Diffuser for a hair dryer: what is it and what is it for, choice and operation

A rare woman does not dream of well-groomed beautiful hair. However, not everyone can boast of thick and naturally shiny curls. Therefore, the arsenal of every fashionista includes all sorts of devices in order to make hair more lush, shiny, curly or, conversely, straight. And the hairdryer is the device without which no truly complex hairstyle will take place.

It was to facilitate the process of shaping the styling that a diffuser was invented - a hairdryer nozzle, which helps to fluff the hair, add volume, movement to it, and also (if used for its intended purpose) turn the strands into tight curls.

A diffuser is called a round or oval nozzle, studded with "spikes". The size of these spikes is of great importance in shaping the hairstyle, so you need to choose the right attachment. The diameter of the circle or oval is also important. If you have short to medium length hair, you will need a large diameter diffuser, but the spikes should be short. If your strands reach the shoulder blades or go down below, then everything should be the other way around: the diameter is small, and the thorns are long.

Diffusers are constantly being improved, as are the hair dryers themselves. If earlier the thorns were solid, now there are holes on them. Using this design, you can dry the strands faster without causing them much harm, since the roots will not have as much heating as under the influence of a directed jet of hot air. In addition, such a device does not greatly inflate the curls, so the styling is more accurate. There are also nozzles with spikes not made of plastic, but made of silicone, they are soft. In use, they are about the same as solid, just in addition to drying, they also slightly massage the scalp.

The advantages of a diffuser are as follows:

• its area of ​​action is larger, so drying is faster;
• it is very easy to use, even a beginner can master it;
• it is safer to dry strands with a diffuser than if it were done with a cone-shaped nozzle, since the heated air is dissipated and gets to the roots unheated. And this means that less damage is done to the hair;
• drying with a diffuser raises the hair higher in the root area, since its shape is designed precisely for such an effect during the drying process and fixing them in a raised form;
• The massage effect of the attachment improves blood circulation and stimulates hair growth. But it is undesirable to massage the skin with too hot thorns, because it can cause burns.

However, one should not underestimate the thermal effect on the hair, even if it is reduced in comparison with a directed jet of a hair dryer. Regular use of the diffuser leads to overdrying of the strands at the ends and, as a result, an increase in fragility and the appearance of split ends.

The diffuser works on the principle of air distribution. Due to the increased area of ​​the nozzle, even highly heated air cools down, as it hits the hair and scalp not with a directed stream, but defocused. At the same time, it is possible to dry more hair at the same time than with a cone nozzle. The task of the diffuser is to disperse the air coming from the hair dryer, speeding up the drying process and simultaneously creating styling thanks to the thorns that raise the strands at the roots or form curls.

Diffusers are very different. The standard nozzle is equipped with perpendicularly projecting straight or rounded studs. Thanks to this design, air flows are evenly distributed, eliminating the possibility of scalp injury from hot air. If you love, To make root volume more palpable (like with 1960s styling), you need a nozzle with long spikes and it is better if there is a hole in each of them, and in the nozzle itself too. This will make the styling more accurate and the air dispersion will be even stronger.

For lovers of tight curls, you will need a diffuser, which has fewer spikes than the standard one, and they are also smaller in size. It is with this attachment that it is easier to twist the hair with rotational movements, forming curls. If the spikes are too long or too frequent, the strands are more likely to become tangled. If you have long hair, you should use the silicone spike attachment as the silicone will prevent tangling.

For those with fine hair, a specially designed diffuser with a depressed center and spikes of different sizes should be used. It is this nozzle that is least traumatic for the scalp. The more often the spikes are, the more convenient they are for styling short hair. Accordingly, the wide-toothed attachment is ideal for working with long or very long hair. To work with this length, the thorns should be thick, and for short strands, thinner.

The diameters of the diffusers also differ. The more powerful the hair dryer, the larger the diameter of the nozzle, this is necessary in order for the air flow to be better distributed. First of all, this applies to professional and semi-professional hair dryers. Those meant for home use are not nearly as powerful.

The forms of thorns are also different: cylindrical, flat, curly. The first ones are the most versatile, flat ones are needed only to create volume at the roots. Curls with such a nozzle will not work. But curly spikes are just right for creating curls.

