Background and Identification

Hair dryers are self-care appliances designed to dry hair. Hair dryers achieve this by blowing hot air out of a nozzle that the user can move around their head and point at specific areas that need to be dried.

The hair dryer was first invented in 1890 by Alexander Godefroy. Godefroy invented this device for use in his hair salon. It was a non-portable, over head installation that dried users’ hair when they sat beneath it. The portable, handheld hair dryer evolved from this invention. However, handheld hair dryers didn’t enter the consumer market until around 1920.

Hair dryers are often made of electric heating coils and a fan. These electric heating coils are either made of PTC (positive temperature coefficient) ceramic or wire. Hair dryers with ceramic heating elements are more common because they heat up faster than wire components. Hair dryers include a power cord, which supplies electricity to the heating coils. These coils then heat up the air, which is blown out of the hair dryer by the fan.

Hair dryers today are either permanent over-head dryers, which are commonly installed in hair salons, or portable, handheld appliances. They are manufactured by numerous companies, including Revlon, Dyson, Remington, Conair, and more.

Additional Information