What comes to your mind when you hear a hooded hair dryer? Old people with rollers on their hair sitting underneath a dryer to set their hair, right?
Well, hooded hair dryers have evolved in technology over the past few decades. It is rapidly becoming an essential tool in achieving great styles. But with diverse hooded hair dryers available in the market today, you need a guide on how to choose the right one.
In this article, we will give you pro tips on choosing the right one you need. But then, what exactly is a hooded hair dryer?
What is a Hooded Hair Dryer?
A hooded hair dryer has a hood cover supported by a stand. The hood has vented chambers that help to circulate heat. Its purpose is to dry hair just like a blow dryer; however, they are not portable.
Hooded dryers combined with rollers help set the hair and give it a curly look.
Benefits of Hooded Hair Dryer over Hand Dryer
Here are the benefits that hooded hair dryers have over regular hand dryers.
- It is a gentle option for fragile hair: a hooded air dryer produces air and heat to dry hair. The air and heat compact together, making the heat less intense than a normal hairdryer. Thus, it is a great option for fragile or damaged hair women.
- It adds volume and shine to hair.
- Styled hair lasts longer: one of the benefits of a hooded hair dryer is that it makes your hairstyle last longer. However, you have to ensure it dries completely. If your hair is not 100% dried, the style will fall out quickly. But completely dried hair lasts longer.
- It helps lock in moisture in the hair.
- It is hand-free, so no more sore arms. This is great especially for thick hair that dries while using a normal hairdryer. All you have to do is sit and put your hair in the hood for as long as it takes for the hair to dry.
Pro Tips on How to Choose Hooded Hair Dryer
Now you know what a hooded dryer is and its benefit over the regular hair dryer. We will be sharing tips that will guide you in choosing the best dryer.
Design of the Dryer
Your purpose in buying a hairdryer will determine the design you will go for. If you want to set up a salon, you can go for a sturdy and long-lasting hooded dryer. It could be a dryer you can fix on your chair rather than the one with wheels.
Besides, if you are getting started, you can go for dryers that come with a set of rollers. This way, you will be able to cut down costs. For home use, you can go for the one with wheels to ease mobility. You should also look out for the length of the hood’s pole.
Ensure it is within your reach, or better still, go for the one with an adjustable heat setting. So that you will be able to adjust it whenever you want to use the dryer.
Material Used
Every hot styling tool is made of heating materials – hooded hair dryers are not exempted. Avoid dryers made of materials such as nichrome metals. These metals do not generate heat evenly.
Uneven generation of heat may cause damage to the hair because while one part is overly dried the other part will be too wet. The overly dried part will be susceptible to heat damage.
Instead, go for a hooded hair dryer made of ceramic or tourmaline. These heating materials generate heat evenly, so the hair is not at the risk of heat damage.
However, dryers made of ceramic and tourmaline are on the expensive side. But they are worth what is spent on them.
Technology Used
Another thing you have to consider when buying a hooded hair dryer is the technology used. Experts say the ones with ionic technology are better.
An Ionic hair dryer releases negative ions that counter positive ions in the hair. This makes drying faster and locks in moisture in the lock. Hence, the hair looks smoother and shinier.
Adjustable Heat and Speed Settings
Different hair types need different heat settings to dry. Therefore choosing a hooded hair dryer with adjustable heat settings is the best option.
This makes it easy to control the amount of heat reaching the hair. Higher heat settings reduce the hair’s dampness, but once the lock is about 90% dry you can reduce the heat settings to cool the hair.
Adjustable speed settings are another feature you should consider. The speed also determines how fast the hair gets dried; the faster the speed, the hotter the air.
For thick locks, use high speed and high temperature, then you can reduce it later as it dries. But, damaged or thin hair requires lower speed and lower heat settings.
Too much exposure to heat is not good for fine or thin hair. Hence, the need to go for the one with adjustable speed settings.
Wattage
The wattage of a dryer determines its efficiency. The rule of thumb is that the higher the wattage, the more efficiently it dries hair. The normal wattage for a professional dryer is usually between 1000 to 3600 watts.
These professional hooded hair dryers are often for thick hair. So, you might need to go for the one with less wattage for thin and flat hair.
Timer
A hooded hair dryer with a built-in timer is essential. You do not want to over-dry your hair till it gets damaged. The timer helps you know when to remove yourself from the hood of the hot blast of air.
So, when hunting for an excellent hooded hair dryer, go for the one with a built-in timer.
Conclusion
A hooded hair dryer is an excellent tool to improve your styling game. Ensure you follow these pro tips so that you can make efficient use of your dryer.
