Using my hair diffuser is important for me to use when i’m wanting to give my hair a break from direct heat from my blow dryer. They are great to use and will help keep your healthy hair even healthier.
What Is A Hair Diffuser and What Does It Do?
A hair diffuser is an attachment that you put on your hair dryer so that the air that comes out of the blow dryer is diffused or distributed throughout a larger area than usual and circulates the hair instead of directly hitting it. This distributes the heat and is done to avoid getting dry and frizzy hair for those who have heat damaged hair and/or so as not to disturb the curls of someone’s hair. Diffusers appear rounded and have rods on it.
Also Read: How to curl short hair? Read this article!
There are different diffuser designs for different purposes: flat vented, mitt diffusers, and finger diffusers are for lifting hair, adding volume and body to your hair. Hair diffusers must be used on low speed and heat settings, otherwise they won’t work and can cause your hair dryer to overheat instead.
How To Apply A Hair Diffuser?
Curly hair blow dried with a usual hair dryer can affect the curliness of your hair because of the direct and high heat. The diffuser attachment makes the air circulate around the curls instead of directly onto them, thus having the same effect as air drying it without the risk of affecting the chemical bonds that keep it curly. The rods also help separate hair strands in order to give them more lift and volume for hair that has more body to it.
The use of a diffuser attachment can make the hair drying process a bit longer than usual though. But you can be sure that your hair and curls are safe from direct heat when using a diffuser.
3 Ways to Use A Hair Diffuser
Hair Drying
After washing your hair as usual with shampoo and conditioner (preferably something that uses oils and not soap for cleansing; and those that don’t use sulfates so as not to give you dry and frizzy hair), towel dry it with gentle pats and squeezes. Don’t twist or wring your hair with the towel as harsh handling can give you frizzy and damaged hair.
If you have wavy hair, then skip this next step, as it may not work out for your hair style. Use a leave-in conditioner to help moisten your hair and aid in the diffusing process. Styling lotion also works.
For those of you who have wavy hair, you can use foam or mousse to achieve the same results.
Attach the diffuser to your hair dryer and turn it on a low or medium heat setting. Tilt your head to one side and dry your hair near the roots with a circular motion. The diffuser’s prongs should give your hair volume and boost your curls. Keep your hands off your hair during the drying process to avoid interfering with its natural style.
Keep on doing the circular motion as your work to the tips of your hair. If your hair is by nature curly, then you may want to stop at the roots. Some women say this works better for them. Try which would work better for your hair.
After your hair is dried, you can use hairspray or other hair products to keep the shape of your curls throughout the day and reduce the damage that your hair received from the heat of the dryer.
Hair Styling
After washing your hair, dry it by turning your hair upside down and gently shaking your head back and forth. This allows your curls and waves to shape naturally. You can also squeeze and dab excess water out of it, but don’t rub it with a towel. Afterwards, brush your hair with a wide tooth comb.
The rest of the process is similar with simply drying your hair out with a diffuser, but for purposes of styling, you can clip your hair near the roots then dry at an angle to increase the volume of your hair.
Stop when your hair is about 80% dry then use hair products to preserve your hairstyle for the day.
On Straight Hair
To use a diffuser with straight hair, start out with wet hair. Use a volumizer to give your hair more body during the diffusing process and a heat protectant to reduce the damage that your hair might get from using a hair dryer. Use mousse if you plan on achieving a curly look.
Lift your roots and scrunch your hair upwards into the diffuser and continue doing so until all your hair is dry. This will help you achieve a wavy or curly look, and afterwards you can use a setting product to help keep your hairstyle in place.