Hair dryers are very common these days. Every woman has (or ought to have) a hair blow dryer. Whether it is a professional blow dryer, or a ceramic one, a tourmaline one, or an ionic one, they all work and give you that special look that your hair needs. With a good hair blow dryer you can style your hair perfectly with the minimum effort involved. And although sometimes it’s worth spending a bit more money on a good dryer, for those of us more frugal ones, there are cheaper alternatives that also work perfectly, depending on the hair type and length.
Hair dryers are one of the most common hairstyling appliances in use today. They work by blowing a jet of air through heated nichrome, which creates a blast of hot air used to dry the wet hair in a professional and fast manner. The best hair blow dryers do that without damaging the hair.
Ceramic Hair Dryers
Ceramic hair dryers are really powerful if you intend to dry your hair quite often. The ceramic coating on the drying elements allows even heat distribution over the hair and it will lower the temperature based on the surrounding temperature.
Also it tends to seal the hair cuticle and control frizz while at the same time offering your hair more moisture, smoothness and shine.
The properties of the ceramic elements in the hair dryer help get stable and even heat distribution of heat across the hair and also eliminate damaging hot spots while using the hair dryer on the hair. The ceramic heating element isolates the ionic generators and group the ions at the tip where the air stream takes them to the hair.
Ceramic technology has been used by hair dryer manufacturers for a while now as it creates negative ions which are great for breaking down water drops into tiny, microscopic particles that are able to be absorbed into the hair shaft. This means your hair folicles will hydrate faster and your hair will become shiny and healthy. As the water droplets are easily broken down into tiny particles, your hair drying time reduces considerably, which has an end result less damaged hair.
Ceramic hair dryers use nowadays a new technology called silver technology. Nano silver makes the hair dryer clean itself as the silver is simply infused in the several parts of the blow dryer in order to kill the germs and bacteria while the hair is dried. In return the hair will become also cleaner so its body will hold much better in shape. Right now BaByliss is one manufacturer that makes use of this silver technology.
The ceramic heater is self-regulating, which means that it turns down when the temperature around it becomes very hot. By auto-regulating the temperature, these hair blow dryers don’t need too many knobs and buttons for speed settings. All they need is a high and a low setting to perform accurately.
Two of the more popular ceramic hair dryers are the Chi and the Bonnet hair blow dryers. The Bonnet hair dryer has a very convenient hands-free operation that doesn’t involve tiring your hands while your hair dryers. There are actually several manufacturers offering these types of dryers, including BaByliss, Conair and Hot Tools, which are among the best manufacturers out there on ceramic technology. The Chi hair dryer stands for ‘Catatonic Hydration Interlink’, which is manufactured by Farouk Systems. The Chi hair dryer creates negative ions, which as mentioned above, break down water droplets into tiny particles that are absorbed directly into the hair shaft in order to allow the hair dry much faster without getting damaged.
A good ceramic hair dryer is a great investment in keeping your hair healthy when washing it and drying it often.
Check out here some more professional ceramic hair dryers at Amazon.
Ionic Hair Dryers
Ionic hair dryers are nowadays very popular due to their improved way of drying the hair while at the same time leaving it healthy, shiny and full of volume. As a matter of fact this type of hair dryer is the tool of choice in many hair salons.
Lots of hair stylists have come to rely heavily on ionic hair dryers in their daily work and this pushed also many women and men get it a go. Not surprisingly they found that it really works the way it’s been advertised. Salon quality hair dryer from the convenience of home has never been easier.
Basically at it’s core the ionic hair dryer is a type of hair dryer that generates negative ions that break down the moisture in your hair into small droplets that are easily absorbed by the hair shaft. This helps dry your hair from the inside out and also keep your hair healthy and without getting split ends while drying your hair.
Even though not all ionic hair dryers are the same. Some are better quality than others, just as in everything else that is sold nowadays. So it’s good to check out various reviews and the features of similar types of hair blow dryers. If the dryer is a professional hair dryer, then you can safely buy it. Also the reviews on Amazon are usually done by people who have actually tried them, so never forget checking those out. For example if you are thinking of getting the Elchim Professional 2001 hair dryer, which is a top notch quality dryer, here are its Amazon reviews. Indeed a good quality piece.
