You won't believe it, but once upon a time women dried their hair using... a vacuum cleaner. Before that, they used the heat of the oven. Fortunately, we don't have to resort to such tricks, thanks to the inventors of the hair dryer! Now we can use this convenient device everywhere - at home, in the locker room of the pool and fitness center, while traveling and even... in the forest. However, not everyone still knows that drying hair is only one of several functions of a hair dryer.
But first, let's tell you what...
...the main mistake when using a hair dryer
There are a number of reasons why people give up using a hair dryer. Some of them may be familiar to you:
- hair dryer is noisy;
- the air blowing from it is too hot or, conversely, too cool;
- it ruins your hair by drying it out;
- it takes a lot of time to dry and style;
- short hair dries so quickly;
- long hair becomes very tangled.
Now let’s reveal our cards: most of the above arguments are a lack of information or outdated data.
People often use old hair dryers that were purchased or given as a gift by someone several years ago. And in public locker rooms, the cheapest and lowest-power models are installed, which are of little use.
Here lies the reason for the dislike for this device: you need to choose a hair dryer yourself, thoughtfully and with a full understanding of what it is needed for and where you will use it.
Hair dryer power
When it comes to a hair dryer, power settings are of great importance. The higher the power, the stronger the air flow will be. Consequently, the faster your hair will dry. The power can be from 200 W to 2500 W. Beauty salons always use powerful hair dryers in order to serve clients as quickly and efficiently as possible. For home use, you can buy a hair dryer of medium power - 1000-2000 W. A model with such power parameters will 100% satisfy your needs.
Almost all modern hair dryers can operate in several power modes. There can be from 2 to 5 such modes. By changing the modes, you can choose the optimal air supply speed depending on the tasks.
How to choose the right hair dryer
To understand which hair dryer you need, just understand four simple parameters. Let's find out:
- its type (where we will use it),
- power (how hard it blows),
- temperature regime (are there options between “hot” and “cold”),
- additional functions (what is special about this particular hair dryer).
Let's look at these parameters in a little more detail, and then you can choose exactly what you need without any consultant in the store.
Studying the types of hair dryers
All hair dryers can be divided into three types: travel, household and professional.
Travel hairdryer
- It's always a compromise between size and power. You can’t hide a fiery motor in a small case, no matter how you look at it. That’s why you should only buy a travel hairdryer for traveling, when the capacity and weight of your suitcase is limited.
Household hair dryer
– a classic that will delight both at home and in the locker room of the pool or fitness center. This hair dryer can be very powerful, but not too heavy or difficult to control.
Professional hair dryer
created for people who understand how hair works and what needs to be done with it. Typically, it is quite heavy and has many functions that are difficult to use without the right knowledge.
What power should a good hair dryer have?
The formula is simple: the more watts, the more powerful, effective and safer the hair dryer is, if it is not used in “hot” mode. A hairdryer marked from 1500 to 2000 W will do the job perfectly. This information is always indicated not only on the box, but even on the price tag, so you won’t miss it.
Travel hair dryers are rarely more powerful than 1000 W, professional ones most often have a power of 2000 W, and household hair dryers just fit between these two values.
Temperature conditions
The simplest hair dryers, as we remember, can offer us only two options for air temperature - cold and hot. Good modern models have three modes: cold, warm, hot. The hotter the air, the faster the hair dries, but warm air is much safer and more comfortable than cold air.
Ideally, a good hair dryer should have two different buttons to control the temperature and air flow power.
Additional functions
And now it’s time to remember that a hair dryer is not just a “dryer”. Yes, it dries out wet hair, but at the same time it can also change our image (remember beauty salons). Even with the help of an ordinary household hair dryer, you can add volume, beautifully style both curls and straight strands, and create a feeling of well-groomed hair. This is achieved due to the different attachments that often come with the hairdryer. The most popular of them are concentrator, diffuser and brushing. It sounds confusing, but in reality everything is simple.
