Ceramic

• Ceramic hair dryers are less damaging to hair than older versions of dryers. Traditional hair dryers heat the air surrounding hair, which means that the outer layer of the hair shaft heats up faster than the inner layers. This damages hair, and leaves it weaker and more prone to breakage. Older dryers also fluctuate in temperature; it's difficult to keep the air at a constant heat. Ceramic dryers consistently control the temperature to heat the hair evenly. This reduces the risk of scorching strands. Ceramic dryers also use convection heat to dry hair faster. Less heat exposure reduces the risk of damaging hair.
  
  

Ionic

• When hair is wet, it is positively charged with ions. Ionic hair dryers deliver a steady stream of negative ions to the hair shaft through forced air. Negative ions break up water molecules quickly, and drying time is significantly decreased. As a result, you reduce the risk of potential damage, and the development of split ends and breakage.
  
  

Tourmaline

• A tourmaline hair dryer contains internal components that are infused with the precious stone tourmaline. Tourmaline is crushed into microfine bits and infused into materials that compose the dryer's internal parts. Some brands infuse the motor with tourmaline bits; other high-end brands infuse all of the dryer's parts with tourmaline, even encasing the body of the dryer in a tourmaline coating. Tourmaline dryers reduce the negative effects of heat styling, as they heat the hair from within the hair shaft, as opposed to heating the surrounding air. Hair warms from the core, drying it from the inside and reducing the damaging effects of heat styling on the exterior layer of the hair shaft.
  
  

Professional vs. Economical

• You can find a great dryer at any price point. According to a report on CBS's "The Early Show," for which celebrity hairstylist David Evangelista was consulted, moderately priced dryers possess all of the settings you would normally use for hair styling, including a cool-shot button, which sets hair once it's dry. Professional or luxury-brand hair dryers, which are typically more expensive, last a long time and are designed to protect hair from damage.
  
  

Attachments

• Hair dryers usually come prepackaged with several attachments, like a forced-air nozzle, a wide, flat piece that attaches to the dryer's nozzle, and a diffuser, a large, circular piece covered with tongs. The forced-air nozzle is used for straightening hair. It's intended to be pointed downward along the hair shaft; it directs air in a concentrated manner to make hair sleek and shiny. Diffusers are used for drying curly hair. Separate a section of hair, and place the ends onto the diffuser. Once all the hair is on the diffuser, bring the diffuser toward your scalp and hold it there until the section is dry. The diffuser's prongs will twist the hair to encourage a natural curl, and the diffuser reduces the airflow so as not to rough up curls.