Several brands of hair dryers make too much noise or provide too much heat, which can be dangerous for users, according to the results of a survey released yesterday by the Consumers' Foundation.
The foundation sampled 23 hair dryers sold in stores in the Taipei area in April. Six of the products were made in Taiwan, 16 were made in China and one was made in Thailand.
Tests conducted on the hair dryers showed that three produced more than 90 decibels, two produced heat that was higher than the maximum accepted level of 110?C, and one even melted while in use.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Wu Chia-cheng (
While the noise made by the surveyed products ranged between 72 decibels and 98 decibels, only four were lower than 75 decibels and three were higher than 90 decibels, Wu said.
In terms of temperatures, the Sunpentown SH-6512 hair dryer and Lapolo HD-275 hair dryer both released maximum heat of more than 110?C, with the former even reaching 130?C, Wu said.
The temperature of hair dryers should not exceed 55?C, as heat exceeding that level can damage the hair, Wu said.
Meanwhile, the funnel of the Hsueh Yin SI-170 hair dryer melted due to the heat released by the product, Wu said.
He warned that the melted plastic cover of the hair dryer can release toxic substances and he urged the government to step up inspections of hair dryers.
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