A diffuser is an attachment that goes on the end of your hairdryer.
It diffuses the air as it come out so that you no longer get a blast of air on your hair, but rather it spreads softly through your hair. Diffusers are mainly used to style curly hair as it lets your dry your curly quickly without disturbing their natural shape.
There are two main types of diffusers. The round plastic attachments, as shown in the photos, which are custom made for a particular hairdryer model or you can buy a plastic universal diffuser that fits most hairdryers.
The other type of diffuser available is called a sock diffuser. This is made of a fine heat resistant mesh and fits like a loose sock on the end of your hairdryer nozzle. The sock diffuser is great for travelling as it is very small and easy to pack. (It also won’t freak out the guys as customs like my plastic diffuser does!) It’s also the only option for hairdryers that do not fit a universal diffuser, such as the ghd aura. The ghd air now comes with a diffuser.
How do you use a diffuser?
If you’re blowdrying curly hair you MUST use a diffuser.
Without it, the dryer is too strong and will blow your curls out of shape and cause them to frizz.
When using a diffuser, always set your hairdryer on a medium speed to avoid it overheating. Keep your dryer moving so that the air distributes evenly through your hair.
Check my full post for tips on how to style curly hair, and always start to use a diffuser with your head upside down. Let your curls fall into their natural shape and them bring your dryer up into your hair to dry it.
Drying your hair upside down with a diffuser will give your hair a LOT of volume. Don’t worry, this will settle down in a few minutes and give your curls a great shape.
Shop my faves
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1649620″]
Do you use a diffuser to dry your curls?
PS. Have you heard about my new curly hair ebook?
Inspired by your questions and tutorial requests, the 30 Days of Curly Hairstyles tells you everything you need to style fabulous curls every day.
Master your frizz and create beautiful hairstyles for any occasion without straightening your hair. This ebook makes your mornings easier.
Click here to get your copy of 30 Days of Curly Hairstyles now!
I just got a perm on my long hair. It is not very curly it’s more it mostly one length all the way down. Put layers in would it help curl and less frizz or kink in my hair
Is it ok if we don’t use a diffuser? Because I like my hair straight after I blowdry it.
Sure! This method is only for curly hair 🙂
I have wavy but predominately frizzy hair. I wash my hair with cold water, squeez excess water out and keep a cotton shirt on it while I move out of the washroom. I then apply bio silk and mousse my hair upside down and upright being that it needs the extra frizz control. I tried to use a diffuser after applying mousse but all that resulted in was frizz all on my crown and it was horrible! Any suggestions on how to make it work? I do not want to air dry in the winter!!!
Hi Anisha, use your hairdryer and diffuer on high heat but low fan speed. You want to dry your hair but not blow it around. The more you move your hair as you’re drying your hair, the more frizz you create. Hope this helps x
Hey, could you recommend a universal diffuser I could put on my Remington hair dryer, please? Not sure where to look for one.
Hi Akvile, try either this one – http://bit.ly/1CR0LzX or this one – http://bit.ly/19mXjkx 🙂
Hi there, I have long thick hair with a slight kink in it. I have a Label M Magic Diffuser with adjustable air flow. Is more or less air flow better for wavy hair? Thank you.
Hey@ I have 50% grey hair with a good wave that is getting increasingly frizzy. Do you think a diffuser would help? Thanks!
Hi Misha, grey hair changes the texture of your hair so that’s why it’s frizzy. Use a deep conditioning treatment and use a smoothing serum to tame the frizz in dry hair.
Hello :))
I have a 3b curly spirally hair and I have been avoiding heat for years now because it absolutely destroys my hair. The question is could the heat coming from the diffuser be as much damaging?..Can I use the diffuser almost daily? Won’t it cause heat damage to the hair?.I also have another question that is unrelated to the subject: as I mentioned before I am a 3b, if I cut my hair, what kind of layers should I have in your opinion?….Thank you a lottt :)))
Hi Mary, yes a diffuser is still heat but it’s gentler than directly blowdrying your hair. If your hair is affected by heat though I would be careful about how much styling you do. You shouldn’t need to use it daily as you only use it when you wash your hair. With 3b curls you normally don’t need to wash your hair every day. As for layers, rounded long layers work well but talk to your hairdresser to customise the cut to your face shape and curls. Christina x
Hi there! I have naturally thick, curly hair. I always style it wet and let it air dry. I towel dry it a little to where it’s not still dripping then I brush it and add mouse with my hair upside down then I flip it over and apply more mouse, so it’s even throughout. I then flip my hair back over and scrunch it. As it is drying I’ll sometime occasionally scruch here and there. Not always, but sometimes my roots will look flat and just blah but the rest will be perfect. Any suggestions?
