But what do the different types of hair dryers mean? Even within the same brand, there could be many models with different price points. Below we will try to explain what these hair dryers are designed to do and which one you should buy for your hair type.
Ceramic Hair Dryers
Ceramic hair dryers emit gentler heat as the heating elements are coated with, what else, but ceramic. So, the heat that they give out is not as excessive and damaging to the hair.
Ceramic also has good conduction properties so that the heat is more evenly spread out which prevents a certain spot from overheating. In other words, there is less chance of a burn.
Generally, ceramic hair dryers are good for everyday use and beneficial for people with normal to fine hair. The BaByliss Pro Carrera2 is a porcelain ceramic hair dryer.
Infrared Hair Dryers
Infrared hair dryers can penetrate from within so that they can quicken the drying time. The heat is infused deep inside the hair cuticle so that the drying process is not only happening on the surface of the strands.
Infrared heat is also known for its consistent temperature and even heat distribution. This is why it makes a suitable component for a hair dryer.
Like ceramic hair dryers, they are suitable for normal to fine hair.
Ionic Hair Dryers
With ceramic hair dryers, many manufacturers have also added another component to these appliances to make them ionic models. Basically, ionic hair dryers are shooting out negative ions to break down the water molecules to speed up the drying time of your hair.
Apart from this function, the ionic hair dryers can also help to close off your hair cuticles to trap moisture. That is why this type of hair dryers are recommended for people with dry and frizzy hair. They are suppose to give you shiny, bouncy and smooth hair to overcome the frizz look. The Elchim 3900 is one of many ionic hair dryers available in the market.
Tourmaline Hair Dryers
Generally, tourmaline hair dryers are more costly than the rest but you can look at them as an upgrade from their ionic counterparts. A luxury tourmaline model would be the T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i.
What this means is that they have more negative ions to discharge to increase the shine of your hair and they can reduce the drying time to a considerably shorter duration. Some tests have shown that they can reduce drying time to nearly half of that of ionic hair dryers.
Hence, people with frizzy and damaged hair could possibly benefit from these hair dryers. So do people with thick hair that takes forever to dry.
Titanium Hair Dryers
Titanium has also been integrated into hair dryers these days to give a lightweight option to users. Some manufacturers have claimed that they are 40% lighter compared to the regular ceramic hair dryers. An example of a titanium hair dryer is the BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Dryer.
Titanium also gives off a consistent high temperature which penetrates your hair to dry it off quickly. With a quick dry time, there is a lower risk of your hair being over-exposed to the heat and causing damage.
The advantage of titanium hair dryers is that they are light enough for you to hold one while styling without tiring out your arm. And if you have thick hair that takes a long time to dry, a lightweight hair dryer may also be a more ideal model.
Which Hair Dryer Is Best
There is no best hair dryer out there. It all depends on your hair type, the styling that you want to do and what feels comfortable in your hand.
Of course, the high end models will have more bells and whistles but it doesn’t mean that the cheaper ones would not work for you. For instance, if you don’t have frizzy and dry hair, you probably don’t need a top of the line tourmaline hair dryer. A regular ceramic hair dryer may still be sufficient.
Having said that, a cheap $10 hair dryer may not be the right one to get either due to potential safety issues and questionable life span. A good quality hair dryer should be able to last you 5 years or more while you probably need a replacement every other year if you get a cheap unit. Thus, this could work out to be even more costly in the long run.
So, look for a safe hair dryer from a reputable brand. And if you are fussy about your hair and how it looks, then invest a little bit more and get one that suits your hair type and texture.
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