To answer that question in short: yes, but it depends on how often you use a hair dryer. Up until recently I hardly ever blow dried my hair. My work schedule was flexible, so I would let my hair air dry until it needed to be styled. When I did use a blow dryer I would use the one I’ve had for ages by Revlon.
I recently started a new job that keeps a strict schedule, so air drying my hair wasn’t really an option anymore. I tried drying it over night, but it wouldn’t be fully dry by the morning, making it difficult to style. When I tried to dry it in the morning, it would take too long. So I found myself in a situation: either chop off my hair or find a blow dryer that would dry my hair in speedy time. Since I’m quite fond of my long hair, I decided to look into the second opiton.
It had been a long time since I looked into blow driers, and had no idea how many were on the market. There were so many options and they all claimed to do make hair look and feel amazing. Another thing that caught me off guard was the price range for a nice drier. Is the one for $200 really that much better than one for $40? While I don’t remember how much I paid for my Revlon hair dryer, I decided to treat myself to a nicer one after getting a new job. Here are a couple of things I was after:
- I wanted it to be quiet
- It needed to dry my hair in record time
- The dryer should be lightweight
- Doesn’t cause excessive frizz or damage
After searching numerous beauty sites, I decided on the Elchim 3900 Healthy Ionic Dryer. Elchim has been around since 1945, so I figured they must know a thing or two about a hair dryer. I also really liked their lifetime, albeit limited, warranty. The one I bought is from Ulta, and was actually able to use a coupon for it. I never thought I would say this, but I’m really happy with this hair dryer. Here’s what impresses me:
- It dries my hair in 10 minutes
- It’s small yet powerful
- My hair feels soft, looks shiny, and isn’t frizzy
- Even on the highest setting, it’s not loud
- The handle fits comfortably in my hand, and the buttons are easily accessible
Since it’s important to protect hair from heat damage, I bought this heat protectant by Alterna. It also works as a really great detangler, and doesn’t make my hair look greasy. To help my blowouts last longer I’ve been sleeping with my hair in a topknot and keeping it in place with a satin scrunchie. The scrunchie is soft enough to prevent damage, but firm enough to hold the topknot. When I take my hair out of the bun in the morning, the volume and waves from the blowout have been maintained, leaving me with one less thing to do before I head out the door for work.