Can you use a pasta strainer instead of a hairdryer diffuser?

Dec 07, 2023

Using kitchen utensils to replicate beauty kit is often a recipe for disaster. But does this method of drying wavy hair work?

The hackUsing a metal pasta strainer in place of a diffuser to create waves and curls.

The testMany social media beauty hacks are actually professional techniques transferred to a digital platform or are so ludicrous that they’re obviously designed to go viral in pursuit of fame. But this one could – potentially – be that rare, weird hack that is actually pretty useful for anyone with curls or waves.

TikTokker Liz Fox Roseberry (@foxcraftcustom) takes a metal pasta strainer, tips her head forward, puts her hair in the strainer and blow dries her hair from underneath.

The strainer acts like a diffuser attachment on a hairdryer would: keeping the curl patterns tight, and letting the heat diffuse, drying the hair more evenly than the regular nozzle.

I did exactly that with my metal strainer and it was definitely quicker than a diffuser would have been. But I also noticed that it got incredibly hot. Diffusers are usually plastic, whereas the strainer is metal and so conducts heat more rapidly – so I might also be damaging my hair.

The verdictTry it – but keep the heat down low, and use a heat-protecting spray. You might also want to invest in a separate beauty strainer – or your angel hair pasta dish might take on a whole new meaning.