If you’ve ever gone to the store in search of the perfect hair dryer, you may have found yourself overwhelmed by all the styles, shapes and sizes that line the shelves. Here are some helpful hints on how to find the best hair dryer to meet your needs. The first step is to become familiar with the different types of hair dryers so you can find one that meets your needs. A few General ground rules: Dryers with wattages above 1500 watts tend to work best (though there are exceptions, as you’ll see below)

Prices Inexpensive hair dryers ($5 to $25) can be found in almost any store. While they may be inexpensive when you first purchase them, they can cost you a great deal when it comes to hair damage. Another danger in the cheaper models is that they don’t often have fan cages, your hair can get pulled into the fan. Moderately expensive hair dryers ($30 to $80) come equipped with most of the settings that you will need for daily use.  Most feature multiple temperature settings and a cool blast button for drying dry brittle hair or for setting curl.  Most people with “normal” hair can do well with these dryers – and the good news is that they’re becoming more sophisticated and developing some of the features from more of the expensive models,like ionic and ceramic technology. Professional hair dryers ($80 to $100 – plus) can be purchased at a beauty supply store, a salon or through a professional web site.  While these dryers are geared toward repeated use by professionals, they can be very  beneficial at home if you are willing to pay the price. Many of these professional dryers are quiet and feature new drying technologies such as ionic and ceramic energy to cut your hair drying time in half. They produce negative ions that diffuse the water molecules on the hair into micro fine particles, improving the hair’s moisture balence and enhancing shine while reducing frizz. Once you choose your price point, the next step is to narrow down the different models.  To do so, look for some of the bells and whistles that could be highly beneficial to your hair type of hair.

Ionic dryers Ions are hot these days in the world of hair dryers.  They are charged particles, each of which contains either a positive charge or a negative charge. Positive charges, from the common blow dryer cause the cuticle covering of the hair shaft to open, causing the frizzies and a dull appearance. 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 they don’t need 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 low temperature than your conventional dryer.

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.

T3 Tourmaline feather weight professional dryer: ($199) combines ionic super powers of tourmaline, plus it uses infrared heat, which helps dry the hair from the inside of the cuticle out, thus not frying the outer layer of the cuticle. Bio Ionic Powerlight: ($120) Powerful airflow (1875W) for faster drying without damage, Conditioning Nano Beads accelerate drying and promote shiny, soft, hydrated hair and also has far infrared technology. Babybliss Pro Cermanic: ($70) Ionic and Porcelain Ceramic™ technology, 6 heat/speed settings, Cold shot button.