DANIEL BENOIT - With over 40 years of experience as an artist & stylist, no aspect of the industry escapes him, He was credited among the finest of world-class hairdressers. Daniel finds inspirations and ideas by traveling the glob & working with the best stylists, his keys to success are to stay humble,train,never stop learning & always be surrounded by the best people.He was the recipient of the Mirror Awards, Contessa and NAHA.. More recently, Daniel was approached by us for advice on how to choose the best hair-dryer. With a myriad of choice out there, it’s easy to be blown away (no pun intended) by the many options. Here we share an extract from the article where Daniel guides you through the differences between tourmaline, ionic and ceramic and what will give you that salon finish. What’s with all the terminology? “Ionic, ceramic and tourmaline hair-dryers are an invention of the last few years and I’ll admit, they sound kind of gimmicky. However, I have to say that when it comes to drying your hair, ionic hair-dryers are great. As you’re drying your hair you lose a lot of moisture, and ions put that moisture back into you hair while helping to deal with frizz. They also break down the water particles on your hair shaft into even tinier particles. This means that you’re cutting down your drying time drastically, which not only saves you time, it also protects your hair. Less time using heat on your hair means less risk of damage to your hair. Ceramic and tourmaline hairdryers have plates within are coated with these materials. The advantage of these dryers is they heat up quickly and they don’t pull or snag the hair – they actually smooth the hair. They protect the hair and give it a very glossy finish. In regular quality hairdryers, the plates are coated with metal. This pulls at the hair, and it also heats up unevenly and leaves the cuticle open, which means your hair is more vulnerable to damage, and you’ll get none of that smooth shininess you get with more advanced dryers.” Got it. What else should I look for? “The main component you want is power, so look for something with a high wattage to minimize your drying time. In addition to being ionic and having a ceramic or tourmaline coating, most professional hairdryers only have two speeds and two heat settings and maybe a button that gives you a cold shot of air. That’s all you need; you don’t need all those flashy buttons and things. Look for something that’s well-built and read the reviews online before buying something – you can usually tell from those whether a hairdryer is worth it.” Does higher price = better quality? “When it comes to any equipment that you’re using on your hair, anything that involves heat, the simple answer is yes. Think of it like a good wine. The more money you spend on it, the better it’s going to be. If my clients wash their hair frequently, about 2-3 times a week, I tell them to invest in a good quality, high end hairdryer because the cheaper ones aren't as powerful and don’t last as long and if your hairdryer isn't powerful, you’re going to spend more time drying your hair, frying it in the process.” So what’s worth the splurge? “There’s a Canadian brand of hairdryers called Kadori which is known among hairdressers as the Rolls Royce of dryers. I've been using it for years, and they now have one that’s smaller and slightly lighter for women to use at home. That’s the one I recommend to all my clients. They’re not cheap – good quality hairdryers that last for years tend to be more expensive. But they’re worth it in the long run.” What’s the best way to use a hairdryer for my hair type? “If you have curly or wavy hair and you’d like to enhance your curls, you can get great results with a diffuser, which the kadori LIA 2500X hairdryers already come equipped with. If your hair is fine, use the lower power setting to dry your hair – a high power setting won’t do anything but damage it. For thick or frizzy hair, make sure to add a cold shot of air at the end of the drying, either by switching to a lower heat or by using the cold shot button on your hairdryer. This closes the cuticle quicker, adds shine and minimizes frizz.” With power comes responsibility. “The more high end you go, the more power and heat you’re dealing with, so you have to know how to use your hairdryer in a way that’s safest for your hair. It’s about the distance between the hair and the flow from the dryer – I've seen a lot of people, especially in salons, putting the head of the hairdryer straight on the brush where the hair’s being held taut, and that will damage the hair quite badly. The best thing to do is test the dryer on the top of your hand. Check the distance at which the heat becomes bearable – that’s the distance at which you should dry your hair. You can vary the distance by about an inch, depending on the thickness of your hair, and also because your hair is much more resistant to heat than your skin.” Lastly: don’t forget to protect your hair. “You lose moisture when you dry your hair – that’s why they created the ionic hairdryers – but to further protect your hair, it’s really important to use some kind of a heat protection. It creates a barrier between your hair and the heat. So whether it’s a voluminous mousse or a serum to moist and hydrate the hair or just a heat spray, always add some sort of product to your hair before using a hair dryer on it.”