How you dry your curls is how they will be. For almost 2 years, I have tried different options for drying my hair. I thought about this post a long time ago, almost a year ago, but, as they say, the longer the aging, the nobler the drink. For almost a year and a half I dried my curls naturally. At the same time, I tried to do some magic with different drying devices and an old hair dryer brush. This June I got a real hair dryer with a diffuser. And yes, the way you dry your curls greatly affects your curl pattern. In order not to get confused in drying methods, I will divide the post into several parts, based on the method. At the end of the post there will be statistical information with an interpretation of my survey of Instagram subscribers.
For ease of understanding the information and my conclusions, I’ll tell you about my hair.
Highly porous, dry Curly, curl type 2b-3a The hair itself is of medium thickness
I practiced all the methods of drying curls for a long time, but for the post I used them all sequentially with the same set of care products for the purity of the experiment:
- DevaCurl No-Poo Original bucket
- VIESO Mask for hair and scalp relaxing Perilla
- Alter Ego Miracle Repair Conditioning Cream
- DevaCurl Styling Cream
- Ecoslay Orange Marmalade
- Cantu Moisturizing Twist & lock gel
The application technique and styling portion sizes were identical.
Natural drying
This method is the most familiar to most curly haired people. What exactly is required for such drying? Never mind.
Technology After styling, simply leave your hair as it is and wait until it air-dries completely.
Even the most ardent supporters of everything natural for curls will approve of it, because it cannot harm the hair at all. There is no heating, no blowing either.
But I refused it. Why? Even when I have free time, I arm myself with a hairdryer. The fact is that my curl is quite flaccid, delicate and at the slightest opportunity, when drying, it stretches or disappears altogether.
And I'm not even talking about the appearance of the tips, they just hang like sticks, without curling into rings.
And one more important point that finally turned me away from natural drying was time. When I didn’t apply gel to my hair, but used cream, drying was much faster. When drying curls with gel, a crust forms, through which the moisture evaporates with great difficulty. And this significantly increases the drying time. By the way, with the gel my hair can dry for up to 5 hours. Imagine drying that much every other day? And in winter?
And my results with this drying method.
- The curls are stretched, the curl has turned into a light wave
- The tips are not curled
- Root volume and length volume have almost disappeared
conclusions
Pros Completely free The most “ecologically friendly” and natural method, accepted even by the most ardent adherents of orthodox kgm (no thermal effects, curls do not dry out, etc.) Most often, with such drying there is less fluff
Cons Requires too much time If the hair is long, the drying time is simply enormous Curls stretch under its own weight It is difficult to curl the ends additionally The root volume is lost Styling can get on the scalp in large quantities if applied to the root zone
Drying through a sieve
As soon as I had the idea of blow drying my hair, I armed myself with a sieve.
And what? This is the most affordable and easiest way to replace a diffuser. I already had a sieve and didn’t spend any extra money. By the way, which sieve is right for us? I have several of them. And definitely not plastic, because... The holes in it, as a rule, are very small and located at the bottom. This means that the air flow will penetrate weakly and only from one side. And there is no point in such drying.
There are metal sieves made of thin wire. They have holes on all sides. In truth, they consist entirely of holes. This option suits us just fine (not without reservations, of course).
Technology After applying the styling, you need to place the curls in a sieve in strands and dry them with a hairdryer. You need to imitate all-round airflow on your own - just rotate the hairdryer around the sieve from different sides. The sieve should not move so as not to disturb the hair. You need to act carefully.
It would seem that this is the most affordable way to dry curls, what else is needed for happiness? But in fact, in addition to the advantages, this method has disadvantages.
So it’s completely unclear how to dry the roots. To get the hair fixed in the sieve, we press it as close as possible to the head. If the sieve is moved further from the head to dry the roots, then the air flow instantly fluffs up the hair and all our efforts are in vain. I tried many times and there was always a lot of fluff.
I also ran into one problem. The longer and thicker the hair, the more difficult it is to dry it inside. Imagine you put a strand in a sieve. The air entering through the sieve blows onto the outer layers of the strand. And the strand doesn’t dry out inside! Of course, you can divide the strands into smaller ones, but how long will such drying take?
And let's not forget that it is better to dry in a sieve, tilting your head down and to the sides. How long will you have to stand in this position?
Here are my drying results.
