Hair Styling Tools

If someone asked you the question what is meant by a Salon Style Hair Dryer, would you think the question meant the type of professional hairdryers that people sit under at the beauty salon, or would you think it meant a salon hair dryer, i.e. a hair dryer used by a salon stylist or salon professional? 

In my mind a salon style hair dryer is one that is typically found just in a beauty salon and it is the type  that you sit under while either drying your hair or having your hair processed for a perm or hair color.  If we are on the same page, then you are in the right spot.

Salon style hairdryers do not have to be exclusive to a beauty salon.  There are several brands in the marketplace that offer the hooded rollabout type dryer.  These dryers are inexpensively priced considering the alternative of having one that is identical to one in a salon.  In fact, some smaller salons use the hooded rollabout type dryer because of its ease in maneuverability.

So, if what you want in your home or salon business is an alternative to the higher priced hooded dryers, the rollabout models are the answer.   Two of the more popular brands that are available are the BaByliss and Hot Tools brands. 

The BaByliss Ionic Hooded Stand Up Dryer is a 1600 watt dryer that comes with 3 temperature settings.  The ionic technology conditions the hair for a softer,shinier look and reduces frizz while drying the hair faster.  The adjustable bonnet  with the lift-up visor is an added convenience for easy fitting.  BaByliss provides a 2 year limited manufacturer’s warranty.

The Hot Tools Tourmaline Hooded Roll About Stand Up Hairdryer is an 1875 watt dryer that comes with 2 speeds and 4 heat options.  This dryer too has the ionic technology but also the extra added tourmaline feature which cleanses hair of odors and impurities.  The nano tourmaline is a  penetrating form of  heat that passes through the hair cuticle, resulting in more shine and softness with less over-dried hair.   Hot Tools also has an adjustable visor which can be adjusted to your comfort.  Hot Tools provides a 1 year limited manufacturer’s warranty.

Both dryers are an excellent value and aside from the previously mentioned features, they have other features that they share in common.  Both have removable lint filters for ease in cleaning, adjustable height, and long cords for ease in placement.

I was out shopping recently to see what the marketplace had to offer in the way of professional hairdryers to see just how many came with attachments.  First of all, most of the professional hairdryers that I am familiar with seem to be only sold in beauty supply stores and hair salons.  The web has far more to offer.  Secondly, the majority of hair dryers only come with concentrators and not diffusers.  So, the hunt was on on for finding diffusers that were sold separately.  This became a very difficult task so I gave up and came home to shop online.

What makes shopping for a diffuser for your hair dryer complicated, is not necessarily where you can find them, but what will fit on the hairdryer you already are using.  Many brands make diffusers for their line of dryers, but not all.  The other thing to take into consideration is what type of diffuser do you need?  Do you have curly hair, straight hair, wavy hair, and what is your goal?

There are basically, three types of diffusers available in the marketplace.  Two of the three are made from a very hard plastic and are typically found as cone shaped.  These usually can be found in a couple of different sizes (small or large) and with prongs or fingers or without.  The third type of diffuser is the Hot Sock, which is made of soft, flexible lightweight foam that adds volume to your hair. Its unique design gives you better overall diffusion.  It literally is so small and weighs only ounces that you can take it anywhere with you.  

So, which diffuser is right for you?  No matter what type hair you have, if you are looking to increase the volume of your hair and don’t really need to style the hair , the prong-type diffuser will work best.  The reason is simple.  While you are blow drying your hair, the diffuser is restricting the bolt of air to a milder force of air, that would otherwise be blowing out an extreme force of air.  At the same time, the fingers of the diffuser are lifting your hair from your head to create volume and maintain whatever type hair you already have.  If your hair is curly, it stays curly.  If your hair is wavy, it stays wavy.   This gentler force of air and diffusion of heat results in less damage to the hair and definitely less frizz.

The second type of diffuser mentioned above is one that does not have prongs.   This type diffuser looks like small round speakers.  Diffusers without fingers generally do the same job as the ones that do have fingers, however, in my opinion typically takes a person a little more time to dry their hair.  Of course it also depends on the size of the diffuser that you are using as a larger model will dry more hair at one time than the smaller.  If you are not necessarily looking for extra volume but still want to reduce the air flow and heat concentration, then this is the one to buy.  The Hot Sock does a similar job but the difference is that this diffuser fits on any size blow dryer, is easier to travel with, and focuses on a smaller section of hair at a time. 

