My Blow Dryer: The Velecta Paramount Paris TGR 4000i

With 80mph wind speed and a tiny frame, my blow dryer is everything I need it to be: compact and powerful! Last winter I searched high and low for the perfect blow dryer, which is an extremely personal decision. I would definitely recommend my Velecta Paramount Paris TGR 4000i blow dryer to anyone with a small frame like me. I wouldn’t consider it exceptionally light weight at 18 oz, they weight is similar to larger blow dryers (as is the power). What it is that helps ease my joints, especially my wrist and elbow, is very short. It is only 8 inches across and the handle is slightly more centered than most blow dryers so it feels even shorter.

A shorter blow dryer means more maneuverability for me and I can get closer to the client to really get in there. I am 5’1″ and short limbed. I have always struggled with standard blow dryers. Half way through a blowout I can be in extreme pain with a longer dryer and I feel like I need to step away from the client to switch the direction of the long nose. Part way through my search, i realized weight is not the issue, it is the length. I realized with a shorter dryer that is four less inches I need to raise my drying arm when drying long hair with volume. I looked at getting a lighter dryer with Velecta Paramount Paris but opted for the more powerful one, figuring it would be better to dry quicker with a dryer slightly over one pound than to take longer with a dryer slightly under one pound.

Check out the specs for the Velecta Paramount Paris 4000i blow dryer here.

Other features I love are: an exceptionally long cord and the option to turn off the ionic function. The dryer has a cold shot button, a button for air flow, temperature and an on/off switch for the ionic function. Why would you want to turn off the ionic function? It isn’t the best for fine hair. I know a lot of times people talk about the new blow dryer technology like it is necessary for every person, but for clients that struggle with volume, sometimes the ionic function will leave their hair silky soft and falling flat. Now, for a client with unmanageable frizz and thick hair, I would probably recommend a T3 or a BioIonic blow dryer, because they would just have the ionic function on all the time anyway.

Only features I dislike are that they are harder to get than other dryers, I got mine from The Beecher Group, and the warranty is only two years. Which is a bummer. But eight months in I haven’t had a single problem.

ALSO: check out my post about the X:Q onyx from Velecta Paramount Paris

Let’s Talk About Brazilian Blowouts

Alright, alright. Clients and friends are always asking me about Brazilian blowouts, whether they are safe, if they should get them, if they will die a gruesome death if they get one. Moderately informed clients tend to have very polarized views. The same is true for hairstylists. I am not a chemist (which is something I wish more people would fess up to when they get on the Internet….) but I do have an opinion. So here it is:

Brazilian Blowouts are a godsend for clients with truly unmanageable hair. They leave some wave and body in the hair, but they take away the frizz and cut drying time in half. If the client wants to smooth their hair it will be easier. It will be manageable, pliable and incredibly shiny and there is nothing else that improves the condition of the hair like a professional keratin treatment. For perfectionists with minor frizz issues, there are more natural (weaker) alternatives to recommend.

The process is long. We shampoo with a clarifying shampoo, apply the product, blow dry the hair, flat iron the hair over and over. If this process is done incorrectly some people experience problems such as breakage or dryness. This is not a problem with the blowout and your hair, it is a problem with the person doing the blowout.

Now, I don’t do Brazilian Blowouts. I am severely asthmatic, and frankly, blow drying and flat ironing hair spray or any other product for three hours would give me a headache and sore throat. A client who has weak lungs or bad allergies may also find them unpleasant, however, the client is hardly breathing in anything compared to the hair dresser.

That said, the FDA may under regulate in some cases, but the Internet is full of conspiracy theorists and crazies. If you have ever googled your cold symptoms and thought you had bacterial meningitis than you understand that the Internet is an insane place. People exaggerate on both ends of the spectrum. I believe the truth is in between. I think in some parts of the US there are salons where stylists do a ton of blowouts in poorly vented areas, and I imagine there will be horrible repercussions for the stylists health. Still, as a consumer, I think the risk is minimal even in a salon like that. I think everything should be a cost benefit analysis and you shouldn’t get one if your hair can be managed fairly easily with product on a day to day basis.

Really I wish people would stop freaking out about Brazilian Blowouts so that stylists could product themselves and their clients with masks without anyone jumping up and down and saying, “See, I knew it was dangerous!” Because it really isn’t bad unless you’re around a ton of them, but they do have short term problems, mainly just throat irritation. But nothing you wouldn’t experience from spraying hairspray for that long. Actually, hairspray would probably be worse. I wish I could wear a mask for that..

Honestly, if you are using nail polish other than Zoya, why worry about the formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowouts? Most nail polish has formaldehyde… But not necessarily a cause for concern as it disinfects the little brush. Sometimes I see people eating the most unhealthy, processed non-food food and say things about formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowouts. Really? What goes in your body is going to make more of a difference in the long run. Exercise and a proper diet will make more of a difference in long term health and cancer risk. I shouldn’t even have to say this. It should be obvious. The bottom line is “formaldehyde” is a really nasty word and it is easy to get a gut reaction to it. I’m not saying we should be cuddling up with a taxidermied dog, just that we are not experts. Talk to a chemist about it. But not one from the Internet because they will most definitely be “on a side.”

If you decide to get one, choose wisely! As I said before, if they aren’t done well they can be rough on the hair. When done well they will be incredible. Don’t bargain hunt on this hair service, as the bargains might be with less experienced stylists. And take great care with your hair after! Listen to your stylist about how to care for them and buy your shampoo at the salon. Don’t just buy any SLS free shampoo because a lot of them have compounds that are very similar and may be just as harsh.