Buying The Right Hair Dryer

Stylist To The Stars Has Tips On How To Find The Best Dryer For Your Hair

(CBS) 
Ionic hair dryers produce negatively charged ions, ostensibly causing the cuticle to remain flat, "trapping" moisture, thus eliminating the frizzies and giving hair more body. Plus, they promise to dry hair faster than regular dryers and leave it shinier and smoother. Ionic dryers are also supposed to banish the static electricity that results in a flyaway mess of hair.

These are good for everyone, especially if you have normal hair that doesn't need a tremendous amount of styling help.

Vidal Sassoon Ionic Sensor Touch 1875w ($30): Turns on when picked up, turns off when put down, and provides 8 heat/speed combinations plus a cool touch button

Solano Top Power Ion 1875w ($149): Has two speeds, five temperature settings, emits more than 2,100,000 ions per cubed centimeter each minute.

CERAMIC DRYERS

Stylists have become fans of ceramic brushes during the past several years because they style hair quickly without damaging the outer layer of the hair cuticle. Dryer manufacturers are now incorporating ceramic into their dryers, which yields many positive results.

Conventional dryers have a standard rope heater that heats the perimeter of the airflow. The addition of a ceramic heater provides even heat distribution to help prevent hot spots and hair damage when styling.

The ceramic heater is self-regulating and turns itself down as it senses the surrounding temperature. Because ceramic dryers are self-regulating, many don't come with multiple temperature controls, usually just low and high. Ceramic dryers are also said to reduce bacteria formation, resulting in a healthier scalp. They also prepare hair to resist the effects of weather conditions, help create lustrous hair that feels freshly conditioned and produce a high-heat drying effect at a lower temperature than your conventional dryer.

Pure ceramic dryers are great for women who need a little more power from their dryer than those with "normal" hair.

Chi Turbo Driver ($200): Evangelista says this one can't be beat for people who straighten their wavy hair. It uses the highest grade of ceramic coils, is the only dryer on the market with a low electromagnetic field — something to consider about an object that you're pointing at your head every day — and runs on only 1500 watts of power with all the drying benefits of a higher-speed, higher-powered dryer

Twinturbo Ceramic Ionic 3200 ($199): The combined effect of ceramics and negative ions radiates heat inside the hair shaft without drying it out. This dryer has four temperature settings plus instant cold air, two speed settings and an anti-overheating device.

Conair Ceramic Smooth ($30): Has a conventional heater and an additional ceramic heater and, despite its small size, runs at 1875 watts. It's great for travel because it folds up and runs on dual voltage.

TOURMALINE DRYERS

Several dryers are using ground tourmaline in their heating mechanisms, which boosts the ionic power of the dryer and slashes drying time and static. Some companies, such as T3, claim drying time is 70 percent faster with the tourmaline dryers.

Tourmaline-infused dryers, like those from BaByliss and T-3 Tourmaline, will cost you a bit more money than their plain-ionic counterparts, but there are bargains to be found. Conair's Infiniti Tourmaline Ionic Styler is among the less expensive models and very accessible. And some actually combine ceramic and tourmaline technologies for even faster drying time.

These are wonderful for women who put their dryers through the ringer. Steady, heavy-duty usage for straightening or blowing out hair is what these dryers were designed for.

T3 Tourmaline Hairdryer — 1800 watts ($200): Combines ionic super powers of Tourmaline, plus it uses infrared heat, which is said to help dry hair from the inside of the cuticle out, thus not frying the outer layer of the cuticle

BaByliss Pro 5000 — 1900 watts ($150): Has 6 speed/heat settings, plus a finishing cool-shot button

Infiniti by Conair Tourmaline Ionic Styler — 1875 watts ($40): Also uses full-spectrum infrared heat, and combines tourmaline and ceramic technologies for speedier drying

As with all thermal styling tools, hair dryers cause damage to the hair shaft. Incorrect or repeated, high-temperature use of a hair dryer can leave your hair looking dull and frizzy.

Evangelista recommends using a medium-sized barrel brush and pulling the hair taut from roots to ends. As you move the brush down the hair cuticle, follow it with the nozzle of the dryer with the nozzle pointing down. Pointing the nozzle up the cuticle will disrupt it and make it look frizzy.

For extra lift, with hair wrapped around the brush, blast the underside of the roots before blowing out each section. Continue to dry all the way around your head in the same fashion and just be a little patient.

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