Which is better for our curls, air drying or diffusing? There are pros and cons to both drying methods and many people prefer one of the other. If you’re team air dry, you may be a low-maintenance type of curly and want to prevent heat damage. If you’re on team diffuse, you may love achieving volume and shrinkage in your curls. We can all agree that we want to enhance our natural curls and maintain healthy hair. Whether you currently love to diffuse or air dry, let’s dive into the facts about both methods so you can determine which is best for your curls.
Table of Contents
- Diffusing Your Curls: Pros and Cons
- Air Drying Your Curls: Pros and Cons
- Other Things to Consider
- Conclusion
Diffusing Your Curls: Pros and Cons
Diffusing is a drying method mainly used on wavy, curly and coily hair. It involves using a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment to gently dry your hair. The diffuser directs the air flow in a way that is kinder to your curls and helps prevent the disruption caused if you were to use the dryer without the diffuser attachment. There are several techniques for diffusing your curls including hover diffusing, stretch diffusing, and pixie diffusing. The technique you choose will depend on your desired outcome.
Pros of Diffusing
Dries Faster
Dry time will vary based on your hair’s natural density (how thick it is) and your hair’s porosity (how damaged it is). High-density hair will take longer to dry compared to low-density hair. Very porous or damaged hair will dry quickly if the water is scrunched out of the hair after styling. When it comes to diffusing, it can take someone with low-density hair as little as 10 minutes to diffuse, whereas it could take up to an hour for someone with high-density hair to diffuse, especially if styled soaking wet.
Less Time with Gel Cast
For those who don’t like the look of their hair while it’s air drying or don’t want to go about their day with “crunchy” curls, diffusing is more convenient. Because it’s best to wait and scrunch out the crunch, or gel cast, once dried, you would have to leave your hair looking stiff while air drying. By diffusing, your hair will be “finished” after styling and ready to go.
Adds Volume
Diffusing results in much more volume due to the diffuser design cupping the hair upwards and then heat setting it into place in that lifted position. The prongs on the Defrizzion XXL Diffuser also make it easier to reach the roots and lift the hair away from the scalp. Those with low-density or thin hair often prefer to diffuse in order to achieve more fullness overall.
Cons of Diffusing
Heat Damage
There is a risk of heat damage depending on the dryer you’re using, as some dryers reach a higher temperature than others. Heat damage negatively affects your hair and is often visible to the eye. You may notice that your curl pattern has changed, usually appearing elongated in areas where damage has occurred. This happens because your hair loses some of its elasticity, which is what helps create the spring in your curl. Heat damage can also make your hair feel rough or as some may say ‘crispy’.
Fortunately, this can be avoided by applying a heat protector before using your hair dryer. The Curlsmith Miracle Shield is ideal, as it offers multiple benefits including protecting your curls from heat up to 450F.
Takes Some Practice
When it comes to diffusing your curls, practice truly makes perfect and patience is key. Remember it’s a process and trial and error will play a part in your diffusing journey. One of the most important tips is to develop a clear understanding of the different diffusing techniques, as this will affect your outcome.
Extra Weight in Luggage
Having curly hair and travelling can already be a challenge with the number of haircare products you need to pack. Adding a hair dryer to the mix often feels daunting, given the space and weight it takes up. Thankfully, Curlsmith offers a travel dryer with a fold down feature that makes it even more compact. It also includes a generously sized diffuser (6 inches), which enables speedy drying while keeping your curls defined.
Air Drying Your Curls: Pros and Cons
Air drying is certainly the easiest way to dry your hair. The process is simple, once you have applied your stylers use a microfiber towel to remove excess water, then leave your hair to dry naturally. However, depending on your hair type and end goal, this may not be the best option. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons:
Pros
- No heated tools required
- No risk of heat damage, since no direct heat is involved
- Low effort and minimal time added to your routine
Cons
- Drying time can be very long, especially for those with low porosity hair—it may take hours or even days
- Frizz and unwanted shrinkage can occur
- Lack of volume, as air drying does not encourage lift, leaving curls looking flat
- Inconsistent results depending on porosity and curl type
Pros of Air Drying
Less Frizz
In an ideal world, air drying should result in less frizz, as your curls dry without any disruption from heated tools. This allows your curls to set in the position that you have styled them. Just remember, to fully benefit from this method, avoid touching your hair as it's drying. This may seem like an easy ask, but for those with low porosity hair that takes longer to dry, this can be challenging.
Low Effort
Unlike diffusing your curls, which can require significant effort and sometimes take up to an hour, air drying is a much lower-maintenance option. You can simply let your hair dry naturally while you go about your day. However, weather conditions do play a big role in how your curls set, so keep the following in mind if you head out while your hair is drying.