- The concentrator
creates a directed stream of air using a narrowed nozzle and allows you to dry one strand at a time. Ideal for straight and long hair. - The diffuser
makes it possible to gently dry curly and frizzy hair without disturbing its structure. - Brushing
replaces a comb and is best suited for people with short hair.
Some hair dryers have other additional functions that not everyone knows about. For example, the ability to ionize hair, which neutralizes static electricity. Many models are equipped with a “silencer” for the fan - it will greatly please those who are annoyed by loud noise. There are also wireless hair dryers that run on batteries (they can be taken on a hike).
For home use, choose a classic household hair dryer with a power from 1600 to 2000 W, which has separate air flow and temperature control buttons, as well as the set of attachments that suits you.
The maximum temperature of the hair dryer is at the nozzle
Let’s say right away that the temperature of the air stream from a hair dryer quite logically depends on the distance traveled by this stream. That is, the temperature at the nozzle itself will be one, and at the appropriate distance for drying it will be another.
Powerful models of hair dryers in maximum heating mode at the nozzle itself can produce a temperature of 120 or even 130 degrees Celsius . And even with the weakest hair dryer, the temperature at the nozzle may be too high for proper drying.
What conclusion can be drawn from this?
That's right - under no circumstances dry your hair by placing the hair dryer close to it. 15-20 centimeters is the distance at which you need to work with a hairdryer. Yes, yes - take a measuring tape, measure 17.5 centimeters, take a good look at this segment and try to remember it. Fluctuations of 2.5 centimeters on both sides of this distance are acceptable.
If it's closer, you'll ruin your hair. If it happens further, you will lose extra time when drying. However, no matter how valuable time is, a person still has less hair than time. So it's better to move on.
Who should I thank for creating the hair dryer and what's inside?
The first dryer with a hood was created and patented in 1888 by hairdresser Alexandre Godefroy. This imaginative Frenchman was inspired by none other than the same vacuum cleaner that we mentioned at the beginning of the article. And already in 1890, Godefroy began using the new device in his salon in France. Made of metal, bulky and noisy, it looked rather strange and even a little scary, but it did its job.
The first home hair dryer appeared only 25 years later - in 1915. It was also very heavy for its size (about a kilogram) and extremely low-power, and therefore not very convenient to use. The first models could consume no more than 100 W! Compare this figure to today's 1500-2000 watts and imagine how slow and inefficient the hair drying process was.
It is noteworthy that the hair dryer mechanism itself has not undergone significant changes since its invention. However, it has improved significantly in terms of power, appearance and materials. One of the key points was the replacement of metal with plastic.
Inside, just like more than 100 years ago, we can find a fan and incandescent coils. The air drawn in by the fan passes past the spirals and becomes hot at the exit. This simple mechanism can serve for quite a long time. The average lifespan of a household hair dryer is about 300 hours (professional ones can work much longer).
If you notice that your hair dryer is not working well, do not rush to throw it away. Often the reason for the “breakdown” is the lack of air flow in the hair dryer, and you just need to clean the filter through which the air passes.
Choosing a hair dryer class
Professional hair dryers. It is with these hair dryers that professional hairdressers in beauty salons dry and style our hair. The main feature of this hair dryer is that it can be used intensively throughout the working day. It is not afraid of high loads and is made of high-quality and durable materials. A professional hair dryer can operate in different modes and is able to satisfy all the working needs of a professional stylist. Professional hair dryers are usually heavier in weight and larger in size than household models. And the price is much more expensive.
Household hair dryers . A household hair dryer is the same lightweight and convenient hair dryer that we use at home. Its power is average and it is designed for household loads. But the design and functionality of this hair dryer are optimal for use at home. Moreover, the functionality of a household hair dryer can be very wide - it depends on the number of attachments and modes.
Travel hair dryers . Compact folding hair dryers are called “travel” hair dryers. This hair dryer is unlikely to be suitable for frequent use, professional hair care and styling. But for drying hair in “camping” conditions, this is simply an ideal option. This mini hairdryer is very convenient to take on trips, business trips, as well as to the pool or gym.
What you need to know about hair dryers?
