What is a Concentrator?

amikaconcentrator

There is an important hair care tool that many women seem to be a stranger to and that is a concentrator.

A concentrator is a styling tool accessory or attachment that fits on the end of your dryer.  It’s the little plastic piece that looks like a duckbill and comes with your dryer when you purchase it.

It’s the piece that you couldn’t figure out what to do with so you probably threw in a drawer and forgot about or tossed out with the box.

Concentrators are all typically the same shape (not to be confused with other attachments like a diffuser, comb, etc) with a narrow flat tip that concentrates the air flow. They come in various sizes- the more narrow the opening on the concentrator the more powerful your concentrated air flow + heat will be. 

When air comes out of a blow dryer it spins in a circular motion causing a the hair cuticle to rough up and hair to become frizzy and unruly- a concentrator allows you to direct the airflow in the direction of the cuticle (toward your ends) which creates a smooth , shiny frizz-free blowout.

Concentrators work best when you dry small sections of hair at a time by placing a round brush underneath the hair at the roots. Position the hair dryer at a 90 degree angle focusing the air flow down the section and brush from root to tip following with the dryer. Repeat this process on each section until completely dry before moving to the next section. Finish by turning the ends under and set your hair by blowing a “cool shot” through your hair. You can also use a lower speed setting with a higher temperature to speed up drying and keep your hair from blowing all over.

amika-power-cloud-repair-smooth-dryer-black-obliphica

My dryer of choice is Amika’s Power Cloud Repair and Smooth Dryer (click here for a review I did on the dryer).  Seriously this is THE BEST hairdryer you will EVER use!

It comes with two Tourmaline-infused Concentrators- one with a narrow opening and one with a slightly larger opening- allowing you to control the amount of air-flow and heat.

Once you get the hang of it and start using a concentrator in your blow-out routine you will be amazed at how much faster your hair dries and how smooth you can get it!

Do you use your concentrator?

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2 Comments

  1. I actually just got the same exact hairdryer and am trying to get the hang of the concentrator! This post was very helpful!!
    Love the hairdryer too, amika is amazing.

    1. OOH Kelly you are going to love the dryer! I seriously couldn’t live without mine! Once you get the hang of using the concentrator you will see a huge difference in your blow-outs! Super shiny, dries faster and way less frizz!

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