Now, to get to the point of finding a diffuser that fits.  There are many universal diffusers to choose from.  If the nozzle of your blow dryer is perfectly round, the universal diffusers will generally fit.  However, many of the newer brand hairdryers are coming out with elliptical shaped nozzles and some other shapes.  The universal diffuser will not fit these and you will have to contact the manufacturer of your hairdryer to see if they sell one that fits.

One of the more common diffusers sold in the marketplace that a shopper can pretty much rely upon to fit their hairdryer if the nozzle is round shaped is the Helen of Troy Euro diffuser.  The reason this is so popular is that it comes with 4 different size adapters to fit different size round nozzles.

Whatever hair type you have, or hair dryer you have, if you are looking for yet another way to protect the health of your hair, then the diffuser is for you.

Reading through the all of the popular fashion and women’s magazines I am constantly finding articles written that describe certain hairstyles that are achieved by using different attachments on the hairdryer.  I began to wonder if there were actually very many hair dryers for sale that actually came with the necessary attachments or if they would have to be bought separately.

I narrowed down my research to professional hairdryers and salon style hairdryers as these are typically the most durable and have the most variety of features that I know will help keep my hair healthy.  What I found is that most hair dryers in the $40.00 or more range come with concentrators.  A select few hairdryers in the higher price ranges come with both a concentrator and a diffuser.  That is not to say that all higher price dryers come with diffusers.  I actually found a few lower priced hairdryers that come with a diffuser.  Hot Tools is one of these brands.  One brand that I came across that comes with a diffuser and concentrator is the h2pro brand.  I actually ended up testing one out and was very pleasantly surprised at how powerful and lightweight this blow dryer is. 

The h2pro hairdryer comes in an 1800, 1900, and 2000 watt model.   I especially liked the 1900 watt model for several reasons.  The dryer is actually called The Nano Ultra Light 1900.  This model weighls 25% less than the other models weighing in at 12.65 ounces.  The compact design allows for easy carrying and storage.  One of the features of the dryer is the ceramic tourmaline which helps to seal in moisture while reducing drying time by 50%. There is also a cool shot button to set styles and a turbo button for a little extra boost.   While this dryer is over the $100 price range, I feel it is well worth the money when you take into consideration the features, especially when diffusers are not a cheap attachment.

Bangs go in and out of style and if you are skeptical about chopping off any length from your hair, perhaps just getting some bangs might be all you need for a hair style transformation.  As we know, bangs come in all lengths and styles and one certainly has much to choose from.

So now that I have suggested that all you might need is adding bangs, what is the best way to style them and what is the proper care?

First and foremost, I recommend that you have your bangs professionally cut.  The reason I say this is that there are so many things one must consider before starting to style them.  Each person’s hair type is unique and the manner in which your hair grows on your head is an important factor in how the bangs should be cut.  In terms of the length there are things to consider such as shrinkage after the hair is dried.  This definitely pertains to hair that is naturally curly or wavy.  Even if you don’t have curly or wavy hair, your hair will shrink up when dried and again depending on the way it grows from the scalp, you might have a cowlick that needs to be addressed.

Ok, you have washed your hair and you are ready to blow it dry.  When styling bangs it is usually best to dry the rest of your hair and save the bangs for last.  You will want your bangs to be damp so if they have dried while the rest of your hair was blown dry, spray some water on the bangs.  The next step is to apply haircare products such as an extra or super hold gel.  Now you need a small round brush so that you can dry your bangs from the roots to the ends.  Dry upward and forward until the bangs are dry.  Make sure that you keep the brush moving while you are drying and don’t spend all your time on one section.  You don’t want to end up with dried out looking bangs.   The end result for this drying technique is  that your bangs will have that curved look that can be seen from the side of your face.  This bang style is good for those of us who have large noses and want to have the attention drawn away from this.  Keep the brush moving while drying and don’t concentrate on one area too long. Doing so can make your hair look dried out and damaged.

