What is a diffuser?
A diffuser for a hair dryer is also called a soft styler. Usually, a diffuser is a round nozzle with small hollow spikes on it through which air can circulate. A diffuser for curls is designed as it is, to dry the hair as gently as possible and thus also retain as much moisture in the hair as possible.
Retaining moisture in the hair is essential when you have curls, as curly hair quickly becomes frizzy and unruly if it becomes dry or damaged.
Because the nozzle of a diffuser or soft styler is designed as it is, it allows you to control the air distribution much better. This prevents your curls from being hit by too much “wind” and thus starting to frizz and lose their definition.
The diffuser has a flat top from which the spikes protrude. When you dry your curls with a diffuser, you put the curl on the diffuser and pinch it up while you dry it. If that sounds complicated, read on.
A hair dryer diffuser is the new miracle styling tool for curly hair
If you have curls, you may not even own a hairdryer. Because hair dryers tend to make curly hair completely wild and unruly ,because it blows the curls out of your hair.
But with a diffuser for hair dryer, now is the time you also get yourself a hair dryer if you don’t already have one.
A curl diffuser gives you a unique opportunity to dry your curls without them losing their shape. In fact, you can make your curls even more defined with a diffuser.
Read on to learn more about the miracles you can work on your hair with a diffuser attached to your blow dryer.
How a diffuser works
If you have curls and have never tried a blow dryer diffuser before, a whole new world will open up to you.
A diffuser can dry your curly hair completely without destroying the curl’s definition and shape. In the past, this was only possible by gently air-drying your hair while constantly squeezing it to prevent the top from becoming flat because the curl is pulled out the top of your head. This can easily happen because the wet hair is heavy.
With a diffuser, you can dry your curls in record time while getting more definition and fullness at the top than you’ve ever tried before.
The secret to using a diffuser is that you get distributed heat from the blow dryer and thus your hair strands are separated and lifted which gives a lot of volume while not destroying the structure of the curls.
The easiest way to use a diffuser for the blow dryer is to turn your head down and take one section at a time, letting the curl fall onto the nozzle while lifting it up towards your scalp, thus hugging the curl as it dries.
When the curl is dry, you can give it a few seconds on cold air. This will help the curl to set.
With a curl diffuser and good hair products, you can get the most beautifully defined curls
If you have real or permanent curls, you probably get a lot of envious words from people around you. But with beautiful curls comes a lot of care, if you don’t want your curls to become a big frizzy mess.
You probably know exactly how to air-dry your curls for the best results. I’m sure you’ve tried that many times before.
If you haven’t tried using a diffuser with your blow dryer before, then read on for my tips on how to get the best results.
Keep your curly hair healthy with shampoo and conditioner for curly hair
It pays to choose shampoos and conditioners carefully, so you get products designed specifically for your hair type.
If you choose a shampoo for curly hair and a conditioner for curly hair, you’ll get care products that contain extra-rich amounts of moisture. Curly hair tends to dry out easily.
At the same time, the products also have properties that make sure your curls are super elastic and more defined, keeping their shape longer.
Heat protect your hair and use a curling cream
If you have curly hair, you should think about moisture, care and protection in every step you take with your hair. Curly hair is stunningly beautiful, but it’s also the hair type that requires the most care to keep it healthy and shiny.
Two products you should always apply to your hair before using a blow dryer are a heat protectant spray, which protects your hair from the heat of the blow dryer, and a curl cream, or curl defining cream as it’s also called, which goes in and activates your curls, making them more bouncy and defined.
Some curl creams are a multi-product that in addition to giving you stunning curls also act as heat protection and some even contain UV filters as well so you are also covered in sun protection for your hair.
However, far from all curl creams are multi-products, so make sure you read up on the product before you buy it.
Keep your head down
When you use a diffuser for your hairdryer, the whole idea is that the diffuser distributes the hot air from the hairdryer so that the airflow isn’t too strong and blows out your curls.
What you need to do to help the process along is, firstly, to control the strength of the blower. It’s rarely a good idea to use the highest blower setting, as powerful hairdryers will blow out the curls despite the diffuser.
Next, hold the blow dryer with the diffuser attached down under the hair so that the curls are almost resting against the nozzle of the diffuser. Then hold the diffuser up to the scalp so the curls rest between the scalp and the nozzle.
Many find it easiest to do this upside down. It also gives extra definition to the curls on the scalp.
