Trichologist warns: Why you should avoid hotel hair dryers

Going on vacation? Remember to pack your hair dryer. A trichologist warns against using hotel equipment. "I don't risk it and always travel with my own hair dryer," she explains in a video posted online.

A hair dryer is an essential element of a hotel room's equipment. It is usually attached to the wall in the bathroom, a convenient solution that allows you to save valuable space in your luggage.

However, using the hotel hair dryer can do more harm than good. Just a moment of carelessness can cause the device to damage hair severely.

Every hotel room has clean towels, toiletries, and a hair dryer. This setup saves a lot of space in our luggage. However, as the trichologist argues, a hair dryer is one item that is better brought from home.

Olga Poniatowska is a cosmetologist and clinical trichologist, known as @towietrycholog. On TikTok and Instagram, she shares her expertise on skin and hair care, amassing more than 250,000 followers. In one of her recently published videos, she highlighted the dangers of using hotel hair dryers.

In the video, a woman is drying her hair with a hotel hair dryer. After a while, her hair gets caught in the rotor. It couldn't be pulled out because the device had no back cover. The woman had to ask the hotel staff for help, who cut open the equipment. The caught strands were completely damaged.

The trichologist explained that most hotels offer similar hair dryers. She advised taking your own device. "I don't risk it and always travel with my hair dryer," she admitted. "There are few like that; most hotels I've been to have hair dryers that looked like they came from Ali for $12," "I always take my hair dryer. Heck, it travels with me 1,240 miles, and I can't imagine it any other way," read the comments.

In recent years, the harmfulness of hair dryers has been much debated. This is a myth because the device smooths strands and gives hair volume. However, the effect depends on the specific model. It is worth choosing one equipped with a cool air function and ionization.

Drying at a lower temperature will not damage your hair; ionization will prevent it from frizzing and becoming static. If you often travel, look for a travel hair dryer. These models have a foldable handle, so they don't take up much space in your luggage.