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Set your hair on rollers without heat

Choose a nonheated roller set when you want to shape loose hair into curls or waves without a hot tool. Smaller rollers make a tighter curve; larger rollers make a looser one.

Step by step

  1. A woman with damp loose shoulder-length hair holds one nonheated roller beside a neatly separated front section.
    STEP 1 OF 10

    Choose the rollers and prepare your hair

    • Use clean nonheated rollers made for damp setting and their matching fasteners. Put them within reach on a dry counter before you begin.
    • Start with detangled hair that is slightly damp, not dripping. Check that your rollers allow this starting state before rolling.

    A setting product is optional. Check that its directions allow damp hair, and follow its stated amount.

  2. A woman separates a reachable side section with both hands while the rest of her upper hair is clipped away.
    STEP 2 OF 10

    Separate one reachable section

    • Clip or move the rest of your hair out of the way. Start at a side you can reach with both hands and your shoulders relaxed.
    • Take a section no wider than the roller. Divide a thick section into thinner ones so you can lay the ends flat.
  3. A woman supports a bare nonheated roller at the free damp ends before winding the section.
    STEP 3 OF 10

    Lay the ends flat on the roller

    • Hold the roller across the ends of the section with one hand. Use the other hand to spread the tips flat against its surface.
    • Keep the tips together as you begin the first turn. If an end folds or slips out, open that turn and lay it flat again.
  4. A woman uses both hands to wind the ends of one damp section smoothly around a nonheated roller.
    STEP 4 OF 10

    Roll toward your scalp

    • Turn the roller toward your head, guiding the hair around it with your free hand. Keep the section smooth as it wraps.
    • Stop before the roller pulls at the roots. Unroll a little and try again with less tension if the section feels tight.
  5. A woman holds a rolled section at the side of her head and places a smooth roller fastener with her free hand.
    STEP 5 OF 10

    Fasten the roller comfortably

    • Hold the rolled section steady with one hand. With the other, close the roller’s fastener without catching nearby loose strands.
    • Let go briefly to check that the roller stays in place without pinching or pulling. Adjust or remove it if it feels uncomfortable.

    Repeat the sectioning, end placement, rolling and fastening for the areas you want to set. Take breaks or leave hard-to-reach sections loose.

  6. A woman reads while her uncovered nonheated roller set air-dries, with both hands away from her hair.
    STEP 6 OF 10

    Leave the set to dry

    • Leave the rollers uncovered while the hair air-dries. Keep your hands away from the set and give it time.
    • The outside can feel dry while the wrapped hair is damp. When it seems ready, check one reachable section using the next three steps.

    Drying time varies. If you need to stop early, remove the rollers gently and let the hair finish drying loose; the shape may be uneven.

  7. A woman supports a wrapped side roller with one hand and holds its removed fastener clear with the other.
    STEP 7 OF 10

    Release one fastener

    • Support a reachable side roller with one hand so it cannot drop or tug. Open or remove its fastener with the other hand, following the roller’s directions.
    • Put a removed fastener down while you keep supporting the roller. Free any caught strands before you start unwinding.
  8. A woman supports the released length while unwinding a roller toward the ends, away from her scalp.
    STEP 8 OF 10

    Unwind the roller slowly

    • Turn the roller back along the way it was wound, away from your scalp. Support the released hair with your free hand.
    • Keep unwinding until the tips come free. If it catches, stop and gently ease the caught strands away before moving again.
  9. A woman feels the roots of a released section while supporting its length; the removed roller rests on the counter.
    STEP 9 OF 10

    Feel the hair that was wrapped inside

    • Put the roller down. With clean, dry fingers, feel the roots and the released lengths, including the ends that were tucked inside.
    • If the hair is damp, rewind and fasten it comfortably, then wait longer. If it is dry, check a thicker section or one at the nape next.

    Once the checked areas are dry, unfasten and unwind the remaining rollers one at a time. Check each released section and give damp hair more drying time.

  10. A woman gathers the removed rollers and clips into a tray after taking down her set.
    STEP 10 OF 10

    Check the finish and collect the tools

    • Check that every roller, fastener and sectioning clip is out. Arrange the dry curls lightly with your fingers.
    • Collect the tools, remove loose shed hairs and clean them using their care instructions. Let them dry before storing them.

About 20–45 minutes of handling for a full set of medium or large rollers, including later removal and tool cleanup. Detangling, drying and breaks take additional time.

Untimed editorial estimate. Small rollers, long or dense hair and first attempts can take longer. No fixed drying time is claimed.

You’re done when…

Every roller, fastener and sectioning clip is out. Your hair is dry, your roots feel comfortable and the tools are ready to clean or put away.