Body & Mind

Should we now wear earplugs while blow-drying our hair?

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Blowing your hair is one of the most normal things in the world. It's part of your routine, just like washing your skin, putting on clean socks, and applying body lotion from head to toe. And yes, let's be honest: that hair doesn't dry in 3 seconds. So that blow-drying has to happen if you don't want to walk around with a wet head all day. Although this feels so normal, I have to burst your bubble: did you know that this innocent, simple activity can permanently damage your ears? Yep... How does that work? Read on here.

Earplugs. Seriously?

Yes, I'm really serious. Almost everyone knows that when you turn your volume knob to 100% while listening to music, it's not really good for your ears. But your hairdryer? You don't think about that every day. After a shower, you whip it out of the drawer as if it's your water bottle. Going out? Then you take a shower beforehand and, of course, blow-dry your hair. You take it to your friends when you all get ready together. Your hairstylist brings it to your wedding. Yes, a hairdryer is such a staple, but we still have to face the truth: that thing is a real culprit for your ears.

Such a device can produce between 85 and 100 decibels of sound. And starting from 85 decibels is exactly the level that is considered harmful by audiologists. Prolonged exposure to this sound level can cause permanent damage. You can get tinnitus (a constant ringing or noise) or other damage. It's even so bad that in 2017 a new European law came into effect that states that household appliances may not emit more than 80 decibels. So yes: a hairdryer can cause hearing damage in the long term, after frequent use.

Do you really have to wear earplugs?

Yes and no. Of course, the easiest thing is to just use earplugs, but there are certainly other things you can do to protect your ears:

1. Keep your distance

What is mainly important is that you don't hold the hairdryer next to your ear anymore. Try to keep your hairdryer at a distance of 20 centimeters, or just above your ears. Do you really want to dry it to the roots? Then you can turn the power down a bit.

2. Use a lower setting

You know, those three buttons on your hairdryer? The one for soft, medium, and hard? Try using the middle or even the first setting. The less powerful you set it, the softer the hairdryer sounds. Oh, and that's also better for your hair. Less heat = less damage.

3. Only blow-dry towel-dry hair

If your hair is already towel-dry, you need to blow-dry for less time. The less time you spend, the less damage you incur.

4. Go for a quieter hairdryer

This may not be the most fun option for your wallet, but it's the wisest. A higher quality hairdryer is quieter than that hairdryer you picked up for twenty bucks at Action ‘because you needed one quickly’. This way, you can still blow-dry on the highest setting without the loud noise.

5. Wear earplugs

And finally, the earplug option. You can easily protect your ears by using foam or rubber earplugs while blow-drying. Make sure your ears are nice and dry and put them in before you turn that device on. It works just like at a concert: you can hear it, but the damage is significantly reduced. This way, you can get as close to your hairline with that hairdryer as you want. You don't have to keep your distance or bend your arms into all sorts of acrobatic positions to still get the sides dry.

So yes: that hairdryer damages your ears in the long term. But luckily, there are plenty of things you can do about it.