Can You Really Curl Your Hair With Socks?

Adding some self-care into your nighttime routine used to just be about wearing a sheet mask as you rewatched your favorite movie, but these days, folks are taking overnight beauty hacks to the next level by adding in a heatless curl routine. If you’ve been on social media recently, you’ve probably noticed an influx of videos about curls without a curling iron. The hack works by wrapping your hair around a satin rod or another device, and removing it after a few hours for bouncy curls without heat damage. But if you’re in a pinch or don’t want to buy anything extra, influencers including Kit Keenan are using socks to get the same effect.

All you need is a pair of (clean!) socks and a clip, such as a duckbill hair clip. And the pretty results might surprise you. As creator Elyse Beaudry notes, your hair has to be mostly dry for this to work. Once it is, part your hair into two halves, just like you would if you were beginning a set of braids. Then, clip the toe part of one sock to the side of your hair, just above the ear. This will keep it in place as you wrap the bottom portion of your hair around the sock. Use the sock itself like a rod, wrapping pieces of hair back and around the sock as if it were a tube. Once you’re done wrapping your hair, secure it by folding the open-ankle side of the sock up and over your exposed hair. 

At this point, you can remove the clip and tuck in any part of the sock that’s hanging out. Repeat on the other side. It seems like fuzzy noncotton socks work the best, according to other influencers who have tried the method. But if curling your hair with socks is a little too strange for you, we recommend using the Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set, which has everything you need for overnight curls and waves without the need for products or hot tools.