Dyson unveils $749 hair dryer with jaw-dropping new feature
Dyson has launched a jaw-dropping new device for Aussies – but its need has simultaneously exposed an area of our bodies easily ignored.
In a dark warehouse located on a backstreet of an up-and-coming art district in Seoul, rows of people clutching cameras and phones crammed together, all waiting for one very important person.
While you’d be forgiven for thinking a famous K-Pop star had caused this eager crowd to gather, it was actually British inventor, Sir James Dyson.
The founder of UK tech giant Dyson had flown into the beauty capital of the world to unveil the brand’s latest product innovation, a $749 hair dryer he told news.com.au will create a whole new beauty “trend”.
Revealing the Supersonic Nural to the room, Mr Dyson explained it was the firm’s “most intelligent hair dryer” yet, containing a new sensor technology that protects scalp health by reducing heat and airflow as the smart device comes near your head.
“We were worried about the heat hair dryers are capable of generating and the damage it does, so it was really a way to stop people accidentally overheating their hair and overheating their scalp,” he told news.com.au at the global launch.
“So we were looking for a way to still dry quickly, while overcoming this problem of damaging hair.”
Body part we can’t see that is ‘accidentally’ damaged
Extreme heat can rob your hair and scalp of moisture, which in turn can lead to scalp irritation and redness. This can also cause dandruff.
When in “scalp protect mode”, the device will automatically reduce its temperature to 55 degrees Celsius – the optimum temperature for scalp comfort and drying speed according to Dyson – as the dryer gets closer to the head.
This is done through a ‘time of flight’ sensor, which projects an invisible infra-red beam to measure the distance between the machine and your hair, meaning no matter how far away the tool is from your head, you will feel the same temperature.
An LED light will also automatically change colour as the temperature changes, with yellow reflecting a low heat is being used. It turns orange when medium heat is being applied and red when heat is high. This is determined depending on the distance the machine is from the head.
Despite historically being an area easily ignored, scalp care is a beauty trend that has “exploded” in recent months in Australia, with Google searches on the topic up over 250 per cent in the past 12 months, according to a new report.
But if you thought the “skinification” of haircare was a fad that would soon fizzle out, Dyson’s latest product proves it’s here to stay.
“We’re developing technology all the time that solves problems, but if you stick to tech that is basic, it will embrace any trend,” the chief engineer explained.
“I hope sometimes we also create trends.”
Indeed, there’s no other hair dryer on the market armed with technology to cater for scalp health, a feature that’s sure to be imitated by rivals in no time.
Why Dyson ‘dupes’ are bad for consumers
Dyson is arguably one of the most “duped” brands in the world, a term coined to describe the Gen Z habit of finding cheaper alternatives to luxury products, with knock-offs of the tech giant’s products regularly going viral on social media.
“It’s certainly not flattering, but it’s the way the world is,” Mr Dyson said.
“It’s very unfortunate for the consumer actually because they’re not getting choice. If companies that copied actually developed their own technology, then a customer would have good choice.
“But unfortunately intellectual property isn’t strong enough to stop people essentially copying others. You wouldn’t put up with it in the music world, you would call it ‘immoral’, but it is accepted in our world and other companies are unscrupulous to that.
“They unashamedly copy things.”
Despite his clear frustration at the rise in Dyson “dupes”, it hasn’t deterred the firm from continuing with its $885 million commitment to developing 20 new beauty products in the next four years.
The first was a “game-changing” new hair straightener, the Dyson AirStrait, which was announced last year that uses airflow to smooth and dry hair in one go.
The technology, which Mr Dyson described as one “no one has done before”, has yet to arrive in Australia despite launching in the UK and US in June.
Dyson also recently showcased an “entirely new” hair drying tool for professionals backstage at New York Fashion Week – the “Dyson Supersonic r Professional”.
The “unique” shaped hair dryer is only for hair experts, with the device created to help prevent strain related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome which are highly prevalent within the hair expert community.
Cult Dyson hair dryer gets upgrade after 8 years
The Supersonic Nural is the latest addition the brand’s beauty line-up, and also features new and improved attachments which cater to all hair types that are equipped with “attachment learning”.
“This means it recognises the attachment that is on the device and adjusts the setting accordingly,” Mr Dyson explained.
“It also will remember the setting the next time you use it, and has pause detect so it knows when you momentarily place the device down and eliminates the need for you to constantly switch it on and off.”
Mr Dyson promised the new features to the cult Supersonic hair dryer – which originally launched in 2016 – will completely change how we dry our hair.
But if you’re not in the mood to use the new Scalp Protect feature, you can turn it off using a switch at the top of the end cap.
The insane new hair dryer, which left many gasping “wow” at the launch in South Korea on Monday, launches in two colours – Ceramic Patina and Topaz or Vinca Blue and Topaz – on April 11.
It comes with five attachments while other stand-alone accessories will be on offer.
The journalist travelled to South Korea as a guest of Dyson