- Wind can disrupt the curl pattern, leading to frizz and uneven definition
- Rain or damp conditions may cause your hair to reabsorb moisture, resulting frizz or shrinkage
- High humidity also leads to frizz and lack of definition
Retains Natural Curl Pattern
Air drying retains your natural curl pattern because your hair isn’t being manipulated as it dries, unlike when diffusing. Essentially, you’re allowing your curls to dry as they naturally fall. This can be a positive for those who prefer their natural look. However, if you want to manipulate your curls such as avoiding shrinkage with the stretch diffusing method or creating more volume with the pixie method, air drying may not be ideal.
If you are happy with the way your curls naturally fall, air drying is the right option for you. A helpful tip for those that want to speed up the drying process while still keeping their curls natural is to use the hover diffusing method. This involves direct air flow over your curls without contact or manipulation and then allowing your hair to air dry the rest of the way.
Cons of Air Drying
Damage to the CMC
Contrary to popular belief, air drying can actually damage the inner workings of the hair and can be more damaging than diffusing. A study found that natural air drying can cause damage to the hair’s cell membrane complex (CMC) when the hair stays wet for long periods of time. While excessive heat from hair dryers can cause more surface damage than air drying, using a hair dryer at a distance of at least 15 cm with continuous motion causes less damage than air drying naturally. The CMC is the material that “glues” the hair cells together. When the hair becomes wet, the hair shaft swells along with its CMC. Repeated cycles of wetting and air drying for long periods of time can be damaging. Hair is also weakest when it’s wet compared to when it’s dry, so it’s more at risk for breakage if friction occurs during air drying (like sleeping with wet hair), or putting your hair up in a tight hairstyle while it’s wet.
Time Consuming
As previously mentioned, our curl friends with low porosity hair who choose to air dry will often experience the longest drying times. Because low porosity hair resists absorbing and releasing water, it can remain damp for hours, if not days. While this may seem like a minor inconvenience, it can lead to a number of issues:
- Scalp conditions: prolonged dampness can lead to an itchy scalp and may contribute to irritation or imbalance.
- Hygral fatigue: where the hair stays wet for extended periods, the repeated swelling and contracting of the hair shaft can weaken its structure, which can result in breakage, loss of elasticity and overall weakness
- Styling limitations: extended periods of dampness means that your curls have more chance of being disrupted before they set. Simply touching your hair could create frizz.
Flat Roots
It can be more challenging to achieve volume when air drying because of the natural gravity that elongates the hair. Root clips can be used to lift the hair away from the scalp as the hair dries. This lift may not be as long-lasting though compared to using heat with diffuser prongs to lift the roots. While air drying, you can also gently flip the hair from side to side to dry each side of your head and create a bit of lift.
Other Things to Consider
Aside from the differences in damage level, time, and appearance between air drying and diffusing, there are a few other differences to consider.
Accessibility
Another factor when considering if air drying or diffusing is better for you is accessibility and coordination. Some people who have limited mobility or neck and back pain may not be able to perform diffusing techniques or hold a hair dryer. The Curlsmith Defrizzion Hair Dryer weighs about 4 lbs, which is lightweight compared to many hair dryers on the market. It also features prongs on the back of the hair dryer so it can stand up by itself for hands-free drying.
Cost
There is a cost associated with purchasing a hair dryer and diffuser whereas air drying is free. The Curlsmith Defrizzion Hair Dryer includes the XXL Diffuser attachment that fits perfectly so there is no need to purchase a universal diffuser attachment separately like with other traditional hair dryers. It also comes with a concentrator nozzle and root pick attachment.
Conclusion
Overall, you must consider various factors when determining which method is best for your curly hair. As discussed, considering the health of your hair, desired look, and convenience all come into play. You can incorporate both air drying and diffusing in your routine depending on how much time you have, or use both within the same wash day. Some people like to diffuse for a bit and then finish air drying, whereas others may choose to air dry first and then diffuse at the end of their routine. Trial and error is key!
With diffusing, you have more control over how your hair turns out. Diffusing allows you to manipulate the hair more by enhancing your curl pattern or texture, creating volume, and setting the hair into place so it lasts. Diffusing improperly, using a hair dryer that gets too hot, or not using heat protection can result in surface damage to the hair’s cuticle.
With air drying, you can influence the outcome with the various techniques discussed here, but overall air drying retains your hair’s natural texture and appearance. Air drying does not cause any cuticle damage, however, some damage may occur over time to the inner workings of the hair with repeated, prolonged air drying sessions.
Experiment to find out what works best for your hair type and your desired results.
