It is no exaggeration to say that many people don’t know the difference between a heat gun and a hairdryer. While these tools look the same and work, you can’t replace them with others.
The heat gun is intended for industrial use, such as paint removal and plastic molding. So it cannot be replaced with a hairdryer. It can cause serious damage to the hair and scalp when applied to the hair. This article explains how a hairdryer works and why you shouldn’t use a heat gun on your hair. Read more.
In This Article
- How does a hairdryer work?
- Hair dryer vs. Heat gun: the key difference
- Can you use them both on your hair?
- Comparison between hairdryers and heat guns
- Effects of heat damage on hair
- How safe is it to use a hairdryer?
- How does a hairdryer work?
The hair dryer has a motorized fan on the back of the device. When the fan is on, it sucks in the air that passes over the heating element and heats up. This hot air is then released through the front exhaust.
The hot air gun also has a similar mechanism. However, it has a very different application than a hair dryer. Read on to find out the basic differences between them.
Hair dryer vs. Heat gun: the key difference
Since a hair dryer is nowhere near the temperature range of a heat gun, it’s clear the heat gun is only meant for heavier jobs.
Can you use them both on your hair?
You can’t use a heat gun on your hair.
The hair dryer is designed for styling and drying hair. The temperature settings are ideal for styling and maintaining hair. The heat gun is not designed for drying hair. Although it can reach a minimum temperature of 100 ° F, it is not suitable for scalp and hair.
This is because it lets out compressed hot air, unlike a hair dryer which distributes hot air evenly. The intense hot air can severely damage the hair and burn the scalp. Here is a comparison of both devices for a better understanding.
Comparison between hairdryers and heat guns
Excessive heat can damage the hair shaft and reduce the quality of the hair. Read more to find out more.
Effects of heat damage on hair
Excessive heat can make hair dry and coarse. Hot air can penetrate through the hair cuticles and reach the cortex (inner layer). This can weaken the hair structure, affect hair color and cause hair breakage.
Using a stronger heat source, such as a heat gun, can severely damage the hair structure. Excessive use of a hair dryer can also damage cuticles.
How safe is it to use a hairdryer?
Too much of everything is bad. Excessive use of the hair dryer at high temperatures can dry out and make the strands brittle, which can cause hair damage.
This is because leaving your hair wet for too long can damage the hair cell membrane complex and change the natural hair color. Using a hair dryer 6 inches away with constant motion can cause less damage.
Bottom line
The results of using a heat gun and a hair dryer cannot be compared because they are quite different on many levels. Heat guns and hairdryers may look similar, but they serve different purposes. The heat gun is intended for industrial and domestic use only and must never be used to dry locks. Otherwise, it can lead to hair loss and scalp burns. So be careful and blow dry and style your hair with your regular blow dryer.
sources
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