My top tip is to blow dry in small sections ensuring each section is completely dry before moving onto the next,' says multi-award-winnning afro hairstylist Charlotte Mensah.

To avoid frizz, keep a water spray bottle handy to re-wet damp sections before thoroughly blow-drying. Finish with a blast of cold air to close the cuticle for a smooth finish.' How we test Both ionic and ceramic hairdryers are known for being kinder to tresses, helping to reduce dreaded heat damage. But which one is best? A diffuser is key to distributing heat slowly and evenly through curly hair, while variable heat settings and ionic technology will help to protect afro hair from breakages. A cool shot setting will set curls in place, too. How we test

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Price tags vary wildly and often depend on the brand name, special features and attachments. Not sure what to look for? Concentrator nozzles give straight hair a sleeker, less flyaway finish, and diffusers help prevent frizz in curly hair. Ceramic hairdryers, on the other hand, focus on flawless engineering, as they work to automatically even out airflow and adjust temperatures depending on your hair's needs. The ELLE editors also selected their top buys, based on their extensive beauty knowledge and real-world testing. We asked 350 women with a range of hair types, from fine to afro, to try out 65 different hair dryers. Each machine was judged on speed, ease of use, noise levels and weight. Most importantly, we also wanted to know which ones created the best finished result for every hair type.

In the ELLE Beauty Lab, we measured the temperature of the airflow, casing and nozzle, as well as assessing instructions, simplicity and design. We then tested each hairdryer’s frizz-fighting powers with the help of our Bossa Nova Shuffle machine, which assessed how many flyaways occurred once hair was introduced to humidity. With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.Ceramic heating elements are thought to be kinder to your hair than metal, heating up more evenly to prevent potentially damaging hot spots, but make sure to use a heat-protecting spray if you regularly style your hair.

Those with fine hair should avoid very high temperatures, so look for machines offering lower heat settings. If you're looking to streamline your beauty admin, it can be tempting to go with a hair dryer with higher wattage, and while this does mean you’ll benefit from stronger airflow, and therefore a faster dry time, it can also make machines heavier and harder to wield, so something to bear in mind.We asked over 300 testers with a variety of hair types to review 20 hairdryers. They rigorously judged the speed, ease of use, weight, noise level and the finished results of each appliance.