How to style your hair with a diffuser: rules of use and selection of attachments

What it is

The nozzle consists of teeth located on a flat circle with a diameter of up to 10 cm. They come in different sizes, solid or hollow, sparse or frequent, follow the contour of the head or are positioned evenly.

Styling with a diffuser does not injure the hair structure and does not burn the scalp. A special design, where there are special holes on the base disk and teeth, allows the air stream to disperse. Thanks to this, the drying process is safe, which allows you to use the nozzle more often.

How does a diffuser work?

A diffuser is a large round plastic nozzle in the form of a disk, equipped with holes for air outlet, as well as plastic “fingers - spikes” of various heights: small for short hair, and large for long hair, evenly distributed over the entire inner surface. Often such “fingers” have additional holes for an air stream. The way the disk works is reminiscent of a cyclonic vacuum cleaner.

This device is ideal for effective use during frequent hair washing and performs the following important functions when styling hair:

thanks to evenly spaced holes, the air stream disperses and does not burn the strands;
Great for adding volume to thin hair;
It straightens curly hair better than many other hair dryer attachments;
has a gentle effect on the hair without damaging its structure;
The drying process is twice as fast due to the large size of the disc.

How to choose a diffuser and what to look for

There are many model options, and each is designed for a specific hair type and styling:

The nozzle with a wide platform is designed for short haircuts, as it allows you to dry your curls “without ripples.”
The model with hollow teeth and small holes is designed to obtain maximum root volume.
For medium length, short cloves are ideal.

Those with curly hair can achieve tight curls with this model. But for long strands, such an attachment is not suitable, since creases form during styling.
Rounded teeth with support in the form of pillows gently dry hair along the entire length;
The Supervolume model will create voluminous curls on thin curls.
The diffuser-comb is designed not for curling, but for straightening.
The attachment with long and straight teeth is designed for long hair that is naturally straight. The nozzle will help create root volume and make a light wave.
For thick and long hair, you need a model with solid teeth with an absolutely smooth surface.

Design and functionality of the diffuser

A diffuser is a large, round hair dryer attachment that has plastic spikes and holes through which air flows.

Different types of attachments differ in the number of holes and the height of the spikes and are designed to work with hair of different lengths.

The action of the diffuser is based on the operating principles of a hair dryer. Warm air supplied through the holes of the nozzle has a gentle effect on the curls, and its spikes help hold the hair in a certain position.

A diffuser is an alternative to salon styling. Of course, the result is simpler, but it’s free and without visiting a beauty salon. If you want to get maximum results at home, then you need to go to professional hair styling at least several times. You will see the sequence of the master’s work and techniques - such experience is irreplaceable. Where can I go? Where good stylists work. Having looked at the descriptions of services among hairdressing salons, I liked this page on styling - the first impressions are very positive. If you visit several masters, you can take something from the experience of each. Go for it!

A hair dryer with a diffuser attachment can perform the following functions:

Drying hair. With the help of a large disc, hair dries 2 times faster. At the same time, the curls do not dry out, since the air jets disperse and do not directly affect the hair follicles;
Laying. Straight curls can be curled using a diffuser, and curly ones, on the contrary, can be straightened. Adding volume. The attachment is especially convenient when working with fine hair;
Massage. Light circular movements of the spikes on the surface of the head help improve blood circulation and nutrition of the hair follicle, and thus stimulate hair growth.

In the photo: the diffuser is very easy to use.

The type of diffuser nozzle is determined by its functionality. The main parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing a nozzle are its diameter, length, frequency and thickness of the spikes.

Important read: Elegant and simple hair styling for every day

The diameter of the diffuser disc can be small, or it can reach 15 cm. The higher this figure, the larger the area of the head that can be treated with a hairdryer at a time.

This point should be taken into account when choosing a diffuser for thick and long hair.

The height of the spikes of the nozzle is determined based on the length of the curls.

An attachment with high spikes is easier to handle long hair, while short spikes are easier to handle thin or curly hair of short length.

To dry or style thick, medium-length curls, use an attachment with smooth, medium-length spikes.

If your hair is thin, weak and prone to breakage, you can use an attachment with thick, sparsely spaced spikes.

Otherwise, you may miss a few strands that get tangled in the frequent thin fingers of the diffuser.

Recently, another type of diffuser nozzle with very long spikes has appeared.

Their use along with voluminous styling allows you to smooth out the ends of your hair.

In the photo: types of diffuser attachments for hair dryers.