A construction hair dryer can be used not only for its intended purpose, as it is truly a universal tool.
For example, with its help you can quickly defrost refrigeration equipment, both domestic and industrial class.
You just need to carefully monitor the distance between the nozzle and the plastic of the refrigerator to avoid damage to the latter.
You can warm up anything: a frozen car keyhole or a water tap and much more.
Another non-standard use of a hair dryer is heating coals for a barbecue, if suddenly there is no ignition at hand.
The tool can also dry firewood quite quickly.
In general, if we talk about cooking, then with a technical hairdryer you can heat up a frying pan and calmly fry, for example, scrambled eggs in it.
A construction hair dryer is an effective way to deal with stuck nuts.
Well-heated fasteners are weakened by thermal expansion and can be easily unscrewed with a wrench.
If this does not help, you can heat the nut until red and simply knock it off with a sharp blow of a hammer.
What is a hair dryer for?
Many consumers believe that a hair dryer is needed solely for drying hair. However, modern devices perform many more functions. With their help you can:
- straighten curls or, conversely, curl hair;
- give hair volume;
- lay strands in any direction, up to vertical “ridges”;
- create any hairstyle;
- heal hair.
Generally, hair types differ from person to person. The drying speed and temperature that works for one person may worsen the condition of another person's hair. Professional devices allow you to regulate the temperature and strength of the air flow in such a way that all family members can adjust the hair dryer to their needs: women and men, adults and children.
Purpose of a hair dryer
A technical hair dryer is used to solve a huge number of problems, among which, for example, the following can be noted:
- Heating of heat-shrinkable insulation during its installation.
- Softening of primers and paint coatings, making them easier to remove from surfaces.
- Drying finishing materials, including cladding and putty.
- Thawing, or more simply put, defrosting containers, pipes and drains covered with ice.
- Welding of tarpaulin, linoleum, PVC products, including film, molding of the latter due to the property of the material to soften under the influence of high temperature and gain hardness when cooling, maintaining the acquired shape.
- Classic soldering using silver and tin.
Among other things, a construction hair dryer is used to melt various compositions, as well as when performing hot fitting - an action known as pressing.
This tool is often used to disinfect structures made of wood using the firing method.
A heating element
Manufacturers use two types of heating parts:
- Metal. This is a traditional solution that has existed for many years and is often found in budget models. Minus - after using a hair dryer, the hair will be dry;
- Ceramic. Here the metal part is located in a ceramic tube, due to which heating occurs evenly - the hair remains healthy. And, despite the fact that such hair dryers are more expensive, we recommend choosing them.
For professional use
A professional hair dryer must work for long hours without stopping. Salon professionals need it much more often than home users. Reliability is ensured by the engine; the AC motor is considered the best. Pro models rarely have power below 2000 W.
Moreover, the AC motor produces greater performance than the others, which affects the air flow. This is why salon drying takes 5-7 minutes, but at home it takes half an hour.
Remington D7779 – 3D flow for even, fast drying
The well-known company Remington has released a new generation of hair dryers. D7779 has advanced hair drying technology, is suitable for quick styling, and protects against damage from high temperatures. Two of the brand’s discoveries are 3D air flow and pre-selected modes.
Three styling nozzles included in the set concentrate the airflow direction or create diffusion. They are suitable for both straight hair and playful curls.
They rotate 360 degrees in the nozzle and adjust to the position of the device. Remington D7779 can be recommended to travelers. It does not have a long tip, even the nozzles take up little space.
The device combines a sleek design and a modern look. There are blue cold and hot air indicators on the body. The brand talks about minimal turbulence inside the device and continuous operation. A strong air flow dries your hair in 2-3 minutes.
Pros:
- 6 functional modes;
- cord 3 meters;
- thoughtful compact design;
- 3 nozzles rotate 360 degrees;
- ionization mode, cold blowing;
- power indicator.
Minuses:
- loud at maximum speed;
- not a very narrow hub.
