I have a confession. I have never really done my homework on blow dryers which is hilarious considering what I do for a living. I always just reach for the most expensive, newest thing on the market because I rationalize that since I use it all day long I deserve the best (I still think that). But what about the everyday girl? I have been frustrated with the marketing of blow dryers because I felt like they were just trying to confuse all of us with fancy words to help us rationalize spending a couple hundred dollars. My clients know I totally fell for the “Ferrari” dryer a few years back…but let’s be honest, do we really need a car motor to get our hair dry? For most of us the answer is no! I get a TON of questions about blow dryers and I was ready to have some real answers for clients so here is what you need to know before you go get another dryer and scroll to the bottom to see which one I got!
FIRST THINGS FIRST
You HAVE to protect your hair from the heat first and foremost. This is a deal breaker and is the easiest way to keep your hair healthy. Think about how hard it is to cook in a skillet without a little oil. It sticks, cooks inconsistently and eventually burns! Why would you do the same to your hair? The first thing you should do before you even turn on your dryer (or any heat tool for that matter) is protect it. I love Living Proof Restore Revitalizing Spray for shine and to protect from heat and UV rays and Living Proof Straight for weightless, silky, smooth hair for days with up to 450 degrees of heat protection (hello!).
BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Ionic: Ions are particles with a negative or positive charge. Negative ions interact with wet hair by breaking up the water molecules, allowing the smaller droplets to penetrate the outer layer of the hair shaft.
Ceramic: It heats up quickly and evenly across its surface, allowing you to create smooth, polished looks in less time and with way less frizz.
Tourmaline: It is a semi-precious mineral that magnifies the ionic technology! It only generates negative ions when heated which means it splits the water droplets into smaller droplets that evaporate resulting in a MUCH faster blow out. It all comes down to the internal parts of dryer. Some may be molded with tourmaline, or some parts may just be coated with the mineral compound. The more tourmaline the pricier the dryer!
What’s in it for me? Ceramic and Ionic technology reduces the hair’s surface tension, leaving locks shiny and frizz-free. Tourmaline is all about speed! For speedy and productive blowout appointments, opt for tourmaline.
BELLS AND WHISTLES
Buttons: Notice the buttons when you are picking out a dryer. I prefer to keep it simple, most women don’t need three settings for hair density but you do need to have heat settings and a cool option. Heat makes the hair more moldable and speeds up drying time. Cool sets the style and seals the cuticle. You will want to use both heat AND cool settings when blowing your hair out!
Attachments: A concentrator on the end will give you more control and if you have curly hair a diffuser is helpful and is included with many blow dryers.
Weight: This one is huge for me because I hold my blow dryer all day long. If you have particularly long or difficult hair this may come into play for you too because the lighter it is the easier you can work with it.
THE BOTTOM LINE
You should do your homework and never assume that the more expensive it is the better result. Hopefully the above guidelines will help you decide which one is perfect for you. The more difficult your hair is and the more time you spend blow drying it the more important all of the above factors should be considered. The most important thing is to protect the hair with a heat protectant regardless of what dryer you use. Once you have a dryer make sure you check back here for BLOW OUT 101!
Oh and if you’re curious which one I use I’ve included the one I bought as well as a runner up, travel size, and heat protectant recommendations below!
I’d love to hear in the comments which dryer is your favorite?