Last Updated on January 27, 2023 by Gaga
You know that feeling when you get home from the hair salon and your hair is silky, shiny, and all-around flawless? The ultimate goal is to achieve that look at home, but you need the right tools for the job! No matter your hair type, this guide will help you choose the correct attachment to get that perfect, dazzling style.
Let’s start from the moment you get out of the shower! Your hair is clean, it’s wet, and it’s ready to be styled! Before you pick up your blow dryer, your hair needs to be 60% dry. Wet hair is prone to more damage, so towel-dry, throw in a leave-in conditioner and let the air do its thing before you get started.
Your hair is 60% dry, now what? Now it’s show time! Apply your favorite detangler and brush through your hair, starting at the bottom and working your way up to your scalp. It’s easier to work in sections, so divide your hair and use clips to keep your sections separate. Now you’re ready for your blow dryer, but which attachment will you use? Let’s dive into four blow dryer attachments and how to get the most out of them.
1. Blow Dryer Nozzle
The first blow dryer attachment that everyone should have in their cabinet is a classic styling nozzle. Styling nozzles fit on the end of your blow-dryer and come with your dryer when you buy it. It is used for styling purposes or to help dry hair faster.
Nozzles are the attachment that you can use to straighten hair with a brush and get that salon-feeling, blown-out hair at home. Use the nozzle to direct heat on the section you’re brushing.
The nozzle concentrates the airflow to one section of your hair rather than all over your head. A narrow nozzle helps you style small sections by placing a round brush underneath the hair. Recommended for smoothing or straightening the hair to help you achieve that flawless smooth look.
A wide nozzle allows you to work with bigger sections to achieve a faster drying time. Using the nozzle close to your roots will give you the volume you’ve been waiting for! Even if you don’t use it for styling, it can help you to dry your hair faster.
Tip: To create smooth, sleek hair styles, point the nozzle directly at the brush without touching the bristles. To prevent heat damage, keep the nozzle at least 1 inch away from the brush, and don’t stay at one spot for long.
2. Hair Diffuser Attachment
This is a blow dryer attachment with all of you curly-haired beauties in mind! Diffusers are meant to retain the shape of your natural curls while getting a bouncy hairstyle.
This is a must-have accessory if your curly hair is fine and prone to damage. Hair diffusers have holes throughout the attachment to disperse the airflow to a wider section of hair, protecting the hair from heat damage.
You’ll want to start with a low heat setting to avoid disturbing the curl pattern. Grab a section of your hair, place it on the diffuser, and use your blow dryer in up-down motions.
You can also use the diffuser to lift the roots to create texture and add volume. The diffuser also provides gentle drying to straight hair, reduces frizz, and helps to create lift and volume.
If you find that conventional diffusers take up a lot of space in your luggage or in your bathroom, there are collapsible diffusers made of silicone that are great space savers.
3. Blow Dryer Comb Attachment
Some hair dryer brands come with a comb attachment included but you can also buy a universal comb attachment that fits most hair dryers.
Blow dryer comb attachments are partnered with a brush to dry and prep overly curly hair for straightening. Comb attachments help detangle your hair and stretch out curls through the drying process.
You’ll work in sections, first using your brush and following with the comb attachment. Alter your motions going up, down, side to side, and under the section to avoid that flat and dull look. Using a blow dryer comb attachment is easy to use since it mimics the motions of natural brushing.
For people with straight hair, the comb attachment will create volume at the roots of normally straight hair.
4. Hair Dryer Bonnet Attachment
Bring your mind back to being at the salon, what’s one of the most relaxing chairs to be in after your hairdresser washes your hair? The drying station! A bonnet attachment gives you that effortless dry at home without the price tag of a plastic hair dryer you’d sit under.
As the name suggests, a bonnet attachment conveniently attaches a tube to your hair dryer that connects to a bonnet you’ll place on your head like a hat! Bonnet attachments dry your hair evenly and work for all hair types. If you have fragile hair, this is the attachment for you as it’s less damaging than direct heat attachments. You’ll simply place the bonnet on your head with all of your hair piled on the top, turn your blow dryer on, and watch it inflate!
Styling your hair at home can seem intimidating, but all it takes are the right tools! It doesn’t matter if your hair is straight, curly, wavy, or coiled, there’s a blow dryer attachment out there for you. Now it’s time to elevate your styling game!
Gaga is a blogger and founder of the Softer Hair website. She often says that insomnia is to blame for her first blogging attempts. Being the night owl, she hated the morning alarm. She left her office job and returned to what she loved most - writing.