Blow Dryers, Hair Care, heat styling, Natural Hair Care
Editor’s Note: Be sure to also check out The 28 Best Hair Dryers For Every Hair Type
We’re going to cut straight to the chase. The type of blow dryer you use on your hair makes a lot of difference. Just because something can blow out hot air does not mean it’s efficient or good for you. If that were? the case, you could get someone to?use a leaf?blower on your head. The type of heat blasting out of a cylinder matters the most which is why the best hair dryer for frizzy hair and the best hair dryer for fine hair and the best hair dryer for thick hair and the best hair dryer for damaged hair or whatever you can come up will have all or more of these these very important attributes below.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD HAIR DRYER
If you blow dry your hair once a year or every day, it matters what you’re using. Heat can do a number on your hair (remember that burnt hair smell we talked about) and lots of damage can be done way, way, way before a flat iron touches your hair. You can indeed wreak your hair with a blow dryer. Contrary to what you may think and no matter how long that dinosaur blow dryer you have has held on, you need a good quality dryer. What does a good hair dryer mean? It means that your blow dryer has at least three discernible temperature controls including, high, medium, low (cool blast and overheating auto shut off optional), has discernible and comfortable high, medium and low air speeds (some dryers try to blow your head clean off) and also handles well in your hands– it’s not too heavy or too light–and has comb and diffuser attachment capabilities especially if you have naturally curly hair because diffusers and nozzle attachments help to cut down on frizzy hair. A good hair dryer can sometimes last you up to least 10 years if you take care of it properly.
WHICH IS BETTER: TOURMALINE, IONIC OR CERAMIC?
You don’t necessarily need an ionic or ceramic hair dryer. Though those things are nice to have, they are not mandatory. However, we believe that ionic dryers do make a difference in drying curly hair.?Ionic dryers create negative ions that break down water droplets faster than standard heat which means that your hair dries faster. Ceramic dryers emit infrared laser-like heat that’s non-damaging (when used properly) and gently dries hair from the inside out which again speeds up dry time and serves as lightly built-in heat protection since the heat is more gentle. Tourmaline dryers contain crushed tourmaline stones that coat the inside of the dryer or have parts made of tourmaline. Tourmaline dryers are said to boost the production of negative ions so they are simply hair dryers with boosted ionic power if you would. Overall, all of these “advances” help to cut down on drying time which helps to prevent heat damage and frizz.
HOW HOT SHOULD YOUR DRYER GET?
This all boils down to quality over quantity. Really hot dryers–you know the ones that create a s’more with your neck and the tops of you ears and set off your fire alarms–are not good for your hair because you are essentially cooking your hair. Your blow dryer wattage should be between 1300 to 1875 with 1875 being more than enough for home use. For medium to coarse, thick kinky or curly hair, stick to 1875 and for fine kinky to wavy hair somewhere between 1500’s and 1600’s should do. The best hair dryer for thin hair or fragile more mature?hair has a wattage of around 1350 to 1400. Lower wattage dryers often take longer to dry hair because the lower the wattage the cooler the heat, however, it’s smart to use the best blow dryer for your hair type (kinky, curly, wavy or straight) and texture (fine, coarse, medium) instead of being in a rush to dry your hair. There is a difference. So, if you have thin, fine curly hair but already own a 1875 watt dryer, then be sure to use the low heat setting to compensate for such high wattage. You may have also noticed that most dryers you’ll come across will have a standard 1875 wattage. Everyone should be able to dry their hair pretty quickly on the low to medium heat setting with a 1875 wattage dryer. If your hair is damp and partially dry, always use the medium heat setting so that you don’t over-dry your hair which leads to that straw-like texture many of us are familiar with.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AC AND DC MOTOR?
AC motors are often found in professional dryers which usually last 2,000 hours or more on average, weigh more, cost more and are much more silent. DC motors have shorter life spans, weigh less and are often found in less expensive brands of dryers.
HOW TO USE THE COOL SHOT BUTTON
The cool button is supposed to seal your hair’s cuticle and set your hair–in essence, it’s like blanching your curls or putting them on ice to hold them into place. Some people say using the cool shot makes their hair shiner. If you have naturally frizzy hair, use the concentrator which is sometimes called the nozzle (see below). The nozzle helps your cuticles to lay flat and smooths your hair.
HOW DO YOU USE THE ATTACHMENTS?
Your comb attachment is self-explanatory. We’re not at all fans of the brush attachment and advise you to avoid it at all costs. Most brands don’t even make them any more which is fine by us since there is so much risk to ripping your hair out. The concentrator or nozzle concentrates?the air on your hair which helps to cut down on frizz and focuses your styling efforts. It’s also great for when ?you want to get salon-style blow results out at home. The diffuser is a great styling tool for naturally wavy to curly hair because it helps to keep your curls from frizzing up while drying since it gently disperses the?heated air from your blow dryer?over a larger area.
WHAT IS THE BEST HAIR DRYER FOR NATURAL HAIR?
Now that you know more about how to pick the best hair dryer, be sure to check out our tips for how to avoid burning your hair out and why you should always use using a heat protectant like any of these. Lastly, don’t miss How To Properly Blow Dry Your Hair. Once you’re ready to buy, check out our suggestions for the best hair dryers for every hair type (including straight and fine): Hair Dryers Pt. 2: The 28 Best Hair Dryers For Your Hair Type
