Air Drying VS Diffusing Curly Hair, Which Is Better?

Curly hair seems to be more popular these days, and more and more people are looking to style their curly hair. But how to blow dry curly hair? There are two approaches to this problem: air-drying or diffusing the hair. Do you want to know the difference between these two methods? And do you want to know which is better for air-drying or diffusing hair? Then you've come to the right place. In this article, we will introduce their advantages and disadvantages for you, please read them carefully.

What Is Air Drying Curly Hair?

In its simplest definition, the term "air-drying" is self-explanatory. Air drying refers to coming out of the shower and letting the air work its magic to dry the hair. During this time, you do not need to use any tools to dry your hair.

The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Air Drying Curly Hair

After knowing what air-drying is, you must be wondering about the pros and cons of air-drying curly hair. So let's take a look.

The benefits of air-drying curly hair

1. No heat damage

Air drying your hair is the best way to prevent heat damage to your hair. Our scalp produces natural oil to keep our hair from drying out. However, shampooing usually strips the natural oils from the hair, which can easily damage the hair, resulting in dryness, split ends, and breakage. Air-drying hair can avoid these conditions.

2. Time-saving

Air-drying can help you save time. Because air-drying uses air to dry your hair, you don't want to spend time drying your hair. While your hair is drying, you can do your own work and whatever else you want. It's even possible to get out of the house and do something you need to do.

The drawbacks of air drying curly hair

1. No curl definition

Curls after drying may not be what you want, as the elasticity and contour of the curls may change during the drying process. Between washes and when your hair is 100% dry, your curls can become extra frizzy and difficult to comb and style. Therefore, if you want a specific curly look, then air drying may not be suitable for you.

2. Wet curls can be uncomfortable

Wet hair can make you uncomfortable. The time it takes for your hair to air dry completely depends on the porosity of your curls. If your curls have low porosity, they may air dry quickly. However, high porosity curls need to be fully air-dried, which can sometimes take a full day, which can be uncomfortable for you.

Also, having your hair wet all the time can make your clothes and pillowcases wet, which can give you a cold or a headache. And sleeping with wet hair can cause mold and bacteria to form on your hair, which in turn can lead to an itchy scalp and even a distinct smell.

Tips for air drying curly hair

In order for you to blow dry your curls better and correctly, we would like to give you some tips.

1. Use the proper products

To avoid frizz when you air dries your hair, you need to use a leave-in conditioner and a curling cream whenever possible. It's best to choose products that contain nourishing and moisturizing ingredients like vegetable oils, glycerin, and ceramides.

2. Try plopping

You may have seen some beauty bloggers on TikTok using T-shirts to blow dry their hair, and that's plop, which refers to wrapping wet curls in a cotton tee to dry them faster. If you are interested, you can try this method.

3. Use a microfiber towel

To speed up the drying time, you can choose to use a microfiber towel. Because it absorbs water quickly and they are extra gentle on hair, they help reduce friction, tangles, frizz, and breakage. But one thing you need to pay attention to, do not to rub the hair with the towel, but wrap it around the head and squeeze it lightly.

Now that you know all about air-drying curly hair, let's take a look at diffusing curly hair.

What Is Diffusing Curly Hair?

Diffusing hair is a drying technique that uses a blow dryer attachment to “diffuse” the airflow, which reduces drying time, reduces frizz, adds volume, promotes frizz, and prolongs your style.

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Diffusing Curly Hair

Do you want to know the pros and cons of diffusing hair? Here are some of their pros and cons, let's have a look individually.

The advantages of diffusing curly hair

1. More curl definition and styling flexibility

One of the advantages of using a diffuser is that we can achieve healthy, defined curls. Diffusing your curls can help your chosen curl pattern and overall style dry quickly. So if you want defined curls, you can pick up diffusing curly hair.

2. Reduces drying time

Reducing drying time is another benefit of diffusing curly hair. Diffusing hair minimizes drying time and allows your hair to dry faster, so this reduces the time for bacteria and yeast to thrive in humid environments, preventing damage to your scalp and keeping your scalp and hair healthy.

The disadvantages of diffusing curly hair

1. It takes time

Time-consuming is one of the disadvantages of diffusing your hair. Diffusing your curls is not a convenient drying option if you are in a hurry to get out of the house. Because it takes time to properly cleanse, moisturize and diffuse your hair, if these procedures are not done correctly it can lead to results that you don't want to see.

2. Heat damage

Whether you use a diffuser or any other nozzle on your hair dryer, it always generates heat and this heat can cause hair damage, leading to split ends, dryness, and damage. Curly hair in particular is more susceptible to the effects of heat styling.

Tips for diffusing curly hair

Do you want to know how to diffuse your hair better? Now we're going to give you some tips that you need to read carefully.

1. Apply a heat protectant

To minimize heat damage from blow drying and diffusion, you need to always use a heat protectant because it contains silicones and other ingredients that protect your hair from heat damage. Alternatively, you can use a leave-in conditioner or oil to retain moisture and decrease frizz.

2. Apply protein hair products

Repeated blow-drying can lead to protein loss in curls. So you can add some protein-containing hair products to your daily care routine to repair and strengthen your frizz. However, you need to be careful not to overuse protein products as this can lead to protein overload and changes in natural hair.

Air Drying VS Diffusing Curly Hair, Which Is Better?

After reading this article, you must have a better understanding of air-drying and diffusing hair. It's hard to tell which method is better because everyone's needs are different. If you don’t want your hair to suffer from heat loss then you can choose to air dry your hair while if you want defined curls then you can choose to diffuse your hair. In short, what suits you is the best.

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