More recently, hair dryers with active diffusers, that is, with vibrating spikes, have appeared on the market. This nozzle does not need to be rotated, it does an excellent job of creating the greatest root volume.

Almost every manufacturer of household appliances also has a line of hair dryers - with and without diffusers. However, some products are particularly good and easy to use.

• Braun - a German brand that has gained fame in the domestic market. Recently, however, a large number of competitors have emerged offering modern, semi-professional and professional products at significantly more humane prices than Braun. This company has one of the unprofitable qualities for the consumer is precisely the price - its hair dryers cost as a professional product, not being such. In addition, the diffuser attachments from this manufacturer are not suitable for most women with short hair. Thus, the popularity of this brand of hair dryers is falling.

• At Rowenta another problem is that its diffusers are completely unsuitable for use by long-haired women. Although the brand was a revolutionary in the production of such attachments and was the first to offer customers hair dryers equipped with diffusers. Everything, as always, rests on the pricing policy, which does not provide for a reduction in product prices. Customers vote in rubles - but for other brands.

• Inexpensive brand Vitek offers a large selection of hair dryers, but they have one significant drawback - they are heavy, which makes them inconvenient to use. Nevertheless, the brand does not lose popularity due to the budget of the products.

• Philips offers customers semi-professional hair dryers of excellent quality. The products are popular among both ordinary consumers and hairdressers. Not the most budgetary products, however, they serve for a long time and without complaints.

• Brand Bosh, perhaps, it is presented in the largest number of hair dryers. A lot of diffusers are also offered, including separately for straight hair and separately for curly hair. The latter is equipped with thorns resembling fingers, thanks to which the strands are transformed into curls during drying, while not getting tangled, but combing. However, the problem of bulkiness and high weight of the products also exists.

• Remigton - a relatively new brand on the domestic market. The products have both humane prices and good quality, which makes them very attractive in the eyes of customers. The diffuser attachment offered by the brand is versatile and suitable for styling hair of any length.

• Babyliss - hair dryers of very high quality. They are professional, so you should be prepared for the off-budget cost of products. However, they are reliable, durable, equipped with ionizers, which reduces the negative impact on the strands. Hair dryers are powerful, lightweight and manoeuvrable.

• Dyson - the most expensive hair dryers. But those who have used them note the highest quality, power and ease of use. Hair dryers have a unique design, unlike any other model on the market. One diffuser is offered, however it is versatile and suitable for short and long hair.

First of all, you need to proceed from your needs. The following criteria are important:

• the length of your hair;
• how often you plan to use the hair dryer and nozzle;
• the condition of your head of hair - how healthy it is, whether the hair is breaking, whether there are any split ends;
• scalp condition - is there dandruff, peeling, itching;
• the amount you can spend on a hairdryer.

By answering these questions, you can decide which brand to look at. If your hair and scalp are not in perfect condition, fix the problems first. Do not overdry the already dry scalp, exacerbating its condition. Take a course of vitamins, use scrubs and shampoos to remove irritations on the scalp, do oil wraps and hair masks to eliminate brittleness.

Attachments are sold separately. For example, compact hair dryers rarely come with a diffuser, so they just need to purchase one (if, of course, you need one). But even for hairdryers, which have a corresponding nozzle attached, it is possible to purchase a different diffuser configuration. For example, you bought a hair dryer with a diffuser for short hair, but you have grown your hair and now you need an attachment for styling long strands. You can choose not to buy a hairdryer (especially if yours suits you perfectly) and purchase a compatible attachment.

To style short hair with a diffuser, you need to:

• wash your hair and dry it naturally by 80%;
• apply a small amount of styling foam or mousse, spreading it evenly;
• turn on the hair dryer at the lowest speed (with the diffuser on), the air must be warm;
• if you need root volume, massage the diffuser around the hair roots;
• if you want to create waves, then the diffuser must be rotated;
• after completely drying the strands, give them the desired shape with your fingers;
• Apply a small amount of hairspray to fix the hair style.

