How to choose your hair dryer: main hair dryer features

There are many models of hair dryer on the market, so it is important to know the main features so you can be sure to choose the one that best suits our needs. The main features of a hair dryer are:

The power

When we talk about power, we actually refer to the sum of three elements that determine the speed and effectiveness of a hairdryer's performance: the watts, the type of motor and the air flow rate.

1. Watts: The number of watts of a hair dryer is indicative of a very simple principle: the higher the power, the faster your appliance will dry your hair. The power of a hair dryer usually starts from a minimum of 1800 W to reach 2500 W. A professional hair dryer must have more Watts than non-professional hair dryers in order to achieve a fast, but precise hairstyling, even at lower temperatures. Obviously, with increasing power increases the performance but also the cost of the appliance and the consumption it will produce during its use. If you have very short, thin hair or are not interested in drying it quickly, the value of watts becomes certainly less relevant and even an 1800 W hair dryer will be more than enough.

2. Motor: The type of motor found inside a hair dryer can be basically three types indicated with the initials EC, AC and DC.

3. EC motor: it is the most modern technology for the operation of a hair dryer because it is a digital motor in which the mechanisms are activated electronically. The price of this type of equipment is very high but justified by the power and longevity of the product up to 10,000 hours, or 5 times greater than the AC motor, already very high performance and suitable for professional use.

4. AC motor: is a type of AC motor, designed specifically for professional hair dryers that need to withstand high performance, running continuously and very powerfully. An AC motor type is able to produce a high air pressure that makes the appliance very effective, with a useful life of about 2000 hours and a more massive structure. They are preferred to EC motors mainly because of the lower price.

5. DC motor: these are models that run on direct current and their performance, although very good, have a lower air pressure than AC motors and are characterized by an average life of about 1200 hours, but with a much more manageable and lighter structure that makes them suitable for domestic use.

6. The air flow rate is nothing more than the amount of air that the hairdryer pushes out in a certain period of time. In particular, this characteristic is measured in cubic meters per hour, and the higher this number, the faster the drying process will be.

Technology used

The most recent hair dryers use certain materials or systems that serve to preserve the well-being of the hair, trying to limit as much as possible the damage caused by thermal stress and giving it shine and softness. They can take advantage of two different types of technology: ion technology or ceramic technology.

The quietest hair dryer is equipped with an internal mechanism that, by emitting negative ions, is able to "break" water molecules into smaller particles, allowing the hair to dry faster but, at the same time, allowing the hair to dry while maintaining a certain degree of humidity inside it, which translates, in concrete terms, into a more moisturized and soft hair. In addition, ions also serve to avoid the annoying electrostatic effect very common with the use of the hair dryer and are able to make the hair shinier.

 The hair dryers with ceramic and/or tourmaline coating are similar to traditional hair dryers but take advantage of the advantages derived from the use of these two materials to coat the grille inside the end from which the air jet is delivered. In this way, the airflow coming from the motor of the hair dryer passes first through the grille coated with these materials that filter the hot air emitted, reducing its harmful effects on the hair.

Ceramic helps to keep the air jet temperature of the hair dryer constant and distribute the heat evenly, which avoids damage to the hair and leaves it less dry or damaged than models that do not use this material.

Tourmaline, on the other hand, stands out because it has the ability to emit a high amount of negative ions which makes hair visibly much shinier.

Functions

One factor that makes the difference in the quality but also, and above all, in the price range of a hair dryer, are the functions that it is able to offer.below, a list of the main functions of hair dryers:

Temperature selection: it is important that a hair dryer allows you to adjust different temperature levels to the degree of heat appropriate to the quality of the hair on which you are styling. It is not advisable to use high temperatures on very thin, damaged or damaged hair, while it is necessary to select a higher temperature for thick, long and very thick hair. Household models usually allow 3 different heat levels, while professional models also allow 4.

Speed selection: this is the adjustment of the speed at which the hot air jet is delivered by the hair dryer. It serves to avoid damaging the hair and to adapt the air supply to the type of hairstyle you want to create and the time you have available for drying.

Cold air switch: it is a button located in the middle of the handle when pressed the hairdryer no longer produces hot air but at room temperature. This quick cold jet has a dual function: to fix the styling and make the hair cooler and then handle it with your fingers to give it the desired shape.

Accessories

The accessories supplied with the hairdryer make its use more comfortable. We can find:

Air concentrators or nozzles. They are used to direct the air flow where you prefer, so as to give the locks the desired shape and realize a certain type of hairstyle. These concentrators can be narrow (about 11 mm) usually supplied with household models, or very narrow (about 7 mm) and therefore even more precise.

Diffuser: this accessory is a specific nozzle for drying curly or wavy hair that attaches to the end of the hair dryer to make the air jet less aggressive and direct on the locks that are drying. This type of drying is ideal for wavy or curly hair that needs to be dried with a certain gentleness, even in order not to ruin the waves of the curls themselves.

Materials

The materials used to produce the hair dryer are fundamental both for the wellbeing of the hair (it is better to orient oneself on the internal ceramic or tourmaline coverings) and for our safety. The hair dryer reaches very hot temperatures, so it is extremely important to rely on brands that use top quality materials that do not cause any damage due to the heat produced.