Proper Use

We figured out how to choose a nozzle. Now let's move on to the main thing - styling with a diffuser.

First you need to wash your hair well and lightly dry it naturally, that is, without using a hair dryer. Afterwards, be sure to apply any of the following styling products:

foam;
gel;
mousse;
milk;
spray.

You need to dry your hair by dividing it in two. It is recommended to pin the upper part so that during the process it does not interfere with the installation of the lower part. Next, you need to take the diffuser in your working hand and place small strands of hair on the cloves one by one, and press the nozzle itself tightly to your head. For more volume and pleasure, you can make light circular massage movements. An incredible result can be obtained if you tilt your head in different directions while drying.

If you have thin hair, then styling with a diffuser should be done in the first mode. The finished result is secured by applying a cold stream of air.

To get bouncy curls, just use a hair dryer from bottom to top. After achieving the desired result, the desired hairstyle is formed from the hair and fixed with varnish.

Advantages and disadvantages

No analysis of a technique is complete without a review of its pros and cons in use. Styling your hair with a diffuser has a number of advantages, so let's start with them:

Quickly and gently dries curls.
A diffuser is a universal attachment that not only curls, but also straightens hair. It can also be used to achieve maximum root volume.
Hair dryers that include a diffuser attachment are usually distinguished by their quality and compliance with safety standards. Therefore, they will serve for a long time.
Drying with a diffuser is much more gentle than drying with a hairdryer.

According to customer reviews, two shortcomings were found:

Overpriced. Many people prefer to purchase a nozzle in a set with a hairdryer. Such sets are not cheap, so few can afford the purchase.
Styling with a diffuser requires skill and dexterity, as the hair gets tangled in the process, which complicates the process of creating a hairstyle.

Styling short hair with a diffuser

Algorithm of actions:

Wash your hair well, dry it slightly with a towel, and apply styling product to damp curls.
You can use a heat protection spray. Ruffle your hair with your hands.
It is necessary to lay the strands in the direction from bottom to top, and be sure to help lift them at the roots with your hands. Particular attention should be paid to the occipital area and the area at the temples.
When drying is complete, turn off the diffuser.

Styling short curls is the fastest and easiest process. At the end, you can direct a stream of cold air onto your head or fix your hair with hairspray.

Styling with a diffuser on medium hair

Algorithm of actions for giving long curls volume and creating sloppy curls:

Wash your hair using conditioner and dry slightly naturally. It is good to comb wet curls so that they do not get tangled during the styling process.
Prepare the following mixture from styling and protective products: squeeze a small amount of serum into your palm and mix it with mousse, gel or lotion for fixation. Rub the resulting mixture between your palms and apply evenly to the roots and along the entire length of the hair to facilitate the styling process.
Then form small strands from the curls and twist them into spirals.
Hair drying occurs in the standard way: from bottom to top. It is recommended to start from the back of the head, gradually moving to the front strands.
Styling with a diffuser (medium and long hair needs this step) is completed with the supply of cold air. This is done not only to fix the result, but also to “smooth” the scales.
If desired, you can spray the finished hairstyle with hairspray.

Features of drying curls with a diffuser

According to experts, a diffuser is an ideal tool for drying medium and long hair.

The longer the curls, the more difficult it is to manage them, so using a diffuser will come in handy.

To dry your curls after washing your hair, you need to pat them dry with a towel, then apply a little styling mousse and spread it over the surface of your hair with your fingers.

For medium curls you will need a portion of mousse the size of an apricot, and for long curls - the size of an apple.

Before starting the drying process, the curls are divided into strands. After this, each strand is placed in a diffuser nozzle, lifted up and pressed to the head. Now you can turn on the hairdryer.

During the drying process, you do not need to specifically rotate the hairdryer, but you can make minor circular or pulsating movements.

Video:

Drying begins, as a rule, from the back of the head. Then they gradually move to the temples and finish in the area of the roots of the upper part of the head and bangs.

For very dense curls, it is recommended to perform the procedure twice and reapply the styling product.

Curls dried in this way are slightly curly and voluminous. The result can be used both as an independent hairstyle and as a basis for creating a more complex shape.

Long curls are dried one at a time, collecting them with an accordion so that the strand can fit completely into the diffuser.

As it dries, the strand will gradually disintegrate and acquire the desired wavy shape.

Important read: Cute styles for medium hair 2015-16

To fix the result, the curls can be sprayed with varnish. But you shouldn’t comb your curls after using a diffuser.