Valera Swiss Nano 9200 SuperIonic T (SN 9200T) – Swiss assembly, tourmaline generator
The review would be incomplete without a Swiss-made hair dryer; they are valued by professionals. Valera Swiss Nano 9200 SuperIonic T combines impressive flow power, low weight and compact dimensions. The designers' solutions were appreciated in beauty salons; the model marked the beginning of the whole Swiss Nano series. The device features tourmaline technology.
The generator creates ions that retain moisture in the hair. Daily use is allowed. The uninterrupted commutator motor guarantees operation for 2000 hours. At maximum load it consumes only 2000 W.
The air intake is protected by a metal mesh. It is removable, quickly cleaned, and extends engine life. The unit is controlled by buttons on the left side of the case, the cold blowing mode is switched in the center. The model weighs 540 grams.
Available with a hanging loop and long cord. Getting to the top was influenced by ultra-thin nozzles, which strongly compress the air flow and direct it in the right direction.
Pros:
- Swiss reliable assembly;
- minimum 2000 hours of uninterrupted operation;
- professionally approved design;
- well-thought-out button placement;
- cord length 3 meters;
- 6 modes;
- tourmaline coating.
Minuses:
- small loop for hanging.
Parlux PR 1800 – 10 ways of working
Parlux PR 1800 has a convenient button layout, ergonomic design, modern shape and rubberized handle. The device can maintain 4 temperature options at two speeds, and you can change the intensity of the air flow.
Weighs only 480 grams. Thanks to its special shape, it does not strain the muscles. There is a button for instant supply of cold air. The main thing is that even at maximum speed the hair dryer is quiet. At any time of the day you can create volume, style your hair, and dry your curls.
Parlux PR 1800 instantly adjusts between temperature conditions. For example, he lets the curls dry with a hot stream, and then fixes the result with cold blowing. The motor cannot be called the most powerful (1400 W), but it copes with the task in 1-3 minutes.
There is a loop for safe storage. The device is easy to move around the room; the cord is 3 meters long.
Pros:
- precise adjustment of temperature, speeds;
- ergonomic shape, lightweight body;
- well-thought-out button placement;
- Italian brand;
- long cord;
- quiet work.
Minuses:
- not detected.
Gamma Piu Active Oxygen (2012) – Saturates curls with ozone, forms a protective layer
Gamma Piu Active Oxygen originally launched in 2012, but was so popular that the company relaunched it several times. The reason why the model became a bestseller is the ozone lamp. Styling with it turns out shiny and silky. Only in this device the lamp is combined with nanosilver technology.
Both the manufacturer and buyers notice the healing effect. The durability of the dye on the strands increases, combing becomes easier, and the effect of cosmetics is enhanced. Ozone moisturizes, has an antibacterial effect, and reduces styling time.
Reviews write about noticeable changes in the condition of the hair. The explanation is simple: blowing under the influence of an ozone lamp maintains peptone (a substance that protects the strands). Static electricity disappears, dandruff recedes. Ionization becomes more effective.
The technology is patented; other manufacturers do not have this. The grille that protects the motor is treated with silver. This increases the antibacterial and antistatic properties of ozone. Brand performance stories are not empty promises.
The technique has been tested by the Institute Biomedical srl dermatology and trichology biomedical center, and its effectiveness has been proven. In the end, I would like to note the quiet operation at maximum settings, 6 operating modes, 3 temperature levels and 2 air flow speeds.
Pros:
- the brand's bestseller with patented features;
- medicinal effects on curls with an ozone lamp, ions, silver particles;
- 6 operating modes, adjustable air flow, temperature;
- 2 hubs included;
- cord length 3 meters.
Minuses:
- not detected.
Why is this parameter important?
Power is the speed at which the device blows air. The drying time of the hair depends on this parameter. At high speed, the hair will dry faster, but styling is unlikely to be possible if you are not a professional. For self-drying hair, devices with a power of 1200-1600 W are quite suitable.
Hairdryers with lower wattage are suitable for travel as they are usually compact and easy to take on the go. Also, devices with a power of less than 1200 W are suitable for short, thin or brittle hair - they will dry out the hair, but will not harm it. There are models with a power switching function - such hair dryers are suitable for a family where several people use the hair dryer.