The ionic hair dryer type is one of the few main modern hair dryers models. The others are ceramic hair dryer, tourmaline hair dryer and nano-silver technology hair dryer. Of course each of them have a separate set of features and benefits and you will find many hair dryers that have a mix of all the technologies embedded in them for better performance.
There is an important point to note, however. No matter how good your hair dryer is, if your don’t take care of your hair, if you’re using the wrong type of shampoo, if you’re not using conditioners, if you don’t trim it regularly, your hair will suffer. No amount of professional blow drying will help the wrong choice of hair care products. Make sure that whatever you buy, you get the best for your hair type, length and color.
Check out here some more professional ionic hair dryers at Amazon.
[amazon bestseller=”ionic hair dryer” items=”5″]
Tourmaline Hair Dryers
When you are looking at tourmaline hair dryers, you should be safe in knowing that they are made of pure crushed tourmaline mineral.
Tourmaline is a precious stone used mostly in jewelry making, however it is also used in making hair dryer components. This is because tourmaline is the best ionic and infrared generator that helps tremendously when it comes to hair blow dryers.
A bit about the history of tourmaline. The name comes from Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) word tura mali which means the stone of mixed colors. You can indeed find tourmaline in many different colors, including light and dark brown, yellow, blue and neon blue, lime, green, red, purple, pink and even clear. The stone was apparently first discovered by some Dutch traders close to the coast of Italy somewhere in the 1600-1700s. There are many stories about tourmaline properties, and one that is repeated again and again is that if you take a piece of tourmaline and wrap it in silk and pu tit against the cheek of a child with fever, it will bring the child to sleep.
Sometimes people wonder why tourmaline hair dryers are so expensive. One reason is that tourmaline by itself is an expensive stone. For example one carat can cost up to $10,000. The properties of negative ions combined with infrared are perfect in giving you the best results when using a tourmaline hair dryer.
Some of the benefits of using tourmaline hair dryers are listed below.
- Very fast hair drying action. Due to the negative ions breaking down the water molecules in tiny particles, they are easier to evaporate which allows for faster hair drying time.
- Also the negative ions are responsible for closing the cuticles and thus giving the hair a nice shiny and smooth texture, as well as locking in the natural moisture of the hair.
- Extra moisture is added due to the small particles so they can easier penetrate the hair shaft.
- There is no damage to the hair due to the action of hair drying. Usually regular hair dryers tend to damage the hair and create split ends and very dry hair. Due to the tourmaline crystals, the hair is kept healthy and shiny even after several uses. Users no longer experience frizz and dry hair after using this type of hair dryer.
- The hair dryer that contains tourmaline is quite lightweight when compared to regular hair dryers.
One of the best tourmaline hair dryer brands is the T3 range of professional hair dryers. Particularly the T3 Bespoke Evolution is one hair blow dryer that people are extremely happy to use.
While tourmaline hair dryers are a bit more costly than other hair dryer types, in the long run they prove to be one of the best investments you’ve ever made regards to your hair and beauty. While the prices range between anything from $29-$250 or even more, you might be tempted to go with the cheapest option. Before buying though make sure to read all the user reviews on the brands that you are interested in and weight the cons and pros of each brand. Avoid going for something cheap that might be replaced in the next couple of months with something better. Go for a good quality that has been already tested by many others and proven to be excellent for your – and any – hair type.
Check out here some more professional tourmaline hair dryers at Amazon.
[amazon bestseller=”tourmaline hair dryer” items=”5″]
Professional Hair Dryers
When you hear the words professional hair dryers, I bet you immediately have the image of a hair salon where busy hair stylists pep up the hair of their regular customers using this expensive and bulky dryer. However you might be surprised to find out that many people use professional hair dryers at home as well.