It's even easier to dry short and medium-sized curls using a diffuser attachment. Just lightly ruffle the roots and then apply styling product.

You can diversify your hairstyle by treating the ends of your hair with wax and combing it with a comb.

Video:

When working with thin hair, it is important to maintain low temperature conditions.

In this case, the hair dryer is positioned at a right angle to the head, and the strands are twisted only clockwise. The result is secured with cold blowing.

We suggest watching the process of drying curls using a diffuser in the following video.

Styling curly hair with a diffuser

Algorithm of actions for curly curls:

Comb thoroughly washed and slightly dried but damp hair.
Apply gel, mousse or spray a thermal protectant onto the strands.
Take the hair dryer with the attached nozzle in your working hand and, directing the air stream from bottom to top, dry your hair. The head can be tilted down or to the side. To speed up the process, you need to lightly ruffle the curls at the roots to get additional volume. For convenience, position the diffuser surface at a right angle to your head.

During the process, the device must be rotated slightly, brought closer and further away from the head. Such manipulations will help the hair curl into the cloves.
To highlight some strands, you can apply mousse to them separately.
Upon completion of the process, turn off the device and fix the result with varnish.

How to do this hairstyle

Laying with a diffuser, the video of which we offer to watch right now, may seem like a complicated process only after visual acquaintance with it. But after the first tests of working with this device, you will simply fall in love with this procedure and the result after its implementation.

So, first you need to rinse your hair well and dry it a little with a towel.
Then lightly spray the strands along the entire length with a spray and spread gel or mousse over them.
After this, you need to keep your head tilted forward or to the side. The hairdryer should be installed at a right angle to the head. It must be directed so that during drying each strand is wound around the fingers of the diffuser. In this case, the device must be either brought closer to the head or removed to the ends of the hair. The result is a kind of springy movement.
If the curls are almost completely dry, then the hair can be distributed into separate small strands and sprinkled with a small amount of hairspray at the roots. An additional amount of fixing agent must be applied to the ends of some of the curls and dried again. To do this, the diffuser is turned on and the strands are dried completely using similar movements.
All that remains is to form the hairstyle with your hands and fix it with varnish or spray.

On topic: Simple hairstyle in three minutes

Wash your hair and apply styling mousse

Dry your hair with a diffuser, lightly pressing it. The installation is ready

To style naturally curly hair or hair that has been permed, you need to do the following:

Hair should be washed and lightly dried with a towel. Spray the spray onto the strands and start styling your hair using a diffuser. Drying should be done from bottom to top. The hair is handled by hand and separated using the fingers of the diffuser.
To obtain the best volume, during styling, gently ruffle the strands from the roots with light hand movements, slightly lifting the curls. These steps will help your hair sit vertically and give it more fullness.
After this, it is advisable to fix the hairstyle with varnish, the stream of which should be directed from below, but no closer than 35 centimeters. The hair is dried with a diffuser, and ruffling movements of the hands are again made, but with less intensity. This hairstyle lasts for a long time. You can even update it by rubbing some mousse into your strands to give them a curly shape.

Laying with a diffuser

on short hair it is done in a similar way.

Wet and slightly dried hair is covered with a small amount of gel or foam. The styling product must be evenly distributed over the entire length of the hair. But you need to start drying them from the roots. After this, a little wax is applied to the curls, it is evenly distributed throughout the hair, and the hairstyle is fluffed up at the temples and at the back of the head.
Another method: gel or foam is applied to hair that is still damp after washing, the hair is dried with a diffuser and combed with a rare comb with wooden teeth. This way, you can distribute the hair and divide it into small individual strands.

By the way, the prevailing opinion regarding the detrimental effect on the structure and general condition of hair when drying it with a hairdryer does not apply to a diffuser. After all, when styling with this nozzle, the heated air is distributed evenly throughout all the hair, without causing any harm to it.

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Recommendations for using the diffuser

For fine hair:

in order not to injure already weak strands, it is advisable to dry at a minimum temperature;
start styling from the roots;
It is recommended to hold the diffuser at an angle of 90 degrees to make the hair more voluminous.

To straighten unruly, curly hair:

Treat slightly naturally dried hair with a heat protectant;
during straightening, the air stream should be supplied from top to bottom, and the teeth of the nozzle should be pressed tightly against the head;
At the end of the process, to record the result, be sure to turn on cold drying for a few seconds.

Just follow the instructions, be patient, and even at home you can get the effect of wet hair no worse than experienced stylists do.