A hair diffuser is an essential tool for curly girls. It helps dry your curls evenly, enhances definition and volume and minimizes frizz.
Before using a hair diffuser, liberally mist your locks with a heat protectant to help reduce damage caused by the heat of the dryer. Next, begin diffusing your hair in circular motions until it is fully dried.
It Helps Dry Your Hair Faster
Compared to air drying, diffusing hair with a diffuser cuts dry time by about half. It also prevents frizz, adds volume and enhances curl definition. It’s especially useful for wavy, curly and kinky hair types.
It can take hours for curly hair to dry, but a diffuser speeds up the process. It works by scattering hot air over your head, which prevents shrinkage and tangles.
If you want to speed up the process, use a microfiber towel and skip brushing your hair while it’s still damp. You can also try plopping, a technique beauty vloggers swear by to make their curls, waves and coils dry faster.
To create more volume, flip your hair forward while you’re diffusing. This makes it easier to dry hard-to-reach areas like the back and center of your head. Then, add some kind of volumizing hair product or mousse, but don’t use too much, since it can weigh down your waves.
It Helps Create More Volume
A diffuser allows your hair to air dry in a way that creates more volume than if you blow-dry your hair straight. “Blowing your hair straight can make it look flat and fried, while diffusing your hair with a diffuser helps give it more body and a natural texture,” Reslan says.
Choosing the right diffuser for your curl type is also important. For example, if you have wavy hair with medium-sized waves and frizz, opt for a diffuser that has larger prongs to lift your strands and add more shape. If you have textured, tight coils, try a diffuser with a smaller bowl and longer prongs.
You should also try to keep your hands out of your hair while diffusing it, because touching it can cause it to become frizzy. This can be hard, especially if you have naturally curly hair, but it’s crucial if you want to get the most out of your diffuser.
It Helps Define Your Curls
Curly hair tends to get frizzy, but a diffuser can help you define your curl pattern and create bouncy, beautiful waves or coils. The key is to apply your favorite curl-enhancing products on soaking wet hair, says Leon, and then to gently scrunch out any excess moisture. Then, she recommends diffusing your hair (with a low air-flow setting) while moving your head from side to side and up and down to encourage volume.
Another important thing to remember when diffusing is to keep your hands out of the hair, as touching it can cause frizz. If you do have to touch your curls, Rubenstein suggests using a little pomade on your fingers or a spray wax like Unite Tricky Spray Finishing Wax ($30) to tame any frizz that may develop.
For the best results, Leon recommends starting at the roots and working your way toward the ends of your hair as you cup the curls in your diffuser. Then, once your roots and midsection are completely dry, you can flip your head upright and continue to diffuse the hair you’ve shaped until it is as fully dried as you like.
It Helps Prevent Frizz
A diffuser is a must-have for anyone with curly hair that wants to prevent frizz. “Frizz is typically caused by the hot air from your blow-dryer heating up and stretching the curls, causing them to become dry and crunchy,” Mane Addicts stylist and the hairstylist for Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner Irinel De Leon tells TZR.
The key to preventing frizz is using the right hair products and diffusing your hair correctly, says De Leon. Start by washing your hair and removing any tangles with a wide-tooth comb. Then, apply a curl-enhancing product like the CLOUD NINE Magical Potion Spray to soaking wet hair and comb through for even distribution.
Finally, spritz your hair with a lightweight, frizz-fighting hair oil, like our Voodoo Oil. Just be sure to not overdo it with the hair products, because they can make your curls appear heavy. And remember to keep your hands out of your hair while it’s drying to avoid creating frizz or damaging your curls.