The Best Hair Dryer for Damaged Hair

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Our crown and glory. A part of us that brings so much personality to our features. Our hair. As much as we love our hair, we also love to style and switch it up so much to bring a look or a character that we end up with dry and damaged hair. Dyeing, bleaching, straightening, and perming are just some of the things that ruin your hair. But, if you think that those are the only things that ruin it, then you are wrong. In fact, daily hair activities such as frequent washing, blow-drying, ironing, and curling add a lot of damage to it as well. But then, who doesn’t love blow-drying?

Blow drying has been one of the most basic ways to style your hair and style it fast. But here’s how it causes damage that we don’t want. The heat from a blow dryer causes the moisture to quickly leave the hair, even the water that hydrates the hair evaporates as you repeatedly move the hairdryer through your hair. It leaves the hair with rigid, dry, and brittle cuticles that may lead to breakage (praying to the hair gods that it won’t get to that point). However, we can’t just entirely skip blow-drying, can we? I mean, who has the time to air dry their hair and style it? Well, probably a few people who don’t skip their alarm.

Split view on blond damaged hair vs. blond healthy hair
Hair can be severely damaged, if not treated properly. A good hair dryer could prevent your hair from this.

Thankfully, technology has caught up and hair dryers that can be used by people with hair like mine (a.k.a. dry, brittle, and damaged) are now being manufactured. Yes, that is right. You can still blow dry your hair and style it for the day without producing additional damage compared to your ordinary blow dryer. But, wait there is more! At the end of the article, you can find additional steps that you can do to reduce hair damage when you blow-dry your hair.

Our Top Picks: The Best Hair Dryers for Damaged Hair

Different hair types require different hair dryers, and there are a lot of options out there. So to reduce the number of hair dryers to choose from, we narrowed it down to three, believing that they cover all the needs of the different types of hair. Choosing the right type of hairdryer is essential in keeping your hair away from further damage. But, if you feel like wanting to make sure it’s the right hair dryer for you, we got you covered! We’ve included the type of hair dryer perfect for your hair in the next section on this article.

So here are our top three picks of hair dryers for damaged hair:

Revlon 1875W Damage Protection Infrared Hair Dryer

Revlon 1875W Damage Protection Infrared Hair Dryer

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This model of the Revlon hair dryer uses both infrared heat technology and Tourmaline Technology. I may be speaking alien to you, so here’s the deal with both these technologies. Ordinary hair dryers use heat to, well, dry the outer cuticles of your hair. However, with infrared heat technology, it doesn’t do that. Instead, it dries the hair by heating it from the inside, maintaining the natural moisture of the hair and reducing the over-drying. It means that the water bounded with the hair won’t evaporate like that of an ordinary hairdryer. Similarly, Tourmaline Technology uses negative ions that help maintain a neutral charge on the hair’s outer cover. It allows the hair to look smooth and conditioned and also reduces the frizz and static.

What else you ask? It also comes in a triple ceramic coating which allows even distribution of the infrared heat. It also has two heat settings for you to have full control over your styling. This hair dryer would be perfect for any hair type, especially for those who have fine hair strands who easily absorb heat. The hairdryer also has a concentrator and diffuser that comes along with your purchase! You don’t need to buy any additional accessories for the hairdryer. Now you can style your hair according to how you like it for the day. After all those applied heat and styling, you can end your blow-drying routine with a cold air using the cold shot button to lock in the style and the moisture of the hair. Aside from that, I also love the chick design of the hairdryer, but I’m a bit biased towards items that are color white.

JINRI 1875W Professional Salon Grade Hair Dryer

JINRI 1875W Professional Salon Grade Hair Dryer

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The Jinri Professional Salon Grade Hair Dryer has a sleek midnight blue style with an ergonomic streamline design. It is focused on using an Ionic Technology which uses negative ions that not only make your hair looks smooth and silky but it also locks in moisture and protects your scalp from the heat. You don’t only have that frizz-free hair; you also get that additional protection your scalp needs. The motor also produces a strong consistent airflow perfect for thick wavy hair, completing your drying process in as fast as 5 minutes.

Here are some additional features of this hair dryer that are definitely a huge plus for me. The first is its two-speed settings and an additional three heat settings. With these, you can definitely find the perfect heat for fit for your hair and speed for your styling. Love the style? Lock it in with the cool shot button and keep that style for the day. It also comes with a diffuser and concentrator perfect for curly or straight hair, respectively. It also has a detachable rear filter for easy cleanup. You can now say goodbye to hairs that are sucked into your dryer.

Remington D3190 Damage Protection Hair Dryer

Remington D3190 Damage Protection Hair Dryer

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If you are looking for a relatively cheaper hairdryer that could still give that has similar qualities as the above-mentioned items then, this is the one for you. The Remington D3190 uses Ceramic, Ionic, and Tourmaline Technology to allow a quick drying time with reduced frizz. Here’s what makes them stand out: they added a Proprietary Micro Conditioner Technology. What’s that you ask? Micro Conditioners are PDMS silicones that help protect your hair from heat and additional damage from hair drying. Cool, right?

Control over the heat and speed are within your hands with its three heat settings and two-speed settings. Identify the right amount of heat for your hair with its heat settings and avoid over-drying its. The speed settings giving you the control of airflow from the dryer, allowing you to style your hair the way you want it. It also has a cool shot button locking in the moisture your hair needs and the style you want. Its maximum power is 1875 watts, meaning that it doesn’t cause much damage for those with thin hair strands. And if you think your dryer has accumulated some dust and debris, you can easily clean it with its removable air filter. Of course, it comes with a concentrator and diffuser for straight and curly hairs, so you won’t need to scrabble around looking for these accessories.    

