Best Blow Dryers - Hair Types Styles

Illustrated by Jenny Kraemer.

Michael Dueñas, founder & CEO of Hair Room Service, boasts a long list of celebrity clientele that includes Lady Gaga, Connie Britton, and Shailene Woodley. Now, the top NYC tress expert (+ R29 fave!) is serving up his haircare know-how on the regular. Trust: Dueñas is about to bring some serious strand inspo your way.

Sure, we'd love to extend our salon blowouts for weeks at a time, but our roots are usually quick to shut that down. Luckily, half the agony of getting the look (read: perfectly voluminous, wind-blown strands) is picking the right tool for your hair type. The wrong blowdryer can make a world of difference, even beyond subtracting precious minutes from your morning routine.

Choosing the right blowdryer starts with analyzing the texture of your hair and determining which styles you wear the most. You'll notice that different dryers have different nozzles: Some concentrate the air more than others, or apply more air pressure, or have higher wattage, or have different heat settings, or use negative ions — the list goes on. And, while it might seem like a good idea to pick a dryer with the most power, it could be counterintuitive for your hair type. Ahead, I'm breaking down the best blowdryer for your hair type.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Illustrated by Jenny Kraemer.

Curly Hair
For curly hair, the best nozzle you can use is a diffuser. If you're styling your strands in their natural state, you want to soften the air flow to your hair to keep your curls intact and frizz-free. I highly recommend the T3 Featherweight 2 Dryer, which helps add sheen, softens the hair, and works to keep all the moisture in your cuticle intact. With its proprietary infusion process, this dryer emits negative ions and infrared heat for fast, healthy drying, so it's great even for the heat-conscious. It doesn't hurt that it has a sleek look, either!

Illustrated by Jenny Kraemer.

Fine Hair
When blowdrying fine hair straight, you want to be careful with heat since the cuticle is so sensitive. Even if you use a protectant, too much heat on the regular can permanently dry your hair out, making it hold onto more water and harder to style. Fine hair adjusts best to a low-wattage dryer with minimal heat and hair pressure. Give the BaByliss Pro TT 5000 a try. With a small, concentrated nozzle you can focus the air exactly where you need it to go.

Illustrated by Jenny Kraemer.

Coarse Hair
Coarse, unruly, and hard-to-manage strands need some some serious power. Usually, only high heat and a strong airflow can tame the cuticle, straighten, and keep frizz at bay. But, be sure to use a heavy-duty, cream heat protectant prior to blasting the heat. Try using the Twinturbo 3500 Professional Hair Dryer, which has four different heat settings and two different air flows to choose from. With a fantastic and fast-acting cool shot button, you can cool your hair around the brush to add shine, close the cuticle, and lock in your style much better than dropping the hair down when it's hot.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Illustrated by Jenny Kraemer.

Medium Hair
For those of your with medium density and texture, you need a solid mix of a powerful flow and gentle heat. I know that sounds like oxymoron, but a too-high heat setting can fry your tresses, while weak air pressure could take up valuable time. The SKP Pro Heat Digital Dryer by FHI has everything from a strong air flow that is easily manipulated to a wide nozzle, diffuser, and a small concentrator. It also has a fast-acting cool shot button, a quality ionic air flow, and it's so easy to handle.

NEXT: How To Revive You Hair From Winter Breakage