The curls are very uneven, because... some of the strands were well dried, some were not. There is more fluff. In general, the curls are curled along the length and at the ends
conclusions
Pros Does not require investment, every kitchen has a sieve
Cons The hair in the center of the sieve does not dry well It is difficult to dry the roots A metal sieve can overheat and damage the hair, even if you use warm air (that’s why diffusers are always made of plastic) If the hair dryer is powerful, then even on the minimum setting speed, the hair in the sieve may become disheveled (especially if it is not very thick)
Selecting a nozzle model
It is necessary to select a diffuser depending on the type, structure and length of the strands, so you need to pay attention to the following points:
Nozzle diameter. Models of various diameters are available for sale, up to 15 cm. The larger the diameter, the larger part of the head is covered with a diffuser and the easier and faster it is to dry the entire head. This point is important for long thick hair. Length of spikes. The longer the “fingers” that the nozzle has, the greater the density of strands that can be controlled by this device when styling. Short spikes are most suitable for thin and short hair, because if the “fingers” are too long, then the short strands will not be processed as they should. Accordingly, and vice versa
Therefore, be sure to pay attention to this point when choosing a model. Frequency and thickness of spines. Some models have thin “fingers”, and they are located so often that there are practically no options to get through thick strands
In addition, this is a big risk for weakened, tangled and brittle hair, because you can lose a good part of it when processing with such a model. Thick and more sparsely spaced spines are less problematic and will not rip out hair by the roots. Moreover, it is much easier to comb and dry your hair when wet. Pay attention to these points by choosing the right thickness and location of the teeth of the hair dryer nozzle for your hair in order to use the device correctly and dry it well for a presentable appearance.
In order to create a variety of hairstyles with a diffuser, you need to know how to use it in a particular case.
Drying with Freddy Krueger's hand diffuser
A year ago I purchased a replica of the DevaCurl hand diffuser. After watching the videos of Lorraine Massey's followers, I decided that I couldn't live without this diffuser.
I tried to dry my hair with it, but I almost immediately felt uncomfortable doing it.
Why? The fact is that such a “paw” does not have sides that limit the hair when drying. Compared to a regular diffuser, when drying with this, hair falls out easily and you have to press it firmly against the scalp or hold it with your hands.
I think it also has to do with my hair type. If the hair is hard and has a curl of 3b, then no matter how you apply a diffuser, the hair will curl into a curl. Mine requires careful handling until it dries. Otherwise it will disappear
The only thing I really found this diffuser useful for was drying the root zone. Here he has no equal. The fingers and palm of the “paw” have a concave shape, making it convenient to apply to the head
Technology Carefully place a strand of curls on the diffuser paw. Press the diffuser to your head. You need to hold the hair with your other hand so that it does not fall out of the “paw”.
This is what my hair looks like after drying it with a paw diffuser.
The root volume is wonderful There is a little fluff Uneven curl formation The curl at the tips is not the same everywhere
Conclusion
Pros The most convenient use - in the root zone Easily forms root volume Suitable for tight curls from 3b and above
Cons It is difficult to carefully fit the entire strand onto the “paw” Due to the constant movement of the “paw” through the hair, a lot of fluff is formed Strands fall out of the “paw” and drying is delayed Since the shape of the diffuser is flat and air turbulences are not created inside, as in classic bowls, warm air instantly overheats the hair
Blow dry and palm dry
My hairdresser suggested this method to me several years ago.
It’s not surprising that the vast majority of hairdressers simply don’t have diffusers. And the hairdresser decided to style my hair in curls, without brushing it out, as usual. Her palm became the diffuser. Since then I have been practicing this technique periodically. The master placed a strand in it and dried it with a hairdryer, coming from different sides. To my surprise, my hair curled into tight curls!
Technology Carefully place the strand with styling in the palm of your hand. Dry your hair with a stream of air, constantly and quickly changing the position of the hair dryer so as not to overheat your hair. After drying one strand, gently lower your palm and let the hair take its natural position. Drying roots this way is also very easy. You just need to slightly lift the roots and, holding them, blow air from a hairdryer.
And my results
There is a little fluff. The root volume is pronounced. The curls are defined, but still, when dried in the palm, they stretch a little. The ends are not curled everywhere.
Conclusion
Pros If you don’t have a diffuser attachment, then this is the most convenient way of drying, not only the length, but also the root zone is dried well
Cons You need a lot of care and patience to dry each strand efficiently and accurately It is very difficult to dry long and thick hair
Philips HP8270
The Philips HP 8270 hair dryer has 2300 W of power for stunning, professional hair styling . The build quality of the instrument is good, and it looks quite decent in appearance. Country of origin: China.
Pros:
- The hair dryer has a built-in TempPrecision sensor that automatically sets the hair temperature and reduces it to a more optimal one. The device prevents hair from overheating. When using this tool, it is simply impossible to dry out your hair. Hair does not lose the moisture it needs during drying. There is an LED indicator on the top panel of the hair dryer that indicates that the sensor is activated.
- 6 heating and speed modes allow you to choose a mode suitable for each hair type.
- Speed and heat are easy to adjust.