One of the reasons why this might be surprising is because earlier on professional quality demanded higher price. While today it is still the case, manufacturers have started to drastically decrease the retail prices on their most expensive hair blow dryers so that today practically everybody has easy access to on without having to resort of an even higher cost of getting their hair done at a hair salon such a Tony and Guy.
Benefits and qualities of professional hair dryers
One of the best qualities of the professional hair dryers is that they are truly built to last for many years. They are very durable and made of quality material that don’t break so easily. Also they are extremely compact nowadays, so they can be used by pretty much anyone. Earlier one the professional type hair blow dryers used to be quite bulky and heavy, so people who were having problems holding such an accessory for a long time in their hands were experiencing wrist and arm pain. Also people with arthritis could not easily use them. However now they are quite light and compact indeed.
Speaking of durability, I accidentally dropped mine from my cosmetics desk the other day (I have a tile floor which is not very hair dryer friendly since it’s quite hard), and my hair dryer remained intact without even as much as a scratch or chip on it. I am definitely looking with other eyes at my professional style blow dryer ever since.
Professional Hair Dryers Vs Regular Hair Dryers
Here are actual technical details that promote a hair dryer to a professional quality and sets it apart from a regular blow dryer.
- Has extra heat settings
- Has a dial with many power settings from off to full power
- It has an AC adapter motor that greatly extends the life of the dryer
- Has true cold settings that cools the air
- Uses less electricity, which means is more energy efficient and costs you less in monthly bills
- Withstands regular and frequent use much better than regular hair blow dryers
- Dries the hair faster, many times as much as 60% faster
- Much gentler to the hair and maintains its health and shine without making it all frizzy
If you are not sure whether the hair dryer that you intend to buy is a professional or a standard one, watch out for these specifications:
- Wattage of 1800 or more
- Auto shut off
- Extra nozzle for better heat direction
- Removable filter
- Cool air feature
- Different power and heat settings
- Lightweight and compact yet extremely powerful (if it is lightweight but has a wattage of 1200, it is not a professional hair dryer)
Some of the best brands in professional hair dryers that you can rely on are Sedu, CHI and Solano.
Check out Amazon for some great professional hair dryers that won’t leave your wallet dry and give you a truly quality experience for your hair.
[amazon bestseller=”professional hair dryer” items=”5″]
Dual Voltage Hair Dryer
If you’ve never traveled overseas, the notion of dual voltage hair dryer might be new to you. However if you intend to go on a trip to another country, this is is something you might want to look into.
If you have a regular hair dryer and the voltage in the country you’re traveling to is different from that you are using at home, most probably you might be thinking of carrying with you a separate power converter. Depending on the make and model, it might weight quite heavily in your pack. The introduction of dual voltage hair dryers has effectively eliminated the need for such a converter, since many modern hair blow dryers have this feature that is incorporated in a built-in switch. Voltage now differs worldwide from country to country. So if you are living in the US and you have 110 volts travel hair dryer, you simply need to switch the proper setting to enable it to work in countries that have 220 volts.
The European and American electricity differs as in Europe they use 220 to 240 volts at a frequency of 50 hertz, while in the US they use 110 volts at a frequency of 60 hertz. So you really need a good converter to avoid your hair dryer exploding when you plug it in the wall.
In a nutshell, this is what you need to do to get hold of this very useful functionality if you are traveling abroad and you need to take the dual voltage hair dryer with you for proper hair care:
- Buy a dual voltage hair dryer from a good, reputable seller. The ‘dual voltage’ should be clearly printed on the box, so you get the right one. Especially since you buy it for traveling, it should be a compact, small size that will fit in your luggage easily. Also it should possess a folding handle along with a retractable cord.
- Depending on where you are located at the moment, select the appropriate plug adapter for the blow dryer. US has different sizes for their electrical outlets compared to other countries. This is why you actually need a plug adapter, so make sure you get one, preferably from the same source you got the dual voltage hair dryer in the first place. You can buy these separately as well if you want, from pretty much any hardware or travel store for around $15-$20.
