Dryers
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A blow dryer or hair dryer is an electromechanical device designed to blow cool or hot air over wet or damp hair, in order to accelerate the evaporation of water particles and dry the hair. Blow dryers allow better control of the shape and style of hair, by accelerating and controlling the formation of temporary hydrogen bonds inside each strand. These hydrogen bonds are very powerful (allowing for stronger hair shaping than even the sulfur bonds formed by permanent waving products), but are temporary and extremely vulnerable to humidity. They disappear with a single washing of the hair. Hairstyles using blowdryers usually have volume and discipline, which can be further improved by the use of styling products and hairbrushes during drying to add tension, hold and lift. The blow dryer dries even long hair in record time and gives the styles of blown-back fullness. The biggest mistake most women and men lately make when using blow dryers is over-drying the hair. The whole point of a blow dryer is to use the directed flow of heated air to force the excess moisture from the hair. The trouble is, when the blow dryer heats up the hair, you have difficulty being able to tell if the hair is dry or not, and so you continue drying the hair unaware that you are drying it too much. Over-drying the hair leads to frizz in curly hair and often tangles in long hair. And just because your dryer has a high-heat setting doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the one you should use. High-heat settings are for heat styling procedures like blowing the hair out straight, and using a round brush to add curves. For general drying purposes, the medium (or lower if there are only two settings) heat setting is recommended. The same goes for air-flow speeds. With shorter hairstyles especially a higher air-flow speed simply means that you have less control over the hair. You want to direct the hair in the style you desire, and you can’t do that if the air coming from the dryer is consistently pulling the hair out of the styling tool. Use a medium (or the lower setting if there are only two) setting for the air flow to allow you more control of the hair. You also need to know how to deal with the kind of hair you have. For example, you should use a diffuser attachment on the blow dryer for curly hair as the diffuser creates a soft flow of air that is perfect for drying the hair and leaving the curls intact. The diffuser is also a must for fine or thin hair. The full blast of the blow dryer is often too strong to allow for any control when dealing with these types of hair, and the hair is very easily over-dried. If you have long, dense hair, your best bet is to divide the hair into three horizontal sections. Dry the bottom section first, then let down the middle section and dry it. Finally, let down the top section and complete the drying process. This gives even dryness without over-drying the hair to the outside. Also with any hair type you always want to direct the air flow in the same direction the hair grows. This helps to keep the cuticle layer flat and leaves the hair looking shiny. As, lately, getting the “salon experience” at home has been all the rage, here’s the low-down on some specialty-type hair dryers built to maintain the health of our precious locks:
Ionic dryers - the name makes it sound like something you would experiment with in chemistry class, but the principal behind it is pretty simple. Ions are charged particles and the ionic hair dryer gets its name for the effect they can have on hair. Positive charges from a typical hair dryer cause the cuticle that covers the hair shaft to open—in hair-speak, this translates to frizzy, dry, lackluster tresses. What’s special about the ionic hair dryer is that they produce only negatively charged ions which essentially trap moisture in the hair, keeping the hair healthy and creating more body. Ionic dryers are great for everyone—especially those who don’t need to do a lot of styling with their hair.
Ceramic dryers - ceramic beauty tools have been on the rise for a while now. Stylists are big fans of the ceramic brush because it doesn’t damage the outer layer of the hair cuticle, and ceramic hair straighteners have also gained popularity. Hair dryer manufacturers are now getting in on the action, incorporating ceramic into their dryers as well. Traditional hair dryers have a standard rope heater that heats the outer layer of the airflow. When you add a ceramic heater, this evens out the heat distribution, helping to prevent hot spots that are the cause of hair damage when styling. A big benefit of the ceramic heater is that it keeps itself in check, turning itself down as it detects the surrounding temperature. For this reason, most ceramic dryers don`t come with multiple temperature controls, usually just low and high. Ceramic dryers are also credited with reducing bacteria formation for healthier scalps, and are said to prepare hair to resist harsh weather conditions. Using a ceramic hair dryer leaves the hair feeling more conditioned because it is able to produce a high-heat drying effect using a lower temperature than a traditional hair dryer. Ceramic dryers are perfect for women who need more power from their dryer than those with normal hair.
Tourmaline dryers - these dryers use ground tourmaline in their heating mechanisms which cranks up the ionic power of the dryer, drastically reducing dry time (some companies claiming it to be 70% faster) as well as static. These dryers are for women who put their hair dryer under some serious stress—women with long hair who rely heavily on their dryers, blowing out their hair everyday. Often marketed to professional hairdressers, tourmaline hair dryers tend to be on the expensive side but deals can be found, so take some time to look around.
Also there are many hair dryer attachments so you can do almost anything you want to do with your hair. Most of these attachments simply click onto the end of the blow dryer, so that it will enable it to give different styles to any user`s hair:
Diffuser - one of the most popular attachments that can give the hair lift and more body. There are several different types of diffuser attachments, however generally it is a circular piece of either plastic or metal that has fingers protruding from its base. This will enable you to comb the fingers of the attachment through your hair while you are drying it giving it more of a lift to your hair. There are also some that have soft plastic fingers, which allows for the messaging of the scalp as the hair is being dried.
Dry Nozzle - another popular attachment, which also clicks onto the end of most dryers, and allow for the straitening of the hair while it is being dried. There are nozzles in different sizes form narrow to wide. You can click a dry nozzle to the end of the hairdryer and gently pull the nozzle, and its fingers, through the hair straightening the hair as it is being dried.
Hair Cap or Hair Bonnet - they fit on the end of the hairdryer and then the cap can be placed on the head. This type of hairdryer attachment is good for conditioners, heat-activated treatments, and hot oils. It is a good product for travel as it gives the hair a salon-like look. Generally the caps have holes in them, which makes it so the heat coming from the dryer circulates around the entire head giving the hair a professional look. A cap can style your hair quickly and easily.
Stand or Holder - allow for hand-free drying. These attachments hold the dryer in place so you can use a comb or brush to style your hair without having to hold the hairdryer. By having your hands free you can style your hair the way you want it while your hair is drying.
It is important to clean blow dryers often. Just as you would check the lint screen on your dryer when doing laundry, you should also check your blow dryer for accumulation of lint, hair and other debris. If too much debris gathers on your blow dryer, you could be setting yourself up for a fire hazard. Check the status of your blow dryer a few times a week or month, depending on how often you use it. The more frequently you blow-dry your hair, the faster lint and hair will gather. You can remove the debris from your blow dryer using your fingertips or a small tool like tweezers. Make sure the blow dryer is off when you’re cleaning it. If you use attachments on your blow dryer, be sure to clean those as well and replace attachments that are cracked or broken to avoid injury.
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