Make sure the diffuser will fit your blow dryer – they come in different sizes and some have a universal fit.

You should be prepared to experiment with the diffuser the first couple of times in order to find out which setting and technique is right for you. In my case, it took quite a few times to get the right result. Some say to use the lowest setting, however I discovered that my dryer’s medium setting worked best.  If you have a blow dryer with different heat and speed settings, then you will want to go for high heat, slow speed. Try not to brush your hair when wet either – use your fingers or a very wide tooth comb if necessary to remove any tangles, then apply your favorite anti-frizz serum.

Start at the root, no scrunching – if you have longer hair, you almost have to let it sit within the diffuser by kind of gathering it up from the end to the scalp in a circular motion, and then just let it sit for a minute before pulling the dryer back down and away. If your hair is shorter, just hold the diffuser over the head. Try to remember not to handle your hair too much, or not to over-dry – this will only cause frizz. If you want more volume, dry upside down and point the dryer at the roots – do not use your fingers to do it.

Lastly, if your dryer has the cold shot option, use it to cool down the hair, otherwise just let it cool down naturally. Give it about 20 minutes before doing any kind of finger styling.

Looking for a diffuser? Here’s one just like mine (click on the image to order)-

Anyway, the reporter (who has naturally curly hair) had one photograph taken of herself with her hair curly, and another with it straight (wearing different outfits). She then went on to conduct a very unscientific survey of reactions to both photos from one group of guys (5 young white males) and a group of very young school kids. Her last experiment was in a job interview – wearing same outfit but with different interviewers.

The guys’ reaction was mostly negative towards the curly hair, however for an attractive woman it seems that they were very hard on her score-wise (25 out of 50 for curly, 31 out of 50 for straight) all together. They were either distracted by the hair, or didn’t offer an opinion at all. Not sure where they found those guys. The young kids also preferred the straight look to the curly locks, referring to them as “messy.”

The interview portion was actually the only interesting part of the story. This was also the only section of the experiment where she spoke as a part of the assessment, so they considered personality/behavior as part of the “whole package” – wonder if the earlier reactions would have changed had they been shown a video instead of a photograph. Apparently her confidence and comfort level were greatest in her naturally curly state and therefore she excelled in that interview, receiving comments like “intelligent” and “personable.” Her scores were much higher with curly hair than with straight hair. If you want to view the entire story in detail, visit the “ABC News Story – The Mane Conflict: Hair Curly or Straight?” for the full story and video.

Having had curly hair my entire life, I find this last section of her story very interesting and encouraging – especially since I am currently hunting for a job and will soon be going through those dreadful interviews. It’s nice to know that somewhere, people actually look beyond the surface.