How one can Use a Diffuser for Wholesome, Outlined Curls
Everybody has their very own private hair and wonder struggles, however a standard criticism among the many curly group is consistency. Wholesome, outlined curls are each curly-haired particular person’s purpose on wash day—however attaining them by air-drying may be difficult by components just like the temperature and humidity outdoors. Enter: diffusing.
We requested three hairstylists—Matthew Collins, Danjela Nika, and Raphael Rogue—to inform us every thing there may be to learn about diffusers, together with methods to use them for completely outlined curls and coils.
What Is a Diffuser?
Diffusers are available in many styles and sizes, however all of them search to diffuse the recent air popping out of a blow dryer. Sometimes, they’re bowl-shaped with prongs all through, and, in response to Nika, they’re designed to mimic a pure “air-dry” impact. Rogue agrees and provides {that a} diffuser attachment helps to disperse airflow out of your blow dryer in a way more managed method. It’s doable to search out diffuser attachments designed to suit over your present dryer, however those that are fascinated about diffusing on the common might wish to contemplate investing in a dryer that comes with its personal. “For many dryers, this facet may be very difficult as most are usually not particularly made for the dryer and plenty of dryers don’t include the attachment. In all Dyson Supersonic ($430) kits the diffuser is included and has a excessive energy magnet so it fastens very simply to the dryer and stays in place, however can be very simple to take away when completed,” shares Collins.
Diffusing works by directing airflow throughout curls, permitting them to dry with out being disrupted the way in which they’d be with a traditional dryer air stream. Collins explains that this implies drying the curls in place and enhancing what’s there, somewhat than manipulating them: “The diffuser is designed to present a mild cycle of airflow to dry your hair, however not blow it round which is able to trigger frizz,” he says. You may wish to ensure you have your dryer on the appropriate settings to cut back frizz, which Nika describes as excessive warmth and low airflow. Collins agrees and says that if utilizing the Dyson Supersonic, he recommends utilizing low or medium energy and medium to excessive warmth.
Advantages of Diffusing Curly Hair
Diffusing permits curly-haired individuals to dry their hair earlier than leaving their dwelling (air-drying can take hours), but it surely additionally gives many advantages to the curl sample. “The good thing about utilizing a diffuser is that it’s going to reduce frizz, improve quantity, add shine, and outline the curl sample,” explains Rogue. Collins agrees, explaining that utilizing a diffuser will assist to reinforce your curl to a tighter sample. “Should you let your hair dry naturally it’s going to take a while, so the curl has extra of an opportunity to be disturbed, moved, or shaken up earlier than dried. However as soon as subtle and dry the curl sample will keep intact for much longer and maintain its form frizz-free,” Collins explains. Diffusing tremendously improves the definition and shine of curls and gives much more constant outcomes than air-drying.
And diffusing is not only for curly hair. Nika recommends diffusing for all hair sorts, as it may be much less damaging than common blow-drying and may convey out waves and curls within the hair. “Opposite to the favored perception that diffusing is only for very curly hair, a diffuser can be utilized on any hair kind or texture,” provides Collins. “In some instances of pin-straight hair it might solely add a slight motion, however typically, it’s going to amp up your curl sample by 20-70 %.”
Steps for a Good Diffuse
Put together the Hair for Diffusing
Correctly taking good care of your hair previous to diffusing is essential to getting a beautiful curly set, says Nika. Diffusing hair with no product will end in a a lot completely different, frizzier look than curls prepped with ample moisturizing and styling merchandise. “For varied kinds of hair, an important distinction to start out is your product alternative,” says Collins. “In case your hair solely has a bit of wave or curl you wish to usually deal with polymer-based merchandise like mousses, texture sprays, thickeners, or mild gels. In case your hair has numerous curl and is thick chances are you’ll wish to focus extra on emollient kinds of merchandise like lotions or oils.”
Rogue recommends making use of the specified product all through the hair from the roots to the top of the hair. “One of the best ways to distribute product is to evenly saturate on moist hair. This helps to distribute your product of alternative evenly all through your total head of hair. Some individuals like to scrunch it in, and a few wish to set it with a finger wrap. Every technique is acceptable, but it surely’s all about what works for you.” The hair must be soaking moist once you apply the styling merchandise to make sure even distribution, however you’ll be able to gently scrunch your curls with a microfiber towel after product utility and earlier than diffusing to chop down on dry time.
Begin on the Roots
It is essential to start out on the roots, as this part will take for much longer than the remainder of the hair. “As soon as the product and the specified model have been positioned, we will start to diffuse,” says Rogue (who demonstrates above). “When diffusing, it’s greatest to not disturb the curls, that means don’t transfer the hair—simply transfer your diffuser in a 360-degree movement, ensuring that you just’re hitting all factors of your head. Needless to say you’re drying your roots first. As soon as you are feeling your roots are just about dry then you’ll be able to start diffusing down the mid-shaft, towards the ends of the hair.”
Throughout this step, Nika recommends that you just lean ahead and flip your hair in entrance of you. “Evenly shake your head to have the curls fall into place. Whereas the again dries, any product that falls towards the entrance of the hair helps scale back the frizz within the entrance,” she explains.
Begin Constructing Quantity
As soon as the roots are dry, you’ll be able to management how a lot quantity you create by both flipping the hair and drying it in several positions for top quantity or simply diffusing sitting up. Nika recommends preserving the diffuser three to 5 inches away from the hair, transferring the dryer in a round movement across the space of the hair with out touching the hair throughout this step.
“As soon as you are feeling that issues are beginning to really feel a bit of bit drier, you’ll discover the hair beginning to get fuller,” says Rogue. “That is when you can begin doing the shake-out movement. The shake-out is once you flip your head over and actually get in there together with your diffuser and begin shaking out your hair. That is going to start out selling quantity from beneath the nape of the neck.”
Diffuse the Size of Your Hair
As soon as you are feeling the roots to the midsection of the hair are absolutely dried, you’ll be able to flip your hair again upright and proceed to diffuse. Rogue says you may wish to begin cupping your hair into your diffuser and transferring your diffuser in an upward movement whereas tilting the pinnacle backward and forward. That is the basic diffusing approach you’ll have seen on social media, but it surely’s essential to not dry the ends of your hair earlier than the roots and midsection of the hair have dried; the ends will dry the quickest and can shortly frizz if over-dried. You may know when your curls are dry when your chosen hair product has shaped a forged over your curls. This implies they are going to be barely crunchy to the contact, however we’ll tackle that within the subsequent step.
Scrunch and Set Your Curls
As soon as the hair has absolutely dried, there may be nonetheless one step left: scrunching to interrupt the forged. Begin by shaking your head to loosen your roots, then start to scrunch your hair. Nika explains that the easiest way to scrunch is opening your palms to carry the hair from the ends bringing it up towards the foundation, and at last squeezing your complete size of the hair on the root to interrupt the forged.
“As soon as these steps are accomplished, that is the place the enjoyable half begins. Now you can actually personalize your curl placement relying on the way you wish to have them lay,” says Rogue. “I typically wish to go in once more and spray some light-hold hairspray; it simply helps so as to add further definition to the curls and lock within the model.”
Ultimately, your outcomes are going to fluctuate relying on the kind and texture of your hair and the merchandise that you choose. However general, diffusing can tremendously enhance your curl definition—and lower drying time by greater than half. Diffusing is the important thing to constant, wholesome, and outlined curls.
