. Flip your head upside down while spraying to enhance the volume and help the spray reach the right strands. 

Hairspray

Sock curls tend to fall flat a few hours later. Apply hairspray to help your curls last all day long. If your hair is clean and you’re in luck, the curls might even last for a few days. Mist your hair lightly with high-quality hairspray. 

Remember not to use too much of the product as it can give a crunchy appearance. You can opt for a volumizing hairspray and skip the volume spray. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you curl your hair with socks overnight?

There are two ways to curl your hair with socks. In the first method, you use several socks to wrap different sections of your hair, just like you do with rollers. In the second method, you use only one sock to make a doughnut bun.

Do you do sock curls with wet or dry hair?

For overnight sock curls, your hair needs to be moist. After you’ve given your hair a shampoo, pat it dry with a towel until it’s completely dry. Spray your hair if you’re going to be sock curling without a head wash.

How to do sock curls that last all day?

How long do sock curls last? – is a common question. Generally, sock curls start falling flat after a few hours. However, if you use hairspray and a hairdryer, you can add volume and make your curls last all day, sometimes even more.  

How do you curl your hair with socks naturally?

Sock curling is a natural, heatless hair curling method. All you need to do is wrap damp sections of hair around socks, secure them safely, and leave them there till they dry completely. 

How long do you leave sock curls in?

Your hair must be dry completely for the curls to have a bouncy and voluminous appearance. That’s why many leave socks on for around eight to nine hours. If you have long and thick hair, you will need more time. You should keep sock curls in for around 12 hours.

How do you get tight curls with socks? What is the TikTok trend of curling hair with socks?

 Thin, more socks tighten curls. Don’t overdo it.
Sock curling is a heatless TikTok fad. This procedure requires no curling irons, hairdryers, or heating devices. Just water, stockings, hair ties, pins, and section clips are needed.

How can I curl my hair in 5 minutes without heat?

Make your hair damp and divide it into sections. Wrap the different sections around socks in a criss-cross manner and secure them with a hair tie. Go off to sleep. Remove the hair ties and the socks in the morning, and enjoy watching your beautiful curls. 

Conclusion

It’s no simple feat to curl your hair. You are at the risk of burnt fingertips, heat damage, crimped strands, split ends, and wasted time. Fortunately, there are hacks to curl your hair without using heat at all. Sock curls are an effective curling technique. It works on all hair types, including thick, curly, fine, and frizzy. It is easiest to curl fine hair with socks, but people with thick hair have also achieved results. 

  1. ijpsonline.(2023).Development And Evaluation Of Cosmeceutical Hair Styling Gels. Available at:

    https://www.ijpsonline.com/abstract/development-and-evaluation-of-cosmeceutical-hair-styling-gels-of-ketoconazole-469.html

Subscribe to Newsletter

Elevate your routine, stay on trend, and embrace a personalized beauty journey with our curated insights.


Gayathri

Gayatri is a writer who specializes in hair care, styling tips, skincare routines and latest health trends. Her expertise comes from professional training, extensive research, and a continuous quest for the latest trends and innovations. I believe that beauty and well-being are interconnected, and I aim to provide readers with holistic advice

Reviewer name


Reviewer bio

Write a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *