If you’ve been browsing online curly hair communities, you’ve likely come across plaudits about hair diffusers. Blow-drying curly hair is one way to get your hair strands to stand on end, while air drying it can sometimes end up a frizzy disaster. This is because curly strands are in their best shape when they have not been dried too quickly, or left soaking wet for too long. Your hair needs to dry at a steady pace and on low heat, and that’s precisely what hair diffusers help you do. Here is How Diffusers Maintain The Natural Form Of Your Hair.

Diffusers are an effective way to reduce drying time, as well as maintain the natural form of your hair. Here’s how.

How Diffusers Maintain The Natural Form Of Your Hair

They safely stretch your strands

The worst part about maintaining natural hair is having to endure shrinkage. No-poo hair routines and chemical-free products work great to define your natural waves and curls, but they also make your hair look much shorter.

Standard blow dryer nozzles can work on stretching your strands, but they can also damage hair. On the other hand, diffusers are safe to use on thin and delicate tresses; and they add shine to natural hair as they disperse the air evenly on the shaft. This prevents any damage to your cuticle and keeps your hair smooth and healthy.

But that doesn’t mean you only get to use them if you have wavy or curly locks. Even on 1A and 2b hair types, diffusers safely dry your strands and work to add volume to the overall shaft, as the distributed air lifts your hair at the roots. This creates the illusion of a thicker shaft.

They keep heat damage at bay

While curly hair is especially prone to heat damage, that doesn’t mean you’re compelled to suffer a tedious heat-free routine that just leaves your hair matted and lifeless. Hair is made up of keratin, which is naturally resistant to heat – just not scorching heat. Anything from low to medium heat is safe enough to style your hair, just make sure you don’t keep the diffuser head on one section of your hair for too long because lingering heat can cause cuticle erosion.

However, if medium or low heat is a little damaging to your hair, you can always add a bit of heat-protectant serum for extra shine and keep your strands healthy.

They’re suitable for all hair types

While diffusers are normally used for 2 and 3 hair types, they work perfectly for even the kinkiest hair types, such as 4C. The trick is the technique used.

For less curly hair types, scrunching the hair with the diffuser can help make the hair more volume. As for 3C hair and above, it’s safer to run the diffuser down the hair until it’s only slightly damp, then collecting only your ends in the diffuser to finish off the look. Never cup your entire shaft in the diffuser head. Kinkier hair types do not respond well to crunching, as the hair is already naturally curly. Find out what your hair type is before proceeding to use your diffuser.

They maintain your hair’s porosity

Natural hair is easily responsive to newly introduced products, techniques, and treatments, which can make your life easier but can also make the smallest slips or mistakes wreak havoc on your locks.

For instance, vinegar rinses will easily add shine to your hair, while high heat will completely ruin your hairstyle with uncontrollable flyaways. This goes especially for people who have recently removed a protective hairstyle or stripped down a chemical treatment.

Attaching a high-quality diffuser head to your blow dryer will keep your hair’s porosity low, which will give your shaft a shiny appearance and a smoother feel.

You’ll have voluminous hair every day

Because diffusers can be safely used in cool heat settings to give the same results, they can be used daily if need be. If you use a diffuser on medium or low heat, your hair will dry faster, but it may be prone to damage in the long run. Using it to cool not only protects your hair from thermal breakage, but it also adds shine and gives your hair more lift.

For shinier hair, use an apple cider vinegar rinse to reduce porosity, and dry your hair with cool air or low heat. Avoid using products with silicones on natural hair, as the buildup will prevent your hair from holding hairstyles for too long.

Your hair will always be moisturized

There have been debates on whether it’s best to dry your hair naturally or on low heat with a diffuser. This all depends on your hair type porosity. Hair that takes under an hour to completely dry off can be air-dried; however, if your hair takes hours to dry naturally, this can damage it.

Wet hair is prone to breakage, and the longer water lingers in your hair, the more moisture is evaporated from your strands as your hair dries off. This is why it’s best to use non-damaging methods to dry it. Attaching your diffuser to your blow dryer and using it on low heat will help lock in moisture in your strands.

Your hair will always smell nice

We’ve all been guilty of sneaking a whiff of a hair product in the aisle before tossing it in our shopping cart. Fragranced hair products are more pleasant to use and give you a special kind of euphoria as you froth them up on your hair in the shower.

It’s a shame that most of that fragrance dissipates after your hair is dry. This is because traditional methods of drying hair, which involve direct high heat, quickly evaporate fragrances. Thermally damaged hair can never retain the moisture of any products applied, and this also quickens the evaporation process and makes the hair strands have a slightly burnt scent.

On the contrary, diffusers steadily distribute the heat on natural hair, which locks in your products into the hair shaft. This will keep your hair smelling fruity and fresh until your next shampoo.

Diffusers might be a simple addition to your hair routine, but your tresses will thank you for it. Because thermal damage is the most common and irreversible cause of hair breakage, diffusers offer you the best of both worlds. You get to dry your hair quickly without having to use high heat that erodes your cuticle and frizzes your hairstyle.