Table Of Content
- Prepare the Hair for Diffusing
- GAMA Professional IQ2 Perfetto Hair Dryer
- Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Pop-Up Silicone Curl Diffuser, $23
- Should you be diffusing your hair? Stylists weigh in on the right way to do it
- Don't be afraid use a little product if you have some flyaways
- What Breathwork Can Address
If you have wavy/curly hair, you wouldn't prep or diffuse your strands the same way as someone who has coily hair. "When diffusing coily hair, I like to twist hair before diffusing," says Rubenstein. "It helps the curls not to separate and really show off the individual curls. [For] wavy hair, I like to comb, scrunch, and diffuse." According to celebrity hairstylist Joel James, a cool shot button is a must to prevent burning and to lock your style in place. "The cool shot button feature is what keeps the hair at a good temperature, even when you've been using a hot setting." It's best to use the cool shot button when your hair needs to be cooled down. For example, if you're drying your hair with a heat setting, use the cool shot button as a final step to cool everything down and set it in place.
Prepare the Hair for Diffusing
And truly, there's nothing wrong with finding your own way to use the tool, but for those of us who appreciate step-by-step guidance, below I'll explain how the pros suggest using it. You don’t want to continually reposition the diffuser, because this might make it more scary. Just focus on one region, get as dry as you like, then go into the next section.
GAMA Professional IQ2 Perfetto Hair Dryer
“Cup your hair into the diffuser, starting first at the root, as that's the area that will take the longest to dry,” Homan said. She recommends repeating this process all over your head for approximately five minutes, finding a new spot on your scalp about every 30 seconds. It’s best to dry your hair completely before leaving the house so that the humid air outside doesn’t create frizz as it’s drying. Also, it's incredibly important to keep the speed and heat level as low as possible.
Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Pop-Up Silicone Curl Diffuser, $23
Reslan also swears by Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Hair Serum by The INKEY List ($10, theinkeylist.com), which is supposed to help with moisture retention and minimizing frizz. "It's super lightweight and only requires a few drops to prep your hair for your favorite curling cream or nothing at all," she explains. “Diffusers are a curly girl's best friend, as long as you know how to use them,” says Vaccaro. With a super chic vortex design that helps to control airflow and a matte caramel colorway, the Pattern’s good looks are only the beginning of its story as a curl-enhancing hot tool.
22 of the Best Hair Dryers to Take Your Blowout to the Next Level - Vogue
22 of the Best Hair Dryers to Take Your Blowout to the Next Level.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Dos and Donts When Diffusing
No matter how strong your arms are, the Instyler Blu Turbo Ionic Hair Dryer feels lightweight in your hands and makes blow drying the top of your head a painless process. While our wavy hair did receive the results we set out to achieve (a straight blowout without the need for a follow-up tool), our coily hair still needed a second tool to straighten the ends. The wide-tooth comb wasn't particularly useful for drying our kinky hair, not completely drying it and leaving the ends puffy. This hair dryer may not have all the bells and whistles of the fancier (and pricier) options on this list, but it gets the job done beautifully. We found this dryer to be one of the most powerful we’ve ever tested and were shocked that it dried our thick, wavy hair in less than 10 minutes.
"Try and focus on one section at a time before moving on to the next," she explains. "[Constantly moving the diffuser] can cause hair to frizz and the curls look less consistent." Equipped with one of the longest nozzle attachments we tested meant that we could direct heat in specific sections.
The concentrator includes a dial to toggle between wide and narrow airflow, and users can rotate the attachment itself to ensure that the airflow is always in line with a brush while blowing out hair. A diffuser is also available, although it's sold separately, which was disappointing. All that said, the quality of the blowout rendered by the INFINITIPRO makes it the top choice on our list for those looking to bust frizz, whether in a straight blowout or a curly ‘do. It comes with a concentrator and a diffuser, too, making the process even easier.
Now that we know why the diffuser is a go-to for textured hair, you're probably wondering if it's really necessary in the styling process. You see, those large spikes in the attachment change the airflow from the blow dryer from being direct and aggressive when using a traditional nozzle to being slow and steady. And that's the golden ticket to blow-dried curls without frizz and flyaways. "The attachment has dozens of tiny holes for the air to escape, so it's not as direct, like that of a nozzle," says brand celebrity hairstylist Marcus Francis, brand ambassador for BetterNatured. "The restricted hair from the dryer allows it to focus more on letting the heat come out." It's basically a sped-up version of air-drying with a few added perks like super-defined and soft ringlets in a quarter of the time. Diffusing the hair doesn't interfere with the curl pattern or shape but simply allows the slow and steady airflow to dry the hair evenly.
Bumble & bumble. Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer
Once you’ve done this, try your best not to touch your hair throughout the day so as not to cause extra frizz. In addition to drying time, you maximize the volume of your waves, giving the illusion of thicker, fuller hair. Some have complained that they experience a lot of frizz when they diffuse, and that could be due to using the diffuser incorrectly.
Balancing a hair dryer in one hand — while using your fingers to maneuver the different modes — and using a styling brush in another is no easy feat, but with this Hot Tools dryer, the whole process is simple. Although the dryer is equipped with three heat settings and two speed settings, toggling back and forth between the different modes is straightforward, thanks to the grooves in the center of each switch. In addition to being incredibly lightweight, the blow dryer has some pretty unique settings. Despite having two settings (hot and cool), we wanted more heat settings, especially a medium option, for a more customizable drying experience.
In order to give each curl your desired shape, twirl wet hair in place around your finger — doing this will ensure that the curls hold their shape and look polished. The experts have spoken, and these are the products they say will help you achieve smooth, full, bouncy curls. Francis suggests cranking up the heat and turning down the airspeed.
Our best overall pick, Gama IQ2 Perfetto, has 2000, Dyson Supersonic taps out at 1600 and SRI DryQ Hair Dryer (great for travel) has 1300. If you have textured or long, thick hair, you may want to opt for a hair dryer with a higher wattage, fine, thinning, or short hair can get away with lower. “A higher wattage hair dryer will typically be more powerful and dry your hair faster,” explains Uehara.
The right cocktail of hair products and hair tools can make life so much easier. Rogue recommends applying the desired product throughout the hair from the roots to the ends. Since curly hair tends to be on the dryer side, it needs products with protein, moisture, and hydrating elements, says Rubenstein.
If you’re going to flip over, she recommends getting the ends of the hair somewhat dry first before doing so. Burnside likes this diffuser for both professionals and the everyday consumer. It attaches to any blow dryer and can easily be packed away due to its soft mesh material.