Hairdryers for styling: types and selection

Such a household appliance as a hair dryer has long and firmly entered our life. With its help, you can not only easily and quickly dry your hair, but also make a beautiful styling without resorting to the help of a stylist. For this, there is a whole list of different attachments and accessories.

With all the variety of laying devices, they can be conditionally divided into two main groups. Depending on the power, a distinction is made between household and professional hair dryers. Devices belonging to the first group are intended for personal use. As a rule, they have a power of 800 to 1400 watts. For home styling, this is quite enough. Hair dryers with higher power belong to the professional category and are mainly used in beauty salons.

Professional models are designed for a long period of work, therefore they have great power and high productivity. Their power starts from 1500 W, and the weight, depending on the model, ranges from 400-1000 g.

To avoid injury, manufacturers provide professional models with an air speed switch and air cooling function. In addition, a prerequisite is the presence of a special filter that prevents hair, dust and other small particles from getting inside the device.

Household appliances, in turn, are divided into the following subcategories.

• Stationary. They are embedded in a wall or other surface.They cannot be unplugged and moved to another location. Such devices are rarely purchased for the home. They are much more common in public places - hotels, fitness clubs, saunas, sanatoriums, ladies' rooms and other places where there is a large flow of people.

• Concentrators have a nozzle in the form of a nozzle flattened on both sides. This structure allows air to flow in a specific direction, avoiding unnecessary dispersion, and helps to shape an individual strand without affecting all others.

• Stylers outwardly resemble a comb with a round handle and a rotating brush attachment. Sometimes the kit comes with a few more attachments for various purposes. The power of such devices is usually average, so they are more often purchased for home use than for salons.

• Diffusers have a wide nozzle with numerous "fingers" through which air flows. This design contributes to a more even distribution of heat and, as a result, a more gentle effect of heat on the hair. The devices are designed to add extra volume to the hairstyle and a light massage effect. Models with rotating "fingers" cope especially well with the massage function.

• Travel hair dryers also have low power due to their compact size. They are smaller than conventional hair dryers and have a minimal set of attachments, so they are convenient to take with you to the pool, on vacation or on a business trip. Folding options are especially popular among road models.

• Multifunctional devices can have one or several different attachments, as well as a wide range of powers. There are household and professional versions of these hair dryers. Such models are especially good for those who are constantly in search of themselves and their new image.

Consider some of the features and selection criteria that will help answer the question, how to choose the right hair dryer model.

• Power. It is considered one of the most important of all the technical characteristics. The speed and quality of hair drying depends on it. However, high power at home, as discussed above, is not always a boon for hair. Experts believe that a household hair dryer should have a maximum power of no more than 1500-1700 watts. In addition to the fact that with such a performance there is less chance of turning your hair into straw, it also saves energy.

The obvious fact is that the more power an electrical appliance has, the more electricity it consumes. The number of drying modes and the drying time also depend on how powerful the hair dryer is.

• The form... The most common is a "pistol", when the body has 2 parts, located perpendicular to each other. This form is very common and is found in both household and professional models. In household versions of hair dryers, the shape of a "cylinder" is often found, where the body and the handle are a single and indivisible whole. The advantage of the cylinder is its low weight.
• The presence of replaceable nozzles. For a hair dryer, which is supposed to be used at home, 1-2 nozzles are enough. Practice shows that even with a modern model with many different functions, a woman rarely uses all the offered arsenal. Most often it is limited to the use of a diffuser and a concentrator.

In professional models, the set may include several dozen different interchangeable accessories. Sets with attachments for curling or pulling strands (ironing) are in high demand.

Modern manufacturers, in the struggle for a buyer, strive to offer the maximum set of functions, even in budget models.For example, today almost all hair dryers have the function of supplying a cold air stream, thereby reducing hair breakage. It is also important that the hair dryer has an air filter, which protects the engine from overheating and increases the service life of the device itself. Models of the new generation can not only dry your hair in a matter of minutes, but also heal it.

The moisture level monitoring system is able to regulate the moisture level of the hair, as well as the temperature of the supplied air... The speed of the air jet becomes less intense as the hair dries. Some of the hairdryers' functions are designed to be safer when using the appliances. For example, the fixing pads are designed to prevent the hair dryer from sliding over the surface and accidentally falling during operation.

Among the huge number of brands and models of hair dryers that these companies produce, it is very easy to get confused. We present to the reader's attention a list of the best models, compiled according to the results of independent research. This list is far from complete, but it does show the models that are most commonly purchased.

• Essential Care HP8661 - styler from Philips. The low power of 800 W is compensated by the presence of additional attachments for modeling curls of various diameters - from 22 to 38 mm. The device provides simultaneously gentle drying and styling of hair in a very short time. The device is equipped with a cold air supply function and a temperature switch.

• Styler D5219 from Remington has a weight of 800 g, 3 different temperature settings and 2 air flow rates. The set includes 2 nozzles - a concentrator and a diffuser, the device is equipped with an air ionization function. Thanks to the existing loop, it is possible to store the hair dryer hanging.

• The professional model PHD9960 from Bosch... It has 3 different temperature modes of air supply and 2 high-speed modes of operation. The set includes a diffuser and a concentrator. The ionization function is provided.

• Another professional hair dryer from Rowenta CV3820F0. Equipped with a concentrator nozzle, ionization and cold air functions. The model is equipped with a supply air temperature control sensor. Power - 2300 W, 3 speeds of air supply. There is a static electricity dissipation function.

• PowerLight 385 Ionic & Ceramic by Parlux. This 2150 W model is equipped with 4 different temperature settings, 2 air flow rates, and an ionization function. Has 2 concentrator attachments.

Regardless of the brand, configuration and cost of the hair dryer, it is recommended to follow a few simple rules that will help extend its life.

• Before plugging in the appliance, straighten the cord if it is twisted and check its integrity.
• Choose a heat setting depending on the thickness of your hair. The thinner and rarer the hair, the less intense the temperature should be set. Conversely, in order to dry thick hair, a higher temperature is needed.
• High air speed can be used to dry wet hair, and when you start styling, the air speed can be reduced to the minimum.
• Even the most fashionable hair dryer with a gentle mode will not provide complete safety for hair, so you should periodically refuse to use it, especially in the warm season.
• Apply a protectant to the hair before drying.

See the video below for some helpful tips on choosing a hair dryer for styling.