It’s pretty challenging to get a suitable blow dryer. Some believe that a high-quality model blow dryer should be expensive; however, that is not the case. What makes a blow dryer effective are the features?
If you don’t know what to look for in a blow dryer, then the guide will help you get the best hair dryer that suits your hair type. The main features to look for in a blow dryer include the wattage, technology used, heat and speed settings, and multiple attachments.
Choosing the suitable blow dryer will facilitate fast hair drying, assist in hair styling and prevent hair frizz.
The guide will help you learn features to look for in a blow dryer and more information about hair dryers, such as the different types of hair dryers, blow dryer’s wattage, and how to easily blow dry your hair at home.
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Types of blow dryers
We have four main types of blow dryers, which includes
➜ Tourmaline
Tourmaline dryers emit negative ions and infrared heat. The infrared heat helps lock in the hair moisture while the negative ions make your hair look shiny and reduce hair frizz.
When purchasing a tourmaline dryer, always ensure that it uses the technology, and it’s not just the coating that is tourmaline.
Hair dryers made utilizing this technology dry hair quickly and allow for even and gentle hair heating.
➜ Ceramic
The blow dryers have a ceramic coating. The ceramic technology allows even distribution of heat, thus enabling fast hair drying. The ceramic coating also helps to prevent heat damage and facilitates better hair styling.
➜ Ionic
An Ionic dryer will help you reduce hair drying time significantly. With an ionic blow dryer, you are assured of fast hair drying and preventing hair frizz.
An ionic dryer emits negative ions and interacts with the positive ionic charges caused by damage to your hair’s cuticles. Using an ionic hair dryer will help you achieve healthy-looking hair. Ionic hair dryers work well for all hair types.
➜ Titanium
A hair dryer that uses titanium technology produces far-infrared heat, ensuring fast hair drying and effective hair styling.
A titanium hair dryer works well for coarse and thick hair. You also get to achieve smooth and shiny hair as a titanium hair dryer usually emits negative ions, which helps remove static electricity, thus removing the hair cuticle.
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Blow dryer wattage
A powerful blow dryer will significantly save you drying time.
It’s therefore essential to look for a high-wattage blow dryer. However, you should not choose the blow dryer blindly.
Your high type is a great determiner of the hair dryer wattage that you should use. Most professional blow dryers have hair wattage to facilitate fast hair drying.
For thin and fine hair, it would be best to choose a medium wattage blow dryer. People with coarse, frizzy hair, dry and thicker hair, always look for a high-wattage blow dryer.
Most hair dryers have between 700 and 3,500 watts. You are not likely to determine the number of wattages by just looking at the dryer.
You can confirm the blow dryer wattage by checking the blow dryer package label or the specification online.
A blow dryer of between 1300 to 1875 watts works well for me. Extreme wattage may not be suitable for your hair.
How many watts does a blow dryer use?
The number of watts that a blow dryer uses depends on the types of blow dryer you are using. Different models usually have different heat seat settings.
Studies show that, on average, a home blow dryer uses between 750 to 2500 watts. That might not be the case for a salon as the blow dryer is used most.
A Professional hair dryer may use between 3000 to 3500 watts. 
Blow dryer temperature
The highest temperature that a blow-dryer can have is around 140 degrees. Any blow dryer above one hundred and forty degrees may pose a risk to us.
I would not purchase a blow dryer with extreme temperatures. High temperatures may result in hair damage and breakage.
Look for a hair dryer with multiple heat settings; hence you can easily adjust the blow dryer temperature to suit your hair type.
For thick and coarse hair, it would be best to use high temperatures. In contrast, low heat settings work best for fine and thin hair.
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What features to look for in a blow dryer
A good hair dryer should have the following features.
- AttachmentsAlways look for a blow dryer with attachments. The most common attachments include a diffuser, a concentrator nozzle, styling tools, and a round brush. A diffuser will help you in hairstyling, thus making it ideal for people with curly hair. On the other hand, a concentrator helps in hair straightening.
- WattsChoose a blow dryer with appropriate wattage. For thick hair, choose a hair dryer with higher wattage. A dryer of between 1800 to 2000 watts would be ideal for you. The higher the number of watts, the faster that your hair dries. If you want to purchase a blow dryer for home use, choose one with at least 1500 watts.
- Multiple heats and speed settingsChoose a blow dryer with multiple speed and heat settings. That way, you can easily adjust the heat to suit your needs and also use it on different hair types. For fine hair and thin hair, use medium or low heat settings. It would be best to purchase one with low, medium, and high settings.
- WeightIt would be best to choose a lightweight blow dryer. You don’t want to have aching arms after blow-drying your hair. A blow dryer with less than one pound would be ideal.
Difference between blow dryer and hair dryer
A blow dryer and hair dryer are synonyms. The only difference is the naming of different places.
Americans use the word blow dryer while the UK and most commonwealth countries use the word hair dryer. The primary function of this device is to assist in styling and drying hair. 
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How much electricity does a blow dryer use?