- The ionization system provides an antistatic effect when drying hair. Negatively charged ions improve the overall condition of hair, giving hair shine and shine.
- The manufacturer has provided a convenient narrow attachment for creating hairstyles.
- The device also has a diffuser attachment, thanks to which you can lift your hair and give it maximum volume. The diffuser helps create bouncy, bouncy curls.
- To fix the styling, the manufacturer equipped the device with a cold blowing function.
- The model has a ceramic surface coating. Ceramic heating elements emit heat in the infrared range. Gentle heat dries hair from the inside and protects it from overheating.
- Hair pinching during drying is prevented by a removable filter
- User convenience is ensured by a 2.5 m long power cord. The cord does not get tangled or twisted.
- For easy storage, this model has a loop for hanging the device. This helps ensure that the hairdryer can be placed anywhere in the bathroom.
- The manufacturer provides a 2-year warranty.
Minuses:
- The hairdryer is quite heavy and large. The user's hand gets tired quickly.
- The power and heating control buttons are located inconveniently.
- The device is very noisy.
- The transparent nozzle sometimes scrolls, which creates inconvenience. Its surface is prone to scratches.
An example of styling with this hairdryer in a video from professionals:
Diffuser drying
I’ll complete my comparison in the most optimal way - drying with a special diffuser attachment.
This nozzle is similar to a claw diffuser, but it is much more convenient and easier to use. There are many diffuser options to suit every taste and any hair dryer. In my opinion, it is very important that the fingers of the diffuser are made of plastic and protrude as much as possible from the bowl. So that there is no side of the diffuser, which irreparably creases the curls when drying.
The air flow in the diffuser is divided into dozens of separate jets, which allows you to dry your hair and roots faster and does not overheat your hair.
Technology Tilt your head in the direction from which you will take the strand to dry. Carefully place the styling-treated hair into the diffuser bowl. Press the diffuser as close to the scalp as possible. Dry for a few minutes. Dry the hair roots separately.
results
Most of all, I like hair with this method of drying.
The strands are outlined, voluminous The root volume is expressed The tips are curled There is almost no fluff
For today, this is the ideal drying option for me.
Bosch PHD5980
Do you want to become the owner of a truly stylish “royal” hairdryer? Buy Bosch PHD5980! The design is interesting and laconic, nothing superfluous. The model is harmonious, made in gold color with gray and beige inserts.
The Bosch PHD 5980 BrilliantCare Hairtype hair dryer has 2 independent speed and temperature controls and provides the ability to create completely different types of hairstyles. Using this hairdryer, you will always be at your best!
Pros:
- The power of the hair dryer is 2200 W. This is an undeniable advantage over competitors.
- The model is equipped with a removable air intake grille, which makes cleaning the hair dryer easy.
- The concentrator nozzle allows you to make the air flow targeted.
- A diffuser with a large number of long “fingers” creates hair volume even on thin hair.
- The ionization function makes hair easier to comb, reduces its static charge, and helps preserve the epithelium during styling.
- The Turbo button makes the air flow more powerful.
- The cold air button improves hair hold. The Turbo button quickly turns on the most powerful air flow.
- The Turbo and cold blow buttons are located on the back of the handle, which is convenient to use.
- The cord is flexible and comfortable.
- The hair dryer is equipped with a hanger loop.
Minuses:
- The hairdryer is quite large (204x295x100 mm), but it’s a little hard to hold it in your hand (720g).
- The handle does not fold.
- The diffuser attachment that adds volume to the hair does not work very well if the hair is thick and heavy.
- With a diffuser attachment, the model looks gigantic.
- The speed and temperature modes of the hair dryer are difficult to switch.
- The power cord is short – 180cm.
- In general, consumers note the stylish, unusual design and the right combination of price and quality.
Results of a survey of curly girls
By the way, and not only for me.
I conducted a survey among my followers on Instagram and I want to tell you about the results. In total, I asked three questions to understand whether other girls see the dependence of the drying method and the severity of curls.
First, I found out which method they prefer to use:
There was no diffuser-claw option
As you can see, most curly girls dry their hair naturally. There are several reasons, but the most basic one is simply the lack of a hair dryer with a diffuser.
Very few people dry in their palms, and even fewer use a sieve for this. Still, many prefer traditional and simple methods in this matter.
The second question was whether they see a relationship between the drying method and the volume/curling of curls along the length and at the ends, and whether drying with a diffuser differs from natural drying.
