Heat is the enemy for many when they're on a quest for healthy, longer or thicker hair. The excess use of heat tools depletes moisture, damages and ultimately thins or breaks your hair. Knowing this, I still regularly flat iron my hair. It's a bad habit I haven't yet busted.

However, lately I've been experimenting with pin curls, bantu knot-outs and braid-outs. I do the styles at night after moisturising and in the morning when I take them out, I look a mess, consequently turning to my straighteners. So in my attempts to get away from heat tools, I end up straightening my hair - a paradox I'd rather avoid.

Time consuming and frustrating, mastering a new style is not always easy. For those in a similar predicament, I've decided to share my inauspicious attempts to perfect these heatless styles. I'll document the good, bad and the ugly outcomes of my trials. If you're feeling anywhere as frustrated as I am, hopefully seeing someone else go through trial and error will keep you motivated.

I'm not giving up until I can master a style that works for me!


ABOVE: My first attempt at pincurls. Clearly, I hadn't quite mastered the technique of creating the curl! The result was just as disappointing - some areas turned out wavy while I had other random straight sections. In the end, I used the straighteners to curl the rest of my hair. Pretty contradictory considering I'm trying to stay away from heat!

ABOVE: Another attempt - not too bad this time, although it seems like only the ends curled.

ABOVE: My best outcome yet - I had soft curls / waves that lasted the entire day. It's taken me a good few weeks to perfect the technique of rolling the hair and pinning it down. I'd say the first two weeks were hit and miss, but I persevered and now I no longer wake up with the dread of wondering how my hair is going to look.

Update: A guide on how I achieve my perfect pincurl style!