For those who haven’t used one, a blow dryer diffuser is a very simple device that clips onto the end of a standard blow dryer. It is primarily used to assist in drying wavy and curly hair. People with less curly or absolutely straight hair can still use a diffuser, but the benefits of one certainly show when used on curly and wavy hair.
Using a blow dryer hair diffuser attachment is necessary when drying existing curls in the hair. Commonly called a finger
diffuser, this diffuser has prongs or finger joints in a circular pattern and works by gently placing streams of warm air throughout the curls, once placed on the scalp. Although the hair may take slightly longer to dry, at least it is not being blown all over the place as it would with just a hair dryer with no diffuser. The finger diffuser avoids having to break the curls up, which, if this happened, would give a frizzed look. This diffuser is one of the more popular attachments.
To achieve shape to wavy hair, start by making your hair flop forwards towards your knees and with the finger diffuser at the roots, move it down the hair from the scalp in a circular motion.
Using a diffuser hair dryer has definite advantages and gives a better result for our hair. There are many ways that a hair dryer diffuser can do this. It is definitely gentler on our hair. The way it does this is by distributing the heat and air very evenly over our hair so that there is no direct blast of heat in any one area, causing unnecessary dryness. With the speed of the blow dryer diffuser set to only number 1, the best way to use this is to start at the
roots of the hair and use a repetitive circular motion and moving down to the tips of the hair. It is always best to keep the dryer at about 90 degree angles from the scalp. This has the effect of lifting the hair from the scalp and this is what provides the much needed volume. The best shaped hair diffuser to use for this effect is the large funnel shape which has the ability to spread the heat over a greater area. Another diffuser shape has a more narrow opening and can provide a concentrated stream of warm air to a smaller area.
Using both types and experimenting with a hair dryer diffuser and seeing the outcomes of each, is the best way to learn what each diffuser can achieve, and which one suit your particular hair type and style. This way, you can work your own hair to its best advantage, whilst giving yourself a variety of styles that you can mix and match to suit the occasion.
Obviously experimenting on someone else’s hair gives a firsthand view of what the diffuser is doing with the style. Salons normally use a hair dryer diffuser to good effect by including a round hair brush and rolling the hair around this, from the tips to the roots, then holding the funnel shaped diffuser against the brush whilst unrolling it. This provides a very even distribution of warm air against the hair and can dry the hair in about 5 minutes. Without using this method, the hair may become dry in patches and remain wet in others.
Hair diffusers are a standard piece of equipment in most modern salons. Back in the 90’s diffusers were included when one purchased a standard hair dryer. But this was phased out and now it is necessary to purchase a hair dryer diffuser separately. But once the benefits are understood, and the techniques on how to use a blow dryer diffuser are understood, it becomes an absolute necessity for any person’s grooming regime.