ghd Helios hair dryer gave my fine hair a major boost of volume

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I’m not follicly blessed. As someone with fine hair I understand all too well the daily drama of wrestling spindly strands into a style that makes them look fuller and thicker. So when I was given the opportunity to trial the much-hyped ghd Helios hairdryer, I was 100% in. How would it measure up against our list of best hair dryers?

Not least because it promises to give fine hair a serious boost of volume and stop it falling flat by lunchtime.

What is it?

A powerful hairdryer with a brushless motor. This isn’t just impressive tech speak.

Most hair dryers use carbon brushes that wear out over time, causing the motor to stop working. By contrast, brushless motors like the ghd Helios use magnets and electronics to drive the motor, extending the life of the dryer.

This motor type is also lightweight, super quiet and delivers a strong airflow for fast, frizz-free results.

ghd Helios Professional Hairdryer in Plum, £159

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Factor in negative ions, which eliminate static electricity, and you get smoother hair with 30% more shine* into the bargain.

Other notable tech?

The ghd Helios also features what the brand calls 'Aeroprecis Technology’. In other words, an aerodynamic design with a special contoured nozzle that guarantees even airflow and concentrated temperature.

‘This control creates a smoothing action that flattens the cuticles and aligns the hair fibres,’ says Zoë Irwin, ghd ambassador. 'Ultimately, this is the hair’s protection system against splitting; aligned hair with flattened cuticles is stronger.’

ghd Helios hair dryer is totally worth it – review

The first thing you notice about the ghd Helios is that it’s surprisingly lightweight. This is down to ergonomic weight distribution within the device for less arm ache when you’re drying your hair.

It’s also much quieter than regular hairdryers and, despite being super fast, it didn’t blast my long hair in every which direction.

Because my hair is so fine, it normally takes me about 15 minutes to blow-dry it. The ghd Helios cuts that down by half. And it really does leave your hair looking silky smooth, without killing volume.

On Irwin’s advice, I no longer rough-dry my hair in the morning. ‘You should always properly dry hair with a brush,’ she warns. ‘Rough drying will cause cuticles to lift, making hair more susceptible to split ends and breakage.’

With the ghd Helios it’s not like this means setting my alarm any earlier.

I simply warm the hair around the brush, then switch to a cooler temperature for the majority of my blow-dry. This sets the shape, ramps up shine and gives me gravity-defying volume. Cue: smiley emoji.

Put another way, the ghd Helios is so good at boosting fine hair, you’ll no longer find weft hair extensions drying on the radiator in my flat.

*vs. naturally dried hair