How to Curl Hair with a Blow Dryer | Round Brush & Spiral Techniques

Curls from a blow dryer beat heat tools for volume, but only if you prepare right. Sopping-wet hair won’t hold a shape, so start with towel-blotted strands — Wella’s styling guide notes hair should be about 80% dry before you finish the style. You’ll need a round brush for classic curls or a concentrator nozzle for spiral shapes; naturally curly hair responds better to a diffuser attachment. Each method takes a little practice, but the payoff is bouncy, heat-styled curls without clamping plates.

What You Need Before You Start

Prep decides whether your curls hold or fall flat. First, swap a rough towel for a microfiber cloth or cotton T-shirt — rough friction lifts the cuticle and invites frizz. Apply a heat protectant all over, then let hair air-dry until it’s damp rather than dripping, or use the dryer on low heat until hair reaches that 80% dry mark.

You’ll need a few tools:

• Round brush for classic wrap-and-roll curls
• Concentrator nozzle for spiral curls around the barrel
• Diffuser for natural curls looking for definition with less frizz
• Heat protectant and light-hold hairspray or serum

If you’re shopping for a new tool, our tested roundup of the best curling blow dryers covers models with the attachments and heat controls worth paying for.

The Round Brush Method for Classic Curls

Divide hair into sections first. Working with everything loose makes it impossible to dry evenly; L’Oréal Paris’s guide suggests four even sections, while Wella recommends working in smaller horizontal sections. Thicker hair needs more divisions, so add sections until each one fits comfortably around your brush.

For each section, follow this sequence with medium heat:

1. Place the round brush under the section near the roots.
2. Pull the brush through while directing airflow down the hair shaft.
3. Roll the ends once around the brush.
4. Hold the heat for a few seconds, then hit the cool shot to set the shape.
5. Release and pin the curl if it needs to cool completely before you move on.

Work around your head, leaving each curl pinned until it’s fully cool — releasing early lets the curl fall out before it sets. Once everything is done and cool, loosen curls with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb and spritz with light-hold spray.

Spiral Curls and the Diffuser for Natural Texture

Spiral curls skip the brush entirely. Wrap a small section around the hair dryer’s concentrator nozzle, hold for a few seconds on medium heat, then switch to the cool shot before releasing. You’ll get a tighter, corkscrew-like shape than the round brush produces.

For hair that’s already curly, a diffuser keeps your natural pattern intact while cutting frizz. Wella’s technique calls for low to medium heat, drying roots first in sections, and keeping the ends out of the diffuser bowl — the tips are the most fragile part of the strand, and concentrated heat there causes over-drying and frizz. Dry until hair is about 80–90% dry, then let the rest set naturally. L’Oréal Paris recommends the CURVE IT Elastic Curl Mousse for definition, paired with their Elvive Oil Curls Shampoo and Conditioner for prep and the Extraordinary Oil Treatment as a finishing serum. Keep the dryer moving at all times; parking heat on one spot damages the strand and creates frizz.

A final note from Dyson’s Supersonic™ attachment guide: run a smoothing cream through damp hair before styling, and use the cold shot at the end to relax curls rather than crush them. That advice applies to any dryer with a cool button.