What about having your bangs styled to one side?  Again, starting with damp hair, apply the gel and then taking your hairdryer, blow dry the bangs to one side using a paddle brush.

Or, what about if your bangs are a little longer and you want to create a somewhat more stylish bang that has a wavy curled back look?  Once again make sure your bangs are damp and apply that styling gel or whatever product you choose.  Place your paddle brush on the top of your head right behind your bangs and slowly blow dry your bangs from the roots to the ends in a backwards motion.  Sometime using hair straighteners becomes necessary if  you are having some difficulty getting the hold you want.  Be sure to use the flat iron on dry hair only unless you have a wet to dry flat iron.   

When using flat irons to aid in styling your bangs, I recommend using a mini flat iron which is actually a 1/2 inch plate size.  This enables you to get as close to the roots as possible and there is less possibility of burning yourself while styling.

Lastly, if you are looking for a blunt bangs look,  set your straightener on a medium heat setting and start as close to the root as you feel you can.  Quickly move the straightener to the ends of your hair.  Take a fine-tooth comb and comb your hair into place.

Whatever type hair you have or whatever style you are comfortable with, be bold and create that new style with bangs!

Did you know that according to a recent www.allure.com poll, that 35% of women blow-dry their hair every day?  In reality that is a staggering number.  Knowing this, tells us all that a hairdryer is an essential item for most working women and females that are generally in the age bracket from early teens to women in their 60’s and 70’s.  What all of this equates to in terms of the number of hairdryers in the households of these individuals must be huge.

Looking back in history, I found that the first hand-held dryer was available in the marketplace in 1925 and it only produced 100 watts of heat.  It took an additional 20 years for the wattage to be increased to 300 watts.  Then, in the 1960’s a 500 watt hairdryer was produced.     In the late 1970’s safety was the focus for most manufacturers of hairdryers.  It wasn’t until the 1990’s that a portable hair dryer could produce over 1500 watts of heat.  Up until this time, the only electric motors that were available to be used limited the power that a hairdryer could have.  With time there was improvement in plastic technology and new insulating materials that resulted in the lightweight hairdryers that are available today.

As we all know, today there are 2000 watt professional hairdryers available for purchase today.  For those of us who grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s it is hard to imagine that we even made it through that period of time with what is now considered archaic hair styling appliances.  Thank goodness for modern technology!!

When it comes to buying a professional hairdryer, you simply can’t beat the quality of a Conair. I’ve had my same Conair hair dryer for about ten years now, and it still works great, and I have yet to have any problems. In addition, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped it on my bathroom counter or the floor while trying to use a hair brush and hand mirror. Conair hair dryers just seem much more durable than other brands I’ve owned.

Despite their obvious salon quality, Conair hair dryers are available in just about every location from drug stores to super markets. I don’t think it matters which model you buy. I happen to have one of the retro style metal plated ones, but as far as I know from talking to friends and others, they all work great.

Are you challenged when it comes to using a styling brush and blow dryer at the same time?  It always looks so easy when the hair stylist does it, but when we get home and try to do it ourselves, it isn’t as easy as we thought it would be.

Hot air brushes have been around for awhile and the technology continues to improve their performance.  One of the technologies that has become more and more prevalent in hair styling tools is ionic technology.   In fact, the Hot Tools 1 1/2 inch Ionic Hot Air Brush has such technology.  This is wonderful for those of us who are concerned about our hair’s softness and shine.  It also helps reduce fly away hair.

Of course there are several brands of hot air brushes in the marketplace.  Some come with nylon bristles and others come with flexible ball-tipped bristles.   One advantage of the flexible ball-tipped bristle hot air brushes is that the bristles gently grip your hair and rest softly against your head.  They are also considered tangle-proof.  The locking barrel switch locks in place for curling and it unlocks when you are ready to unwind the hair from the barrel.  The advantages of a nylon bristle hot air brush is that the bristles also gently grip your hair for exceptional control in styling.