Try switching your part as your hair dries Rebecca, it can help create more volume at your roots
Hi,
I have just had an old hairdryer die on me & wanted to know if there was one in particular you would recommend to buy for curly hair as I want a good one with a diffuser but I am not sure what brand to get & I dont want to spend a fortune either. Any good advice on this.
Thanks
Sheree
Hi Sheree, I love the Parlux dryer and diffuser, and I had my previous one for 10 years. Though if you don’t want to spend that much, this Wahl dryer is excellent value.
I just bought a conair diffuser to put on my conair blow dryer. Supposed to be a universal one but it won’t stay on. Any ideas?
Hi Veronica, they have a lot of different models so maybe it’s not the right fit for your one? One size doesn’t necessarily fit all unfortunately. I’d contact Conair to check your model.
if your hair isn’t naturally Curley but has a little bit of wave in it, can I still use the diffuser to gain Curley hair?
Hi, it will only encourage the natural wave in your hair. If you want defined curls you’ll need to use a curling wand x
My curls don’t normally react well to blowdriers, they get quite frizzy, so I try to avoid it. But now it’s winter here and I need to get at least my scalp dry when I come from my swimming lessons in order to avoid catching a cold, so I normally only blow dry the roots/scalp area, yet I still get a lot of frizziness (I come out of the gym looking like an eighties rock star). Any tips on how to dry that specific area?
BTW I have just discovered you blog and I love it, being the hair junkie that I am. Your posts on curly hair are so useful! Keep up the good work!
xoxo
Thank you!! Do you use a diffuser? This makes it easier to just dry the roots. Use it on low-medium as the slower the hair dries, the less frizz is created. I also use a curl cream when I blowdry my hair which helps reduce frizz by moisturising my hair. Hope this helps! x
What kind of hair products should you use before and after diffusing your hair?
it depends on your curls really, but I use a curl cream and heat protectant before and then a serum/oil after
So glad to read that I’ve been diffusing my hair correctly all these years and that I’m not crazy! My diffuser is like the one in the picture, I love it!
Thanks Michelle! I can’t live without my diffuser xx
I recently bought a 3 in 1 diffuser, I know how to use the finger diffuser but no idea of what are the soft finger and air diffusers for or how to use them. Any guidance would be highly appreciated!
Great product is a must for any diffuser i swear by Paul mitche
Gel & Kenra products they work great on my naturally curly hair along with my diffuser
Thanks for the tips Samantha!
I pretty much always use a diffuser on my lazy curls. I have several different types (bowl, finger and a ‘deva-fuser’). I usually use the ‘pixie curl’ technique for drying, basically I scrunch up my curls into the diffuser turn the hairdryer on, and hold for abit then turn it off. I then move onto another area of hair. I tend to get better curls, when I diffuse.
The diffuser is my secret to awesome lazy curls too! Thanks for sharing your tips X
I have never understood how to use a diffuser and I think I might have to give it a try. I avoid my hairdryer because it always makes my hair go really frizzy and while I wouldn’t say I have curly hair it definitely isn’t straight. Maybe a diffuser is what I have needed?
A diffuser will enhance any natural wave you have, but it won’t completely eliminate frizz. I’d give it a try. They are really inexpensive and a such a useful addition to your hairdryer. Let me know how you go! X
Hi there, wanted to add my 2c worth on diffusing! I diffuse my very curly, thick, frizz-prone hair most days, especially in winter. I have tried lots of types of diffusers and many techniques and, at least for me, there is one combo that wins hands down.
First, the bigger the diffuser the better. Mine is at least 20cm wide with big fingers – it is irreplaceable! I got it for free with a cheap hairdryer 10 years ago and have put it on every dryer since. I have tried others but the small ones just don’t work well on thick hair, and take so long! They don’t allow enough air circulation.
Second, tip your head upside down/to the side and gently push the diffuser up towards the scalp. Hold it there a good while. You can move around and come back, but if you are constantly going up/down/up/down like so many people recommend you are just going to end up with a hot mess. The less you touch your curly hair with your hands, the better. Same applies with the diffuser. Keep it in place, at an appropriate heat and speed, until you are most of the way there. It dries surprisingly quickly if you keep it relatively still.
Last, keep your head upside down for a minute or so until it cools down and ‘sets’. If you tip your head up straight away, the weight of the still-warm hair will drag it down at the scalp. Oh, and don’t dry it to the bone! Leave it the tiniest bit damp so as to not frazzle it in the long term. Once almost dry, the rest will happen quickly on its own.
I could go on all day… but I’ll spare you!
FANTASTIC tips Amy! Thank you so much for sharing them. Feel free to go on, I could talk hair all day x
Thank you for the back-to-basics tips! Things I think I should know, I’m totally clueless about! Thanks!!!!!
Thanks David!