Those with curls and waves know how difficult it can be to dry their hair without it turning frizzy. While one of the main culprits of frizz is humidity, the other likely candidate is your blow dryer. Luckily, blow dryers sold nowadays usually come with the ultimate solution to combat frizz, boost volume, and give your curls some major bounce: the hair diffuser. This strange-looking attachment can be intimidating, but it’s actually the greatest ally to those with curly hair. We’ll go over what a diffuser is, and how and why to use one. With a bit of product and the right technique, you’re well on your way to enhancing your curls.
A diffuser keeps your curls in place without damaging them
You’ve probably come across a hair diffuser before, but not realized how essential it is to achieving a frizz-free curly hairstyle. So what is a hair diffuser? It’s an attachment for your hair dryer designed to disperse (or diffuse) the air coming from your blow dryer. The airflow therefore doesn’t hit your curls directly, but rather gently circulates around them, meaning your curls are less susceptible to damage and to breaking, and won’t come undone.
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There are plenty of different hair diffusers on the market. Generally, they are dome shaped, which allows the heat and airflow to be distributed evenly and gently. Many will have prongs which lift your curls and add volume without disturbing the coil. The more holes a hair diffuser has, the more evenly it can distribute airflow. Those with thicker hair or natural textures should turn to larger diffusers.
- Begin by washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
- Apply a leave-in conditioner or mousse and comb through using a wide-toothed detangling comb.
- Attach the hair diffuser to the end of your blow dryer, and set it on low heat and low speed.
- Flip your hair over and begin diffusing your roots by bringing the hair diffuser closer to your scalp. Once you notice that the roots are beginning to dry, flip your head to the side, again focusing on your roots, then repeat on the other side. Keep alternating sides so that you build volume into your curls evenly.
- Once you feel your roots are more or less dry, you can begin scrunching the diffuser into your hair, drying your ends as well. It is best to leave your ends last so that they do not get dried out.
- Finish off your look with hairspray to keep everything in place, but still allow your curls to have their natural bounce.