My personal preference is the nylon bristle hot air brushes simply because for my hair type, which is fine and short hair, the hair tends to curl better with this type bristle.  This may not be true of other types hair.  Additionally, if you have very thick hair I would not recommend this type of styling appliance as it will inevitably take longer to dry and style.  If there are any of you out there reading this article and find that this is not true for you, I would love to hear about it.  

Prices for hot air brushes range anywhere from the high teens to the mid thirty dollar range.

To answer the question, “Why are professional hairdryers better?”, one needs to ask the question, “do I want my hair to look like a million bucks or do I want it to look like $9.99?”  Obviously, this is a drastic difference but hopefully you get my point.

When the uninformed consumer starts shopping for hairdryers, typically they start looking by price.  Secondary to that are features.  This makes sense, however, what the consumer forgets to take into consideration is the long term goal.  Do they want to have to replace their hairdryer periodically, or do they want something that is going to last hopefully for several years?  Putting the pricing issue first, many consumers shy away because they just don’t want to spend more than $20.00 or $30.00.  Well, did you know that there are some professional hairdryers   out there in this price range?

Historically, professional hairdryers were created for hair styling experts.  Let’s face it, they are doing hair for a living and need all the help they can get in the hair styling appliance arena.  But, as consumers, we too can take advantage of these professional hair styling tools and should not have to think twice about it.

Let’s talk about what’s important in factoring in whether or not you should buy a professional hairdryer:

HEAT

The heating process of any blow dryer is very important when it comes to the health of your hair.  The traditional dryers or less expensive dryers are made with plastic or metal heating elements.  The affect this has on  your hair is that these elements burn with uncontrollable heat.  After prolonged use your hair will get brittle and break off.   Professional dryers typically are made with ceramic, ionic, and/or tourmaline features. (See Below)  

FEATURES

Probably one of the key features of a professional hair dryer is that it has a durable, strong motor that will last twice as long, if not longer, than the traditional hairdryer. 

EMF: 

An EMF is the electromagnetic field that is produced by the hairdryer.  For environmentalists the lower the EMF the better.  The traditional dryers still produce EMF levels that could be considered potentially dangerous while most of the professional dryers are now manufactured with extremely low EMF levels.  The lower the EMF level, the safer it is for you and our environment.

Ceramic: 

Ceramic technology generates infrared heat, which gently dries your hair from the inside out. Ceramic blow dryers also heat evenly and do not get too hot for the hair. It uses radiant heat which penetrates the individual strand instead of drying the outside of the hair first. Additionally one of the benefits of ceramic is the fact that your hair will dry up to seventy percent faster.

Ionic: 

Ionic technology in a hairdryer means that the tool is releasing negative ions onto wet hair.  The negative ions break apart the water molecules, which make them smaller and more easily absorbed by the hair or dried through evaporation.  This process helps keep the hair shiny and moisturized and also helps reduce hair frizz. The result is shinier and sleeker looking hair.

Tourmaline:

A plus factor for ceramics is that they can be infused with other elements like tourmaline crystals.  The tourmaline nano particles generate far-infrared energy when heated.  This penetrating form of heat passes through the hair cuticle, going directly to the cortex of the hair to dry it first.  The cuticle is not over-dried and resists brittleness and cracking.  This helps hair to maintain its shine and softness.  Tourmaline hairdryers also helps cleanse hair of odors and impurities.

Settings:

Bottom line on this feature is the more settings you have the better it is for you.  It is all about options/choices because we don’t all use our hairdryers just to dry our hair.  And, we all have different types of hair that need to be taken into consideration.  So, if you have fine, thin hair and your hair starts to dry before you even turn on the dryer, you can use a lower setting.  If you have thick, long hair, you obviously are going to want to use the max heat setting on the dryer.  Many of the professional dryers come with a separate Cold Shot button which is used to help set the style.  If you have completely dried one section of the hair with your styling brush, you can then press the cold shot button and it will lock in the style.  

WATTAGE:

Most consumers think that the higher the wattage of a dryer, the faster your hair will dry.  While this is a true statement, it is still important to take a look at what type hair you are going to be styling or drying.  The higher end wattage dryers (1875 and above) are basically designed for people who have thick, course, and longer hair.  For fine, thin, and short hair that is not necessarily thick, a lower wattage dryer from 1300 watts up to 1875 would be appropriate.   

