Blow Dryer 101: Advice for Choosing the Right Dryer

With an ever-growing array of hair appliances on the market, something as seemingly simple as shopping for a new professional hair dryer can turn into an arduous task. From high-end to low-end, many tools across a category often make similar claims with science-based vocabulary. How do you know what's what? Take out your notebook and a #2 pencil because it's time for Cricket Company's Blow Dryer 101:          
 
CERAMIC
What is it? Ceramic is a composite material usually made of clay. It can be used in the body of a dryer, the heating element, or as a coating on internal parts.
How does it help my client's hair? Ceramic heats up quickly and evenly across its surface, allowing you to create smooth, polished looks in less time.
 
IONIC
What is it? Ions are particles with a negative or positive charge. Negative ions interact with wet hair by breaking up the water molecules, allowing the smaller droplets to penetrate the outer layer of the hair shaft.
What's in it for me? Ionic technology reduces the hair's surface tension, leaving locks shiny and frizz-free. Shiny, frizz-free hair = happy clients!
 
TOURMALINE
What is it? Tourmaline is a semi-precious mineral that generates only negative ions when heated. While some of the best ionic dryers are made with tourmaline, they are not all equally effective. Internal parts of dryers may be molded with tourmaline, or some parts may just be coated with a mineral compound. Because tourmaline is a rare gemstone, the price of these hair dryers can get quite steep, depending on the quantity and the way it is incorporated into the dryer.
Salon benefits? In a 2006 issue of Good Housekeeping, an experiment testing the effectiveness of tourmaline hair dryers found, "All three tourmaline dryers dried the hair swatches faster than the standard ionic dryer—roughly 40 percent faster." For speedy and productive blowout appointments, opt for tourmaline.
Fun Fact: Tourmaline is one of the two birthstones for October!

Learn about Cricket's Centrix Q-Zone Quiet Dryer!