Girls' answers:
87.5% of girls answered that blow-drying with a diffuser allows:
- Dry your hair faster
- Strengthen the curl
- Get root volume
- For some, the amount of fluff is reduced
But there are girls who, on the contrary, do not like this method, because:
- Hair length decreases (due to curls bouncing)
- Down appears (some even suggest that it is due to drying too quickly)
- Hair dries out more
There is an assumption that the feeling of “dry” hair is more common for girls with high-porosity hair, if the temperature is too high, the direction of the air flow does not change often (you dry one strand for a very long time), the characteristics of the hair dryer are inappropriate (low power, heating even in the “cold air” mode) ).
As for the formation of fluff when drying with a diffuser, I will share my experience. When I first started drying my hair with a diffuser, I didn’t realize that the amount of gel needed to be applied a little more than when drying naturally. At least that's how it works for my hair. The gel sets quickly and prevents individual hairs from getting out of the strand.
I made another important conclusion for myself: if you can’t dry it with a hairdryer with a diffuser yet, because... If your hair flies around, then before moving the diffuser to another strand, you need to turn off the hair dryer. You can imagine how moving the bowl away from your head, you inadvertently inflate your hair.
And I never start blow-drying immediately after styling. I walk for about 20 minutes, and only then do I start actively drying. This way the styling will set on the hair and there won’t be as much fluff. Yes, and you don’t have to wash the bowl of gel)
The third question I asked the girls was the type of curls and whether the hair curls from the roots . I wanted to see the relationship between drying method and hair type.
But it turned out that even girls whose curls start right from the roots do not neglect drying with a diffuser. And they also focus on the root zone. Girls whose curl starts from the line of the ears and chin also dry the root zone with a diffuser for volume.
Also, the use of a diffuser does not depend on the degree of curl of the respondents (in the girls’ answers from 2a to 3b). That is, diffuser drying is chosen not only by those who want/need to strengthen their curls (2a, 2b), but also by girls with pronounced curls (3a, 3b), which seem to be able to dry out anyway.
conclusions
Review of interesting hair dryers:
- BOSCH PHD 5962 will style even the most capricious curls . The diffuser will add volume to thin hair too.
- The nozzle on the Philips HP 8270 will create elastic, springy curls .
- Bosch PHD 1150 can be taken with you on the road .
- A soft head massage will be provided by a Philips HP8233 .
- An attachment with a large number of long spikes is available in the Bosch PHD 5980 .
Before using the diffuser, you need to apply cosmetics to your hair.
Now a short excursion into the theory of drying curls
I’ll quote a part of my post about styling:
How does styling work? The wet hair, which we diligently squished to condition using the squish to condition technique at the previous stage of washing, has already formed a curl.
This means that water penetrated properly into the hair and helped it “remember” its natural curl texture and strengthen the chemical bonds between water molecules. But water alone is not enough. We all know that if you don’t apply styling to curly hair, wet curls will quickly crumble into separate shapeless strands. The bonds between water molecules are the weakest and are quickly destroyed by the touch of a hand or turning of the head. Question: how to fix a beautiful curl for a long time? Any styling product contains polymers (for example, pvp, copolymer acrylate, crosspolymer, etc.). They swell, evenly envelop and help create a film on the hair without penetrating inside. It is this film that helps preserve the chemical bonds between water molecules - and after drying we get a beautiful curl.
In fact, there are only two ways to dry curls - naturally and with a diffuser.
Whether it is a sieve, your own palm, a “paw” diffuser or a full-fledged diffuser, the essence does not change. When drying naturally, we subject our curls to the law of gravity and the curls stretch under their own weight.
When drying with a diffuser, we become a little magicians and force other natural laws to work for us: we speed up time and change the upward movement of hair)
As a result, I’ll tell you a couple more points about drying my curls
- After microplopping (blotting the hair with a towel), I dry my hair naturally for about 20 minutes.
- Then I start blow drying. I start it with warm air and minimum speed for a few seconds. As soon as I feel that my hair has warmed up, I immediately press the cold air button with my finger and dry it in the same position of the diffuser for another minute.
- I always dry my hair in several passes. I dried it for 5 minutes and went about my business for 15-20 minutes. Then I dried it again. And so on until the hair is completely dry.
- I dry the inner layer of hair separately, tilting my head forward. The same goes for the crown area - I place the diffuser directly on top.
- I don’t use thermal protection because... The drying air is always barely warm. No overheating.
In this post, I tried to talk about my experience of drying my hair in different ways for two years.
For a very long time I was afraid to use a hairdryer or diffuser, I didn’t know which way to approach them, I ended up with a lot of fluff, unsuccessful styling and a completely ruined mood. But only by trying, experimenting, looking for options that suit me, I found what is ideal for me today.
And if the words “hairdryer” or “diffuser” evoke negative associations, then you are at the beginning of a very interesting path, the crown of which will only be successful curls!
Share your drying secrets
I wish you all gorgeous curly hair!
