PDA

View Full Version : Curlies who diffuse - what heat setting and technique do you use?



Hotrox
July 21st, 2010, 11:15 PM
I know this is breaking a LHC golden rule, but

I am considering going back to diffusing my hair every now and then - I normally let it air dry on my way to work but I often arrive and its still wet which I don't think looks very 'professional'.

I have diffused it in the past but not always with good results, what techniques do people use for the best results and what heat and speed settings do you use?

I know cold air will be better for my hair but I'm sure once I was advised to use high heat and a low air setting and do until about 75% dry. Was that good advice?

Thanks

lapushka
July 22nd, 2010, 03:33 PM
I'm a wavy, and my hair's always air dried until most of the wetness is out. When it's about 25% dry, it's diffuser time (just to get some volume). My blow drier has 3 speed settings & 3 separate heat settings, an ion function and cold button. It's mostly got the ion setting turned on, is on medium heat and medium, sometimes low, speed until it's about 80, 90% dry (not 100% -> to avoid frizzies). I wouldn't use the hottest setting and the lowest speed! Yikes! Frizz! The medium heat setting is just warm enough that you won't hurt your skin / hand, so it's pretty much okay for hair too. But every dryer's different. I'd say if you can comfortably hold your hand in the air stream, your heat setting's fine.

tinker bug
July 22nd, 2010, 03:41 PM
I hate the noise of a blowdryer, so I'm no help, but LadyLongLocks/JJJLongHair has her website posted on her profile, where she explains what she does when she blowdries, and her hair is to her knees, so I'd think she's doing something right, lol.

GRU
July 22nd, 2010, 05:07 PM
On the rare occasion that I use a blow-dryer (such as going to an event and still wet, like your situation with work), I use room-temperature air. I specifically purchased a dryer with a cold setting (not just a button you push for a "cold shot" but an actual setting for the temperature).

I generally bend over and I either have my face parallel with the floor or upside down-ish. And I have a diffuser attachment that has "fingers" in it that are helpful for getting through to the scalp -- I just "scrunch" the curls into the bowl of the diffuser. I typically use the slowest air setting and occasionally the medium if there's an area that's wetter than most, to even them up. I never use the high speed or any heat at all.

As for how dry to get it, I think that depends on how long until you need it to be "dry enough". If you diffused it halfway, would it be dry enough when you get to work? Sometimes I'll only do about 10% if it's not necessary to be fully dry, but I don't want to look like I *just* stepped out of the shower (even though I did! :lol:).

Hotrox
July 22nd, 2010, 07:32 PM
Thanks Guys - I'll definitely take a look at LadyLongLocks webpage for a few more tips. I did a quick diffuse this morning following your advice to use cooler air and only did it to about 50% dry. Seems to have worked! Minimal frizz and just dry enough not to look like there is a drowned rat sitting at my desk :-)

julliams
July 23rd, 2010, 02:43 AM
Do you drive to work? I find that if I put on the heat on full, my hair is dry in no time. It's like creating one big heat bubble but it's not directed at your hair so I don't think it's too damaging. My daughters BSL hair can get from wet wet wet to 80% dry on our 10 minute drive to school but in this case, I put the fan on high and she aims the little fan directors straight at her so it really is like having a blow dryer working from two directions. Good for those emergencies.