It’s on the Christmas list, it sounds simple enough but suddenly you’re hit with hundreds of choices, features and price ranges to choose between. If you’re giving someone the gift of dry hair this Christmas, then this 2019 Christmas hairdryer buying guide is for you.
There’s a lot of lingo to get to terms with when buying a new hairdryer – some of it necessary, some of it gimmicky. The main terms that you’ll come across are:
The wattage refers to the strength of the hairdryer’s motor. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the hairdryer will be. If you’ve ever used a hotel hairdryer and been cut off halfway through, you’ll know just how important a high wattage is.
Hairdryers get hot, but how hot they get matters. An adjustable temperature setting allows you to turn up or down the heat coming out of the dryer. This is important for anyone with fine, brittle or coloured hair who wants to use a lower heat to prevent drying out their locks and damaging them further.
The airflow of a hairdryer determines how much air it pumps out and, like heat, can come with an adjustable setting. This is useful for anyone wanting to use a slower airflow for high temperatures and a faster airflow for lower ones.
Now that we have the essentials out of the way, let’s look at the fancy features some hairdryers are now coming with.
Ceramic technology uses infrared heat to quickly and evenly dry hair. This makes ceramic hair dryers less damaging than metal-based heating elements – perfect for anyone with fine or dry hair.
Ionic technology uses negatively charged ions to break up water molecules, remove excess moisture and close the hair cuticle. This speeds up up drying time while reducing frizz – making ionic technology ideal for thick and difficult to dry hair, but unsuitable for those that lack volume or thickness.
A cool shot button quickly turns down the heat of the hairdryer to seal the cuticle, lock in the style and boost shine. This feature is good for those using a hairdryer to style their hair.
And then we have all of the different accessories that hairdryers come with.
A concentrator nozzle attaches onto the end of a hairdryer to direct the airflow. This is great for straightening and styling hair and usually comes as standard with most models.
A diffuser attaches to the end of the hairdryer to disperse the airflow. This accessory is a must-have for anyone embracing their curls, allowing them to reduce damage while keeping their curls intact.
And we’re not done yet. There are a few other essential considerations to be had when making that final hairdryer decisi.
While a short cable length can make the dryer feel more compact, it can make the dryer redundant when it doesn’t reach from the plug socket to the mirror. If this is likely to be a problem, opt for a “salon length” cable.
While a heavy hairdryer might feel like a serious piece of professional kit, it can become uncomfortable to use after a little while. If you’re buying for someone with long or difficult to dry hair, opt for a lighter model.
Finally, if someone’s asked for a travel hairdryer, then you’re looking for something completely different. Travel hairdryers are lighter, fold-away and often come in dual voltage.
Still stuck? If you need help buying a new hairdryer, then pop into the salon where we can talk you through the different features, benefits and models available.
With the products to sell and the knowledge to match, you can pick up a huge selection of Christmas products from our hair salon in Rugby.