Be patient until hair is completely dry for most definition
It’s important to be patient and take your time if you want the absolute best results. You want your hair to be 100% dry before you stop drying it. That way you can be sure that the curls don’t start to frizz because the hair hasn’t been completely dry. Of course, you can also choose to use your diffuser as a quick way to get the worst of the water out of your hair before you head out the door in winter, and then let it finish air-drying. It all depends on the look you’re going for.
Use a hairspray for curly hair to set the curls
Once you’ve finished styling your curls and have achieved a result you like, finish by using a hairspray to seal the hair and hold the curls in place.
I would recommend you to choose a hairspray for curly hair because it differs a bit from ordinary hairspray.
A hairspray for curly hair fixes your curls like an ordinary hairspray, but it also contains anti-frizz, which makes sure that your curls don’t start to frizz or frizz and it contains moisture protection from outside humidity. And if you have curls, you know there’s nothing like moisture to make curls frizz and get unruly. Avoid that with a hairspray for curly hair.
Revive curls the next day with a curl spray
It’s not always the pillow that’s been kind to curly hair after a full night’s sleep. If your curls have started to lose their definition and you’re considering just scraping all your hair into a ponytail or a bun on your head, you can also choose to revive the curls with a curl spray.
A curl spray is used in 2nd or 3rd day hair and adds a lot of moisture to the hair while making the curls contract, so they become more defined again. The curl spray is also good for laying down flyaways and giving hair shine.
Create body and volume in 2nd and 3rd day hair with dry shampoo or hair powder
If your hair feels a little greasy on the 3rd day or you think it has lost a little body and volume at the top, you can use a dry shampoo on your scalp with really good results.
A dry shampoo simply goes in and soaks up the oil in your scalp so your hair doesn’t feel or look greasy anymore. The dry shampoo also adds a lot of body to the hair.
If it’s just extra body you’re after, use a hair powder instead of a dry shampoo. A hair powder adds extra volume to your hair.
Plopping – Hug your hair as dry as you can with an old cotton t-shirt
Plopping as this TikTok phenomenon is called is a great alternative for those days you don’t have time to use your diffuser for the hair dryer.
Plopping, in its simplicity, involves replacing the towel with a cotton t-shirt when you need to dry your curls. By simply switching the material and drying technique, you will actually get curls that are much more defined and have a shinier surface, hence have more shine.
This definition and shine is otherwise only achievable if you use a diffuser for the blow dryer or use a curling iron to control the curl.
The reason why hair changes texture and becomes shinier when you dry it with a cotton t-shirt is that less friction occurs and it gives the hair shaft a shinier surface.
At the same time, the curl itself also becomes more defined because it doesn’t get twisted and disturbed in its natural curl like it will if you put your hair up in a regular towel turban.
What you need
- A large old cotton t-shirt (or a long-sleeved t-shirt)
- Your regular hair products
How to fluff your curls with a t-shirt
- Wash your hair like you care with a shampoo and conditioner (For best results, use a shampoo for curly hair and a conditioner for curly hair. It helps give your curls definition and bounce.
- Squeeze as much water as you can out of your curls before stepping out of the shower. But be careful not to disturb the curls too much.
- Then use your normal hair styling products. This could be a curling cream, a hair oil or a leave-in conditioner.
- Lay the cotton t-shirt smoothly on the bed or dining table and lean over so that your hair lies on the T-shirt
- Gently fold the T-shirt around your hair by fastening the ends in a knot. This may be easiest with a long-sleeved t-shirt, but you can also get some help by using a rubber band to hold on to the knot.
- Now just give it time to dry. If you’ve tied the knot on your t-shirt well enough, you can easily go about your day while your hair dries. Depending on how thick your hair is, the drying time will be somewhere between 30 minutes and 1 1/2 hours. Some people sleep with their t-shirt on.
- When the curls are dry, gently loosen the T-shirt and your curls should be much more defined and shiny than they used to be when you air dry your curls.
Got your curls under control?
We’re at the end of the road. I hope you’ve become much wiser to the new world that opens up with a diffuser for your blow dryer. Because now it’s suddenly possible to blow-dry your hair without losing definition and actually intensify the curl.
If you have any questions about any of the hair dryer diffusers I’ve introduced you to here, please follow the link on to the retailer. On the retailer’s site you will find further product information and answers to your questions.
I have also made the price of the different dealers visible so that you can easily get an overview of where you are getting the best deal.
Enjoy your new hair dryer diffuser.