Most people use hair dryers of between 1200 – 2000 watts. For example, if you use 1600 watts blow dryer, the power drawn is 1.6 Watts per hour.
To gain optimal results, most people blow dry their hair for about thirty minutes. You, therefore, end up using 0.8-kilowatts per hour.
Assuming that the cost of power is 15 cents, you get to use 43.8 dollars in a year.
kW/hour – 1.6
Time spent – ½ hours
Amount per watt -0.15
Number of days in a year -365 days
1.60.50.15*365= 43.8
Main features to look for in a blow dryer for curly hair
Curly hair can be challenging to manage. It’s also the most delicate hair; hence it’s appropriate to purchase the right blow dryer for your hair.
The following are some of the key features to look for in a hair dryer.
- Multiple heat settingsIf you have curly hair, choose a blow dryer with many heat settings. With multiple settings, you adjust the right temperature and regulate airflow leaving your curls smooth and shiny. Low and medium-heat settings are ideal for curly hair.
- Multiple attachmentsPurchase a blow dryer that comes with attachments. A concentrator nozzle and a diffuser are the primary attachment in most hair dryers. The diffuser will help you prevent hair frizz and boost your curls.
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How to do blow-dry at home
You can easily blow dry your hair at the comfort of your home. First, you need to acquire a suitable blow dryer.
We have highlighted the main features to look for in a blow dryer; hence that will not be a challenge. It is also essential to have suitable types of equipment at close range.
You will need a blow dryer, nozzle, concentrator, hair clips, and several hair combs when blow-drying your hair. Blow drying your hair will involve a few steps.
- Start by washing your hair. Ensure that you scrub all the parts and that the hair is thoroughly cleaned.
- Comb your hair; this will help you take out the tangles.
- Towel dry your hair.
- Apply heat protectant to protect you from hair damage.
- Start blow drying your hair during the initial stages. It would be best to work with low and medium heat.
- Use a hair clip to divide your hair into several sections, then blow-dry the top section, hairline sections, and hair tips. You must blow-dry the hair in one direction instead of moving the blow dryer to every hair section and blow-drying one hair section.
- Smoothen each section of your hair. To achieve great results, professionals advise keeping your thumb close to the cold shot button so that you can quickly press it when the need arises. You get to enjoy smooth and shiny hair.
What to look for in a good blow dryer
An expensive blow dryer does not necessarily mean it’s good. All you need to check is the blow dryer features. You can get the best blow dryer at an affordable price. What to look in a blow dryer include
➜ Technology
If your goal is to get smooth and shiny hair, then a blow dryer that uses ceramic and tourmaline technology will be ideal for you.
Using a ceramic blow dryer allows for easy distribution of heat and facilitates fast hair drying. On the other hand, Tourmaline hair dryers will help to smoothen your hair and prevent hair frizz.
➜ Power
People with thick and coarse hair should choose a high wattage. If you have fine or thin hair, then choose a blow dryer with low wattage.
➜ Attachments
Look for a blow dryer that comes with attachments to help you with hair styling. A diffuser attachment, concentrators, and combs are great accessories.
➜ Multiple heats and speed settings
Always look for a blow dryer with multiple heat and speed settings and a cool shot button. 
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How to set hair with a blow dryer
Setting your hair with a blow dryer will involve the following simple steps.
- Choose the curlers. If you want large curls, use the large curls and for bouncing curls, use the small curls.
- Clean your hair thoroughly, rinse it and then towel dry it.
- To get great curls, apply a styling product to your hair. You may opt for a hair gel or a hair spray.
- Divide your hair into sections, then start wrapping your hair using the rollers. As you wrap the rollers, it’s crucial to the direction you want the curls to flow.
- Sit under a dryer to allow the rolled hair to dry completely. Around thirty minutes will be enough. It’s essential to check whether the hair is dry after the set time. In case your hair is not dry, you can add a few minutes.
- Once the hair is dry, remove the rollers and comb them to loosen up the curls. Make sure that you don’t overdo it.
- Style your hair.
How to know if your blow dryer is bad
You should consider saying goodbye to your blow dryer if you start noting the following issues.
- Blow drying your hair should take at least thirty minutes if your blow dryer takes a more extended period to dry the hair.Even after drying the hair in sections, then it’s time to get a replacement.
- Where your blow dryer is very noisy with a screeching sound, then the blow dryer could be blocked by dirt. You can solve the problem by cleaning the blow dryer regularly and removing any item that might have stacked.
- The blow dryer often overheats. You may find that the blow dryer overheats and end up malfunctioning the auto-off feature. Most hair dryers have an auto-off feature that automatically switches off when the blow dryer gets very hot.
Conclusion
You get to enjoy numerous by purchasing the proper blow dryer. That’s why it is essential to know the main features to look for before getting a new hair dryer.
Look for a blow dryer with the incredible features that we have mentioned. That way, you get to achieve a suitable blow dryer to help you get shiny and smooth hair.
I believe after reading the guide. It will no longer be a hustle to get a suitable blow dryer that suits your hair type.
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