How To Diffuse Curly Hair | 5 Techniques To Try - The Curl Story

Curious about how to diffuse curly hair? Whether your curls are long or short, diffusing is a game-changer for your styling routine.

Watch these diffusing techniques in this youtube video too!

Tip! Diffusing your curls for at least 15 minutes reduces hours off your air-drying time!

5 Diffusing Techniques for Curly Hair

Speed up your wash day with these 5 diffusing techniques. They are curated for your ultimate hair goals from maximizing curl definition to amping up the volume.

What you’ll Need

All you’ll need is your favorite hair dryer and diffuser attachment. After styling your hair with your favorite products, you can begin diffusing to speed up the hair drying process. Know that even 15 minutes of diffusing can take hours off your air drying time!

Avoid heat-protectant products. As you’ll be using low to medium heat with a diffuser that is not directly touching the hair, your curls won’t protectants.

However, I love using hairspray over a styling gel or mousse for extra lightweight hold. It provides frizz protection while diffusing and weather protection too. See my hairspray favorites in this post that can be used as part of a healthy hair routine too.

01. Hover diffusing

Hover Diffusing is Best for: Short, Long, Wavy, or Curly HairHair Goals: High Definition or Volume Styling

What is Hover Diffusing?

Hover Diffusing is the most common way to dry curly hair. It’s great for all wavy and curly hair lengths to dry gently without creating frizz. The key is hovering the hair dryer over your hair without actually touching your hair.

How to Hover Diffuse Curly Hair

Hold your hair dryer with diffuser attachment facing down approximately 6 inches above your hair. Allowing the air to travel down the hair shaft, rather than up, will help to prevent frizz.

To achieve the most curl definition, use low to medium heat, and keep your hair still while drying.

For more volume, move your hair while drying. Try tilting your hair to the sides or flipping your hair over. The change of positions allows for more volume at the roots and throughout your hair as well.

02. Upside-Down Diffusing

Upside-down Diffusing is Best For: Long, Wavy or Curly hairHair Goals: Overall Volume, Root Volume

What is Upside-Down Diffusing?

Upside-Down Diffusing is a Hover Diffusing technique with your hair flipped forward, or upside-down. This change of position allows your curls to be dried in a lifted position for increased volume.

How to do Upside-Down Diffusing

Try this technique while standing up or sitting down. After you’ve hover diffused the top side of your hair, flip your hair forward.

Hold the diffuser over the top of your hair with the diffuser pointing down towards your hair. Directing the airflow down the length of your hair to reduce frizz.

I love that with my new hair dryer, I can hold the dryer by the nozzle, rather than the handle. This allows for a more comfortable arm position. Still, the diffuser cup does get hot even while the nozzle does not.

03. Hammock Diffusing

Hammock Diffusing is Best For: Long, Wavy or Curly HairHair Goals: Curl Enhancement

What is Hammock Diffusing?

Hammock Diffusing is a drying technique to achieve curl enhancement by holding the ends of your curls up while drying. Setting your curls in this compressed form helps to create extra bouncy and prevent stringy ends.

How to Hammock Diffuse Curly Hair

This diffusing technique is great for long wavy or curly hair that gets elongated with length and or water weight. Also note that hammock diffusing can make your hair look a bit shorter as the ends curl up more!

Try using a silky scarf to hold the ends of your hair up while hovering your diffuser over your hair. Or, for very long hair, you can also try resting the ends of your curls down on a countertop.

Another method is to rest your dryer on the counter or a shelf. You can then hammock your curls in front of the diffuser.

04. Pixie Diffusing

Pixie Diffusing is Best For: Short, Long, Wavy, or Curly HairHair Goals: Curl Enhancement + Root Volume

What is Pixie Diffusing?

Pixie Diffusing is a great technique to achieve curl enhancement and root volume. The technique uses a large diffuser cup to lift and dry your curls in a compressed position for extra volume and bounce.

How to Pixie Diffuse

To begin, keep your hair dryer off and place the diffuser cup under the ends of your hair. Then, slowly lift the diffuser up to your scalp. Hold in this position and turn your hair dryer on low heat and diffuse for up to a minute.

To minimize frizz, toggle between warm and cool air settings to dry for a longer period of time.

Next, turn off the dryer or change to the cool setting before releasing your curls. Then move your hair dryer to the next section. Repeat the process throughout your hair.

05. Pick Diffusing

Pick Diffusing is Best For: Short, Long, Wavy, or Curly HairHair Goals: Root Volume

What is Pick Diffusing?

Pick Diffusing is my favorite way to achieve volume at the roots. With any parting style, pick diffusing can be used to give your roots a lift without disturbing your curl pattern

How to Try Pick Diffusing

While hover diffusing, use a comb to lift your roots while drying to keep them lifted. I like to use a rat tail comb for this technique. The tail end can easily slide into tiny spaces between your hair and lift while drying. For more holding power, add hairspray too!

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Posted By: April · In: Styling Routines