- When you’re ready to dry your hair, simply plug the adapter into the electrical outlet of your room. Of course, if you’re in the US, you can skip this step.
- If you are outside of the US, set the hair dryer to 220 volts so you get correct voltage. Don’t forget to actually switch bit back on when you’re home and you want to use your hair dryer again. If you’re not sure where the dual-voltage switch is, you can find it on the handle of the dryer. Just plug the dual voltage hair dryer into the adapter in the electrical outlet, then turn on the power and enjoy drying your hair.
A few things you need to pay attention to:
- If the lights start to flicker, switch off the hair dryer right away. You might have not entirely turned your voltage accordingly.
- Avoid plugging in the US electronics, including your hair dryer, into a European or other region outlet, unless you want to fry your equipment to bits.
Here is a good article on msnbc on the the plug in safety when you are overseas.
Visit Amazon to see what’s best on the dual voltage hair dryer on the market today. There are many ionic and ceramic hair dryer manufacturers that offer you hair blow dryers with the dual voltage feature at unbeatable prices, including BaByliss Pro, Andis, Ceramic Tools, Wigo, Hot Tools, and many more.
[amazon bestseller=”dual voltage hair dryer” items=”5″]
Portable Hair Dryers
If you are a business person traveling a lot to various cities or even countries, or if you’re just about to go on a well deserved vacation, portable hair dryers are a something to look at in terms of convenience, ease of use and making your life simpler when it comes to drying and styling your hair.
The portable hair dryers have several different names that they are also known under, including hand-held hair dryers, travel hair dryers, folding hair dryers or cordless hair dryers. They are perfect for our busy times full of action, activity and stress when everything needs to be done right away and there is little to no time to devote to one’s appearance and well being. With the invention of the portable hair dryers many women (and men) have seen a great increase in their free time at home since drying and styling your hair now is much faster and easier. This has certainly helped when one has to look top notch in the next business meeting but there is not much time to prepare in advance to look presentable.
Some of the main characteristics of the portable hair dryers are:
- Much more lightweight than the regular hair blow dryers
- Very fast and easy to use
- Can be effortlessly taken away on trips and journeys
- Compact size which makes them easy to put in any luggage or compartment
- Allow hair drying pretty much anywhere in the house without being attached to a cord
- Have a hang-up hook for easy mounting
- Come with a rechargeable battery that can be used practically anywhere in the world without having to be attached to electric current
- Have assembly parts including a fan, a heating element, an on-off switch and an adjustable heat control that allows setting the temperature to the most comfortable levels
- Are easily used also by professional salon hair stylists on a regular basis
- Require no fiddling with the voltage or alternating it when traveling to countries as it might be the case with the dual voltage hair dryer. This is truly a wash and go gadget no matter where you are in the world at the moment.
Here are some cleaning and maintaining tips for your portable hair dryer:
- To make the best use of your hand-held portable hair dryer and prolong its life, you need to clean it once a month for proper maintenance. By following the steps below you will help your cordless hair dryer to minimize the chance of malfunctioning or catching fire.
- The travel hair dryer has two sides, one that blows out the hot air and the other side takes in the fresh air. When the air is taken in by the blow dryer, there is after a while lint build-up on the plastic mesh screen which will stop the dryer from functioning properly. Also lint is in many cases a major cause of house fires (just think about the lint build-up in clothes dryer vents). So your main task is to remove this lint regularly so it doesn’t get a chance to build-up on the mesh screen.
As a matter of fact, this set of steps is useful for all hair blow dryers, not only for the cordless type.
- If your hair dryer is a regular type, unplug it
- Use a cotton swab and dampen its end lightly with water. If it has excess water, shake the extra. It needs to be damp, not wet.
- Scrape lightly the surface of the mesh screen that is on the back of the dryer to properly remove any lint fiber from it. With the damp cotton it gets very easily removed.
If you have a regular hair dryer, do not attempt to plug it back in until the mesh screen is completely dry.
Check out some more great portable hair dryers at Amazon.
[amazon bestseller=”travel hair dryer” items=”5″]