curlvaceous

I'm trying to find the right blow dryer for my hair in my price range, but I don't know what some of these terms mean. Can you also explain what a nozzle, concentrator, cold shot (I'm guessing that means cold setting), and how to know which wattage to pick? Thanks you guys.
http://www.folica.com/cgi-bin/hairdryerguide.cgi

klloydmajestic

not sure on how it applies to hair dryers exactly, but ceramic curling irons and flat irons disperse heat more evenly and efficiently. Dryers that have cold settings are good for us curlies because the more heat, the more damage to the cuticle. Stay away from heat as much as possible!!! If I ever use my hair dryer, I always use the diffuser and the cool setting. It does take more time, but it does prevent lots of damage. HTH

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3b, used to be 3c, CG method. growing out. . . again!
password: natcurly

unique1193

bump
good question

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2c/3a
Growing out hair to a little above bsl
pw: ringlets

SuZen

An ionic dryer emits negative ions which are supposed to prevent frizz. Tourmaline is a mineral which apparently is used in some ionic dryers as a source of ions. Ceramic elements hold the heat and are supposed to distribute the heat more evenly.

A concentrator is an attachment that restricts the size of the opening so that the air flow is more concentrated. If you're leaving your hair curly and just diffusing, you may as well toss the concentrator! Cold shot is a button that temporarily cuts the heat when you press it, so it's like a brief shot of cold air...mostly used to "set" an area you've just styled. Again, not so useful if you are going curly.

Wattage is more critical for those who plan to use the dryer to straighten, when you need plenty of heat. If you diffuse, you will not use high heat anyway, so wattage is not very important.

My dryer is a Vidal Sassoon that is ionic, ceramic and has tourmaline. It has a good diffuser that doesn't blow my hair around. It was under $25, so you don't have to spend a lot to get these features.