The power of the hair dryer also affects the heating. The most gentle mode for drying hair is maximum speed and medium temperature.
Hairdryers with low wattage can reach high temperatures, but low airflow will make the hair drying time longer, which will cause damage to the hair. Brush hair dryers with a power of up to 1000 W are used primarily for styling hair.
The most common models have the ability to switch air flow speed . Typically, a hair dryer has three operating modes: low, medium and maximum. In professional models, there can be six operating modes, for more individual work with each client. The temperature can also be changed. The maximum temperature setting is recommended for styling so that the hair quickly takes the desired shape, and the minimum or “cold air” function is used at the end of styling to preserve its appearance for a long time. To simply dry your hair, you can use medium power and temperature settings.
Types of household hair dryer
Users know three types:
- Classic model. It is bought most often because... This hairdryer makes it easy to dry your hair and do your daily styling. A set can contain up to two attachments;
- Hair dryer brush. Choose a hair dryer brush if you want to not only dry, but also straighten, curl, and style;
- Road model. It is compact, this hair dryer weighs very little and has low power. But this is a great option for those who often go on business trips or travel.
Other options
- Ionizer. A useful feature that can increasingly be found in modern hair dryers. A special system saturates the air with negative ions. Ionized air makes hair more manageable, retains moisture in its structure, and removes static electricity. In general, it has the most beneficial effect on the appearance and health of hair.
- Overheat protection. If there is a risk of overheating during prolonged use, the protection system will work and the device will turn off to cool down.
- Steam function . This function can only be found in professional hair dryers. Why is steam needed? In order for the hair to be slightly damp during the process of creating a hairstyle and be easier to style.
Types of construction hair dryers and their prices
According to its characteristics and purpose, a construction hair dryer can be:
Domestic
Designed to perform small amounts of work.
Its power does not exceed 1800 W, it has a simple design, has no adjustments, or they are kept to a minimum, and is not intended for long-term operation.
Naturally, the cost of such models is minimal, about 1 – 3 thousand rubles.
Among the advantages are low energy consumption.
Professional
A more expensive tool with temperature control and other parameters, the power of which does not exceed 2 kW.
Due to the ability to work for a long time and general reliability, it can be used when performing any specialized construction work.
High-quality models will cost 5–10 thousand rubles.
Industrial
A high-power tool that is used when performing complex, voluminous work.
They are heavy, but at the same time have a huge number of functions and adjustments, designed specifically for long-term continuous use.
The cost can reach up to 30 - 50 thousand rubles, depending on the characteristics.
As you know, a technical hair dryer is an electric tool, and therefore, depending on the source of electricity, they are distinguished:
- Network – models that depend on the availability of an electrical network are designed for long-term operation. Their main drawback is the length of the wire, which limits the radius of use.
- Rechargeable - autonomous mobile options are good in conditions where there is no source of electricity due to a built-in or removable battery. On the other hand, the battery requires periodic recharging, and the cost of such a construction hair dryer is noticeably higher than its mains-powered counterpart.
According to the shape of the body, a construction hair dryer can be:
- Straight. From the name it is clear that the body has an elongated shape and does not have a pronounced handle as such. It is held during operation by the rear part, which, by the way, is often covered with anti-slip material.
Since the operator comes into direct contact with the body of such a hair dryer, the likelihood of electric shock increases markedly. Nevertheless, such a tool is indispensable when working in cramped conditions. - Pistol – the most common option, where the handle is located almost perpendicular to the body. It is more convenient to use, and most importantly – safe. There are models with a closed handle, which makes it difficult to work in hard-to-reach places, but provides reliable protection of the hand from hot air reflected by the surface being treated and flying heated particles, and options with an open handle, which have the opposite properties.
- Combined - straight body with a rotating or removable perpendicular handle. Actually a combination of the two previous options.
Regardless of the type of construction hair dryer, you can select the necessary attachments for the job for most models.
