Diffusing Curly Hair 101
Natural curls are amazing and you want to love them, but that frizz is driving you crazy. How do I know this? Because I love to rock my natural curls, but when I see frizz, I want to scream. So, I’m going to let you in on a few secrets.
- It starts in the shower with a shampoo and conditioner made for curly hair.
- Don’t use the same towel for your body as you use for your hair.
- Use the best curly hair products for your type of curls.
- This one is very important, make sure you are diffusing your hair with proper technique
A lot people think that all you do to dry those curls is just stick a hair diffuser onto any old hair dryer, turn it on and swirl the diffuser around in your hair. This is along the right lines, but it’s only the beginning. There’s a process involved, so let’s start with the first step which is in the shower.
Shampooing & Conditioning Your Curls
The base of any good hair style is having a clean scalp. Using a shampoo and conditioner for curly hair will help keep natural oils and moisture in your hair that curls love. If you use a shampoo that is too cleansing, it can strip your hair from the oils curly hair needs that helps prevent flyways and frizz.
Now if you were blowing out your hair, I would tell you to keep the conditioner off of your roots. But since you are diffusing, put the conditioner all over, starting at the bottom and working your way up to your roots. While the conditioner is in, comb your hair with a wide tooth comb and rinse. You can even leave behind a small touch of conditioner in your hair.
Use a T-shirt to dry your curls
Put down the terry cloth towel, this is a frizz maker. Use any t-shirt you like to blot, and scrunch your hair dry, don’t rub. Also no need to re-comb your hair after you get out of the shower because this will pull your curls down. Combing your hair in the shower with a wide-tooth comb gets the job done.
Product Application
Once you have found the curly hair products that work for your texture, you want to make sure you apply them properly to get the best out of them. Remember to apply your products in the right order
- Leave-in conditioner
- Curl cream, mousse or gel, whichever your prefer
- And for when you’re done diffusing and your hair is dry, you’ll want a finishing product such as a beach spray, or shine spray. One of my favorites is Oribe Apres Beach and Shine spray.
Start by scrunching in the products all over your hair. Scrunch gently, try to touch your hair as little as possible. If you want to enhance your curls even more, take 1 inch sections and twist your hair so it looks like little dread locks all around your head.
All this, and we still haven’t even gotten to actually diffusing that hair. These early steps are important to give you the best results. I promise you, it’ll take less time to do these step then it did to read this post.
How To Diffuse Hair
Now it’s time to actually diffuse your hair. Make sure your blow dyer is on high heat and a medium to low speed. If you’re using a diffuser with fingers, place your hair right into the bowl of the diffuser and slowly move your blow dryer in a circular motion. If you are using a sock diffuser, slowly move your hair dryer in a circular motion around your head. Take your time; you can’t rush curls. Continue this motion all over your head until your hair is dry.
Sometimes I’ll bent at the waist, and get my head upside down and side to side to make sure I get every inch dry, and give my hair some extra volume. Once your are done take your finishing product and spray all over while giving your hair a little shake.
Make sure your hair is completely dry and touch it as little as possible. If there’s any moisture, you’ll get frizz. And if you touch it too much, frizz. But once it’s completely dry, that’s it, you’re done. Just remember these steps and take your time. Slow and steady wins the race with curls. If your rush the process, your curls will be sad and frizzy.