I've been blow drying my own hair since about 12-14 years old. My mother is a hairdresser so my first hair dryer was one of her cast offs. I had that thing until it literally was blowing smoke and shorted out. Since then I've changed a few of them.

But how can you know it's time to get a new one?

The answer is simple! If at least one of the signs below applies to YOUR hair dryer,** it definitely needs an upgrade**!
5 Signs you need a new hair dryer!
Sign 1 ...
You can't remember when you bought it.
Sign 2 ...
It takes you twice as long to dry your hair then it used to.
Sign 3...
You can smell smoke.
Sign 4...
It's not running as hot as it used to.
Sign 5...
If your hair dryer doesn't have the words ceramic or ion, it's definitely time for an upgrade.

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What to look for?
• When you're in the market for a new blow dryer of course you have to take your budget into consideration and the amount of money you are willing to spend on a dryer. You should also think about the usage you're going to get out of it.

I tend to use mine weekly and they last me forever so I consider a blow dryer a pretty good investment.
• A good blow dryer reminds you of the one your favorite hairdresser uses. It comes with attachments (like the concentrator attachment and the diffuser) has at least two settings for speed and another setting for heat.
• A really good one would also have the extras: ions and ceramic. Ceramic is so much better for your hair it helps with shine. The ions help the water dry faster which translates to less frizz and even more shine.
• Don't forget to use your favorite hair serum and you're good to go!

Now what are those attachments for?
• I live by my concentrator. It does exactly what you think it does. It concentrates the heat and by doing that eliminates a lot of the fly-aways.
• The diffuser is used if you want to play up your waves or curls. I like to point the blow dryer down (again...hate the fly-aways!) and if you want to play up your curls even more apply the products you use in your hair first and scrunch your hair bit by bit to create more waves.

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Whether you need it for curls or to straighten your curls a good blow dryer would make your hair look great!

Well, hope now you know if it's time to get a new hair dryer and what to look for when shopping for one! :)

Have you got more tips or warnings as for those hair dryers that should be avoided? Please do share with me...