A Better Blow-Dryer

The Basics

Conair Ion Shine Ionic
Metal Styler

Some women are blessed with hair that air-dries beautifully -- congratulations to all five of you! As for the rest of us, some help, usually with a heavy, loud, scorching-hot blow-dryer, is necessary. If gorgeous hair is your goal, a new, quality dryer is a must-have; not only will advanced models cut down on drying time, but many also feature technology that adds shine and conditions your locks at the same time.

• Weight: If your hair is long and you blow it out every day, a heavy dryer might quickly lose your affection. Most professional versions have an AC motor, which is weighty (about 3.5 pounds) but makes them powerful enough to stand up to drying your whole family's hair on a daily basis. Compare that with the shorter-lasting DC motors found in most standard dryers (which usually weigh around 1.75 pounds), says Neil Tobin, global category manager for Women's Personal Care at the Remington Products Company.
• Wattage: "Pick a dryer between 1,600 and 1,875 watts of power," says Jeff Katz, Director of Marketing for Helen of Troy, manufacturers of Revlon and Vidal Sassoon hair dryers. Anything less powerful will take too long to do the job and even encourage frizz; anything with higher wattage can damage hair.
• Attachments: For anybody with frizz-prone hair, some sort of an attachment -- usually a diffuser or a nozzle -- is a good idea. A diffuser retains moisture in curly hair, while a nozzle concentrates air directly on the section that you're drying when blowing hair straight.