I don’t like diffusing my hair. Despite all of the attachments and different methods I have tried to “correctly” diffuse and blow dry my hair, it always turns out looking way more frizzy and having way too much volume then I want it to. My first drying choice is to air dry my hair, not only because it is healthier for my hair but I like how it looks better. However, sometimes time won’t permit the hours upon hours it takes my hair to air dry.
With this past brutal winter we had, the last thing I wanted to do in the freezing cold was step outside with a wet head. So what’s a curly girl to do? Figure out a different way to get hair drier, faster! Enter: The Space Heater Drying Technique.
There are two super important things to know about The Space Heater Drying Technique.
1. Yes, it will dry hair faster than air drying BUT it will dry hair slower than regular diffusing.
2. This is still considered drying hair “with heat” so it isn’t completely damage-free. You want to use a heat protector on top of regular styling products. My favorite is the Living Proof Restore Spray.
The technique is super simple.
Basically, I have a small space heater. It would probably work a bit faster if you own a bigger one. Anyway, I just hold the space heater about a foot away from my hair and let the heat dry it. If my arms get tired I will place it on a flat surface and sit in front of it. I don’t hold it on any section too long and I don’t want to keep it too close to my hair because again, it is heat and still damaging. Once it has been in the same spot a few seconds I move around to another spot. Sometimes after, I will take out my blowdryer and very quickly diffuse with cool air just to help close the hair cuticle. But when or if you decide to do this, be careful.
I always apply all of my after shower styling products directly after the shower on wet hair.
Then, plop with my Curly Tee towel. I don’t use the space heater drying technique on my hair when it is soaking wet from the shower. I usually will let it air dry at least a half hour to an hour to get some of the moisture out. I apply the heat protectant spray on my hair right before I use the space heater drying technique.
My results when using the space heater drying technique come out much better than when I diffuse.
I have nice wavy definition, minimal frizz, and my favorite part- my hair doesn’t expand or get too poofy the way it does when I diffuse regularly. I believe this is because whenever I use the space heater, it is not a strong force of air forced to move my hair all around as it is drying. Instead, my hair is staying still and drying in place.
Sometimes as I am drying my hair with the space heater, I may “scrunch” my hair a little bit to encourage curl definition and other times I just let it dry completely as is. When I do scrunch while space heater drying I hold the section of hair I am scrunching in my hand for a few seconds with the space heater over it.
If your space heater is big enough, it is great for heating up deep treatments too.
Adding heat to any deep treatment will help increase the absorption of the deep treatment’s ingredients into the hair. Whenever I do deep treatments with heat, my curly waves also are extra define, softer and shinier. One of my favorite deep treatments with heat is the Ouidad 12 Minute Deep Treatment– but make sure to follow it up with a moisturizing conditioner.