Things to Consider When Looking for Hair Dryer

The products I have listed are just a small part of the many hair dryers out there. So, it’s understandable that you might want to go on an adventure and find the perfect one for you. I tell you beforehand that there are a lot of things to consider before purchasing a hairdryer, especially if your hair is damaged. You don’t want to add more to that right? It’s okay. There is no need to panic. We have made a list for you to make things easier. The following are the things you have to take note of when looking for the hairdryer for you.

Your Hair Type

This category is the most important among the list. Your hair type would tell you how much heat you’ll need, and the accessories that you might want to use. It also makes you consider the type of technology the hairdryer is using. If you have thick and frizzy hair, a hairdryer with ionic technology would be best for you. If your hair has thin strands then you should opt to buy a ceramic hairdryer. Have curly hair? Buy a hairdryer with a diffuser. So, you see, different hair types definitely need a certain hair dryer to reduce the damage you do to your hair. If you want to know more about it you can, I suggest you check this article on Luxy Hair. They have listed well the needs of different hair types and also an explanation as to why you should get that certain type of hair dryer for your hair.

Power

Since you have damaged hair, your aim is not to add on to that damage. Since heat does the damage when hair drying, the next aim should be looking for a hairdryer with the correct heat. We cannot avoid heat all together; otherwise, you should just consider towel drying or air drying your hair. And, yes, there is such thing as “correct heat,” and the power (a.k.a wattage) of your hair dryer plays a big part in that. Dryers with high wattage produce more heat and dry your hair fast but also cause a lot of damage. The recommended wattage is around 1300 Watts, if you have a fine or thin hair, and around 2000 Watts if you have a thicker hair strand. That is why my top hair dryers have a maximum of 1875 Watts to meet halfway.

Additional Features

Control over how much speed you need for styling your hair and how much heat the hairdryer are things you would want to look into. It is important to consider this, especially if you are still experimenting and exploring around with the amount of heat your hair can handle and how much airflow you need to get the style that you want. Also, opt for a hairdryer that has a Cold Shot option. This gives a cool blast of air your hair needs after all the heat applied to it. It also locks in the moisture left on your hair and keeps the style throughout the day.

Accessories

Additional hair dryer accessories can easily be bought separately. But if you get to buy it with the hairdryer isn’t it a great deal? You should know which accessories match your hair perfectly. A diffuser will do best with curly hair and a concentrator is better used with wavy and straight hair.

Weight

You may think that this really isn’t an essential thing to consider until you feel that ache on your arm from running the hairdryer on your long hair or even you short but thick hair. Ugh, not a good feeling. By then you wish you tested the weight of the hairdryer before making the purchase. So before all the regret, check the weight. There are several lightweight hair dryers out there to choose from.

Size

This is definitely a non-essential but I’d still throw this in the list. You might want to consider whether you would like to take your hairdryer along with you as you travel or would you just leave it at home. A travel-sized hairdryer would be best for you if you travel a lot. But if not, go for an average-sized one.

Minimize Hair Damage When Drying with These Do’s and Don’ts

Finding the perfect hairdryer is only the start in minimizing the damage on your hair. Further, reduce the damage by following these steps when drying your hair. Feel free to find what’s best for your hair and your style.

Don’t Grab the Hair Dryer Immediately

This is a big do not. Allow your hair to dry up a little bit before you grab your best hairstyling buddy. Wrap it in a towel or air-dry your hair first while you do your makeup and a little dance. According to Samantha Callendar from Luxy Hair, “Style holds from hot to cold, not wet to dry, which means you’ll make the hair drying process much more difficult if you try to use your hairdryer on sopping wet hair.”

Do Use Heat Protection Products

Woman adding heat protection spray to brown hair
Adding heat protection spray to your hair can prevent it from getting damaged from the heat of hair dryers and other tools used to style your hair.

Heat protection products give the additional help your hair would need when the heat is applied and like hair dryers, there are a lot of different types and brands of heat protectants out there. If you are still experimenting, you can start with TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray. It makes your hair soft, shiny, and manageable. You can apply it to damp or air-dried hair before you blowdry your hair to style. You can also use it when you’d like to straighten or curl your hair.

Do Keep a Distance Between Dryer and Hair

The closer your hairdryer is to hair, the more heat there is applied to it. So put a little more distance to it to reduce the heat. You can also use a concentrator to set the distance and to provide a focused airstream to your hair.

Don’t Forget to Section Your Hair

Blow drying your hair in one go makes it all go frizzy and tangled and everything you don’t want it to be. Trust me, I have been there. I ended up with a lion’s mane instead of the smooth styled hair I wanted. Sectioning the hair allows it to be dried accordingly leaving it tangle and frizz-free. If you have thick and unruly hair like mine, you can invest in sectioning clips that you can pick up in your local department store.

Do Mind the Temperature

Aside from making sure that you have the right wattage of your hairdryer, you don’t just use a certain temperature setting throughout your drying routine. That will only assure that you will have your haired fried and damage. As your hair dries, dial the temperature down a notch. You only want to dry your hair and not remove all the moisture. Lastly, add a blast of cool air to help secure the moisture you have left.