5 Tips for Buying A Blow Dryer for Natural Hair

 

I remember frying my hair with a blow dryer like it was yesterday.  With one pass, my hair was 4 inches shorter. It was actually breaking and thinning for almost a year, but my hair finally decided it had enough. It was at that point that I began to focus on the quality of heat tools.

Heat tools, like blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons can cause serious damage to your tresses.

It’s no wonder that heat damage is one of the biggest fears of naturals.  To reduce your risk of heat damage, it’s important to select the right heat appliance. Here are some tips to consider when searching for your next blow dryer:

Choose a blow dryer with more heat control settings

When using heat on your hair – whether it is a blow dryer or flat iron – it’s important that you have full control of the heat settings. When searching for blow dryers, I look for blow dryers that have the following settings: Low/High, Warm/Hot, and a cool setting.  Unfortunately, not all dryers give you this much control over your heat settings. At the very least, they should have low/medium, high, and cool.

Choose a blow dryer with more heat wattage

Although it not advisable to blow dry your hair on high heats, high wattage can allow you to dry your hair faster. Thus resulting, in less time your hair is exposed  heat.  Professional blow dryers usually have a minimum 1300 watts. For faster drying time, you can use a blow dryer of up to 1800 watts.

Choose a blow dryer with more advanced heat technology

When selecting a blow dryer, it’s important to note that ceramic parts provide more even heat than metal or plastic parts.  In ceramic blow dryers, the copper coils are replaced with ceramic.  With the use of ionic technology, the negative ions result in a faster drying time, more moisture, smoother results, and less frizz.

Invest in the appropriate blow dryer attachments

When selecting a blow dryer, first make sure that replacement attachments are available for purchase.  If you use a comb attachment, replace the comb when a tooth breaks — to prevent snagging.

If you prefer to use a paddle brush or the tension method, then you will need use a concentrator. Do you wear wash-and-gos? To stretch your hair and add fullness — without disturbing your curls — invest in a diffuser.

Invest in Professional Heat Appliances

You can find all of this features in most professional heat appliances from the temperature controls, high wattage, advanced heat technology, and high-quality attachments. Below are a few recommendations

Chi Deep Brilliance Hair Dryer
Chi Rocket with Comb Attachment
Rusk Speed Freak Professional 2000 Watt Ceramic Dryer
Andis Professional 1875 Watt Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer

So there you have it – 5 tips to consider when purchasing your next blow dryer!  What is your favorite blow dryer? Do you have any tips for buying a blow dryer?