WEIGHT:

While it makes sense for the professional hair stylist who is blowing out hair all day long to have a lighter weight dryer, there are those of us at home stylists who also prefer the lighter weight models.  The nice thing about professional dryers is that there are many in the marketplace that are lightweight and have all of the features that we are looking for.  Additionally, the lighter weight dryers provide much more flexibility for the user in terms of being able to easily maneuver the dryer in the styling process. 

ATTACHMENTS:

The attachments that accompany a professional hair dryer typically include a concentrator.  This is used to focus in on specific areas of your hair while drying with a styling brush.  They are great to have because it gives you better control over your hair and restricts the dryer from blowing hair that you are not yet ready to style.  Another attachment that comes with some of the professional dryers is the diffuser.  A diffuser is great to have as it helps in creating more volume and waves.  If you have curly hair it is almost a neccessity to have a diffuser if you are blow drying your hair.  The diffuser helps with the volume but also provides more control over the hair and keeps the curls intact with less frizz.  Some dryers even come with an additional bonus attachment, which is the styling pik.  This attachment lifts, shapes, and smooths curly hair while drying.

In summary, take a look at all of the options that a professional hairdryer has to offer.  Check out prices and you will find that they will be all over the board.  However, there is one that will catch your eye that you will be able to afford and inevitably once you have used a professional dryer that will be all you will want to use going forward.

If you are in the market for a hairdryer, hair professionals and stylists alike will tell you to look under the category of  ionic hairdryers.

So, you ask the question why an ionic hairdryer?  How is this different from the standard hair dryers?  What makes an ionic dryer so special?  Well, it all boils down to how ionic technology works. 

Ionic technology as it relates to hairdryers simply stated means that a stream of negatively charged ions is released into the air from your hairdryer once it has been turned on.  As you direct that airflow onto your wet hair, the negative ions break apart the water molecules in your hair, making them smaller so they ae more easily absorbed by your hair or dried through evaporation.  This results in your hair cuticles staying moist and thus, less brittle, and your hair dries quicker.

What else does ionic technology claim to do for your hair?   If you have flyaway hair, ionic technology is supposed to help neutralize the frizz and the flyaway hairs so your hair looks smooth and glossy. 

There are a multitude of ionic hairdryers in the marketplace.  They come in all shapes and sizes and price ranges.  When shopping for one, please keep in mind the type hair you have as this will relate to the wattage amount you will need.  If you have a lot of hair,  you will more than likely want an ionic hairdryer that has a higher voltage.  Typically an 1875 watt dryer will work best.  If you have short hair or thin or fine hair, you will not need as high of a wattage amount.  Typically a 1600 watt hairdryer will work just fine.

Yes, it is definitely that time of year when you start seeing the holiday decorations going up in all of the stores and you start asking that question, “Is it already that time of year again?”  Many of us are putting together our shopping lists and are already wondering  just what would be the right item to purchase.

Well, if you are shopping for someone who needs a hairdryer, why not try the Hot Tools dryers?  Hot Tools hairdryers have been around for quite some time and they continually are adding new technology to their already popular line of hair styling tools.  Not only do they offer some of the best technology, they also offer fun and creative styles of dryers.

Does the person you are shopping for like animal prints?  Well, if they do, Hot Tools definitely has some interesting  and fun prints in their Beauty Skins line of products.  How about a Rainbow Zebra, Pink Zebra, or even a Snow Leopard printed hairdryer?  They even have a Skull Design hairdryer.  All of these hairdryers come with 1875 watts of power for faster drying.

Hot Tools Tourmaline and Ionic technologies change how air treats hair, transforming the dryer’s high airflow into a moisture-enhancing shower of softening, luster-building ions.  Not only can you dry your hair faster, but you get shine, sheen, softness and control.  The Tourmaline/Ceramic far-infrared energy penetrates hair to dry it from the inside-out for optimum moisture balance.  Hot Tools hair dryers are marketed by Helen of Troy and are leaders of professional and personal styling tools because of their product innovations, superior quality and competitive prices.  All Hot Tools hair styling tools come with a one year manufacturer’s warranty.