If you have medium length strands, you are more fortunate than others, since they are the easiest to style with a diffuser. You need to make the following manipulations:

• the entire volume of hair must be divided into five equal (approximately) parts: this is the occipital, two temporal, crown and parietal, each must be fixed with a clamp or "crab";
• you need to start from the back of the head, mousse or foam is applied to this part of the hair, after which the switched off hairdryer with a diffuser is brought to the strand, and it is placed in the spikes, rotating the diffuser;
• then you need to turn on the hairdryer to the minimum mode and dry the strands with warm air for several minutes;
• similarly lay the areas on the temples and in the area of ​​the crown;
• on the parietal zone, you need to decide whether you will have a parting and on which side, then you should apply mousse or foam, dry, tilting your head to the side where the parting "looks", if there is no parting, and the hair is laid back, then the head should be tilted slightly;
• after drying the strands, turn off the hairdryer, finalize the styling with your fingers, and then fix with varnish.

If you need to style long hair, proceed as follows:

• hair that has dried 80% naturally (any styling should be started this way), divide it into 4 parts - back (back of the head and crown), two on the temples, parietal;
• after winding the hair on the back of the diffuser, dry the strands with non-hot air;
• fix with a small amount of varnish or spray, then dry the hair on the temples in the same way;
• the front part of the hair is dried in the same way, after which the strands are worked through with your fingers, giving the necessary shape, the resulting hairstyle must be fixed.

To form curls or waves (at any length) with the diffuser, the hair must be divided into strands, each of which must be twisted into a tourniquet before drying.

After drying your hair completely, do not rush to unwind the bundles immediately. Do this after a few minutes, as soon as you make sure all the strands are thoroughly dried. The longer the spikes on the diffuser, the finer the curls will be. Keep in mind that you will need some training to create curls with this device, so do not start styling on the day of the event.

If you need to straighten your hair, this can also be done with the diffuser attachment, but it is much easier to use an iron or a cone-shaped curling iron for this. However, if you try, you can get voluminous and at the same time straight and smooth strands using a diffuser. How can this be achieved?

• Hair should be damp. A special straightening agent must be applied to them. The thicker your head of hair, the more carefully it will have to be worked out.
• Brush each strand, and then "scratch" the diffuser with movements from top to bottom. In order to straighten the hair, it must be pulled slightly down during the drying process. Start at the back of the head, from below and work your way up. Each strand should be completely dry.
• After the "mane" is dry, you can structure the ends with wax or modeling paste... This will help clean up your hair.

• Styling for short hair with the creation of small curls is a great option both for going out and for every day.

• The emphasized careless hairstyle betrays the creative nature of its owner.

• The root volume and large curls are classic evening styling with a diffuser.

• This hairstyle is a matter of training, but it is not as difficult to do as it seems.

• First, make the volume at the roots, and then twist the hair into curls - this will create an interesting styling for every day.

It is generally accepted that using a diffuser is more gentle on hair and scalp than a hairdryer, curling iron or iron. However, this does not mean that the attachment is harmless. This is not true. Daily or even frequent use can cause dry hair, especially around the ends. In addition, constant exposure to warm or hot air can cause dry scalp, itching and flaking, and dandruff. Hair can become brittle at the roots.

Try to dry your hair naturally as often as possible, never dry wet strands. If you do use a hair dryer, be sure to use thermal protection products, regularly make masks - both ready-made and from folk remedies - castor oil, honey, onion juice, nettle or chamomile infusions (depending on the color of your hair). If you absolutely cannot live without volume in the root area, use for this not only a diffuser, but also less traumatic methods, for example, soft curlers - made of foam rubber or silicone. They create almost the same volume and harm the hair much less.

Reviews on the creation of styling using a diffuser nozzle on the Internet are controversial - from delight to the recognition of the complete uselessness of the device. Curly girls say that styling wavy hair, giving it volume and shape, is very convenient. Owners of long hair believe that there is no particular benefit from the device for them personally. Lovers of styling with a root volume call the attachment indispensable, as do those who stretch their hair, having previously created volume.

Creating curls without prior training through the use of a diffuser, as consumers note, is not an easy task. It is much more convenient for these purposes to use tongs, curling iron or curlers.

For information on how to properly dry your hair with a diffuser, see the next video.