“I swapped my hair straightener for a diffuser, and I didn’t hate it”
What happened when Beauty Crew’s editor embraced her natural curls
There’s that adage that goes something like, ‘you always want what you don’t have’, and nothing could be more spot on when it comes to my natural curls. For as long as I can remember I’ve done all that I can to straighten out those kinks – from risking arm and shoulder fatigue using one of those old-school clunky hair straighteners that weighed like 800kg (Muster, anyone?), to Japanese chemical straightening and Keratin treatments, plus all the beauty hacks in between. And over time, I’ve perfected and refined my straightening technique – so much so that most people are pretty surprised when they find out I have natural curls.
But every now and then, curiosity gets the better of me. What if I just embraced my curls and rolled with the random kinks and waves my natural style brought with it?
And so that’s what I decided to do when the VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Hairdryer came across my desk with its Professional Diffuser attachment. Now, the hair dryer itself first piqued my interest because it boasts a clever digital sensor that ensures its drying temperature remains constant at 70°C, which, unlike some older dryers that can go up to 100°C, is a hair-safe temperature (so it minimises the heat damage to your hair). But it was the diffuser attachment that had me revisiting the idea to shelf my straightener for a bit.
Now, the last time I used a diffuser attachment I was about eight years old and in the hands of a pro, so I needed to brush up on my diffusing skills. And if you’re looking to embrace your natural texture – be that soft waves, round curls, or even ringlets – diffusing could be a great option for you, too. So, here’s how to use the VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Hairdryer with the Professional Diffuser attachment to enhance your hair’s natural curl.
1
Start with wet hair and prep
After you’ve washed your hair, gently squeeze the moisture out of your hair and apply a lightweight curl cream from roots to ends. This will help maximise the shape of your curls when you get to the diffusing stage.
A good idea is to look for a curl cream that has heat-protecting benefits built-in; that way you can kill two birds with one stone. We like the BaByliss Pro Argan Oil Curl Cream.
2
Section off your hair
Part your hair where you usually would (it’s down the middle for me), then section your hair horizontally from ear to ear. Divide that top section in half and clip each section. Then, divide the back section that’s still out in two, clipping each half up. You’ll end up with four sections.
3
Start on the front section
Unclip your first front section and lean your head to the side, positioning the end of your hair into the diffuser attachment. Once your hair dryer is going, use your hand to keep the hair in the attachment as you move the dryer up and down (as you would if you were scrunching your hair with your hand).
4
Move onto the back section
Once the front section is dry, unclip the back one and swing it around the side to perform the same movement.
5
Repeat on the other side
Now that you’ve mastered the technique on one half of your head, it’s time to move on to the other half. Make sure to diffuse section by section instead of in one hit, as you’ll get more definition in your texture by focusing on small sections at a time.
6
Set with a shine spray
Once your hair is diffused and dry, give your curls a quick spritz with a shine-enhancing spray that has a lightweight hold.
We like La Biosthétique Glossing Spray.
7
Smooth to finish
While the VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Hairdryer has high ionic technology to actively eliminate static and tame frizz, if you have some rogue frizz you need to deal with, use your fingers to gently comb a light serum, like Aveda Light Elements™ Smoothing Fluid, through your hair to smooth it.
Just be careful: If you want your curl to keep its structure, use a light hand to smooth; but if you want to stretch it out a bit, you can use a bit more pressure to comb through your serum.
The final verdict
Besides the fact that the temperature coming out of the VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Hairdryer was a nice, constant warmth (so no burning of my ears!), I found that it worked quickly to dry my hair, and I was really happy to see that there wasn’t much frizz or fluffiness (an annoying problem for anyone with curls) to deal with once I was done. I also really liked knowing that the tool has been designed and built to safeguard the health of my hair with the controlled temperature.
The weight and the shape of the dryer was also really comfortable to use, and I didn’t feel any fatigue holding my arm essentially in the one position for a few minutes (gotta love that slick Italian engineering and build!).
As for the diffuser-created curls, I was surprised to find I didn’t hate them. Like, at all. It was definitely not something I was used to seeing on myself, so it took some getting used to. The biggest thing I needed to wrap my head around was the non-uniformity –embracing and enhancing natural texture means that the kinks, waves and curls are inconsistent, and while one side may look perfect, the other may not. But once I got used to seeing myself with my natural texture, I really liked it. While I haven’t given up my straightener completely, the VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Hairdryer and the diffuser attachment have made a regular appearance in my routine and I have been embracing my hair’s natural state. And the dryer itself has been a great addition pre-straightening my hair!
Want to know more about this hairdryer? Make sure to read the reviews our Review Crew® wrote for the VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Hairdryer here.
Do you diffuse your hair or are now tempted to try it? Please share with us in the comments section below
Photography by: Sevak Babkhani
Carli was BEAUTYcrew’s Editor from launch in 2016 until May 2020. You can find her words right here on BEAUTYcrew, and previously on beautyheaven.
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