Types of Blow Dryers

There are many types of blow dryers on the market, and it's important to know which style would be best suited for your hair. Your hair type, the products you use in your hair and how your hair reacts to heat will all determine the right blow dryer to purchase. It's important to try out a few different dryers in order to find the one that will not cause heat damage to your hair.

What to Look For

When choosing a type of blow dryer, look for one that offers multiple heat settings. Ideally a hair dryer should offer two to three heat settings, and a cool setting, which can be used to set hair gel, sprays and curls. Safety sensors and fan cages should be a requirement of any hair dryer, and if you travel a lot, you might be interested in travel chargers and specialty voltage adapters.

Cost

A basic blow dryer costs less than $20. More expensive models can easily top $100, but remember that special features and coil materials will quickly increase the price of a blow dryer. A decent blow dryer will probably fall in the range of $30 to $50.
Consider a blow dryer to be an investment, and remember that your hair needs to be treated with care. It can certainly pay to purchase a more expensive blow dryer if it means protecting your hair from heat damage.

Personal Blow Dryers

Personal blow dryers have been around for nearly a hundred years, and since the 1920's they have retained the same general shape. However, changes and additions are constantly being made, and a quick stroll through any shop that carries them will show you just how different blow dryers are from one another. These types of blow dryers are designed to be easy to use and portable, and generally the wattage is somewhere between 1200 and 1875.

Ceramic, Metal or Tourmaline

Blow dryers are generally equipped with one of three kinds of coils: ceramic, metal or tourmaline.
Ceramic coils are often a preferred choice because of their ability to heat quickly and evenly. The result is hair that drys faster without being heat-damaged in the process.
Metal coils are the cheapest, but tend to heat a bit unevenly.
Tourmaline coils are generally the most expensive, but that is because tourmaline is a precious stone. It emits a large number of negative ions, which causes less frizz and static. Because the water molecules are broken down faster by tourmaline, hair that is being dried by it will absorb water and hair products more efficiently, which results in faster dryer and a soft and sleek feel.

Commercial Blow Dryers

All hair salons come equipped with commercial blow dryers. They are designed to dry all of your hair at once, and they do so by being formed in a helmet-type fashion. To use a commercial blow dryer, you sit in a slightly reclined chair, and the stylist positions the commercial blow dryer over your head. These types of blow dryers are also used to "heat set" hair dye, bleach, foils, and other specialty hair treatments.

References

• About Blow Dryers
• Blow dryers: Blow Dryers For Various Purposes
• Hair Dryers - LoveToKnow Hair