Greetings! This post is brought to you buy my impulsive buying habits… Short background story: I take the train to go to work every single day. There are good times (these are when I catch the rapid train or when trains are not crowded), but these are rare rare times; and of course, the bad times, which happens 90% of time. Trains are overly crowded that you do not need to exert any effort to stand, because you’re THAT close to people that they will be able to support your weight. Haaay. Anyhoo, one day as I was caught in the middle of a sea of commuters, and there’s not enough space to even take out my phone to keep myself distracted… and I could only look up (otherwise, I would engage in a staring contest with a fellow commuter) -- This ad popped up on the train monitor.
Here in Japan, Panasonic is not only known for their cameras and air conditioners, but mores for their health and beauty products under the Panasonic Beauty brand. Panasonic Beauty products range from electric toothbrushes and curlers, home facial systems, hair dryers, beauty training tools, epilators, etc. and are among the best ones for each of their respective categories. Back to the ad, seeing how the model was easily (and quite happily) drying her hair made me feel a sense of “lightness” (if that makes sense) - something that I never feel during my mornings here in Japan, well, at least not recently. Having said that, I think yearning for that feeling was what pushed me to consider getting the hair dryer in the first place (sige, rationalize pa!) I guess you can say that I am on a quest to simplify and make my mornings, before my daily commute, as stress-free and easy as possible. Given the price (and my lack of understanding about its features), it took a while before I finally decided to purchase this item. It felt like a huge investment for me because after all, “a blow dryer is a blow dryer is a blow dryer,” and it’s just hot air, right? So I really needed to justify the purchase and convince myself that upgrading my hair dryer to a pricier one is indeed worth it. After doing some research, the top considerations when buying your hair dryer are as follows: 1. Wattage. The higher the wattage, the more packed wind power is, which means faster drying time. 1800 or higher for thinner hair. Many professional blow dryers have wattage as high as 3600. The shortened drying time means less exposure to heat and less damage. 2. Ceramic and tourmaline technology. Ceramic technology helps control the heat of your blow dryer so it distributes the heat more evenly. Tourmaline is an awesome mineral that helps smooth hair by sealing the cuticle and retaining moisture. 3. A cool shot button! This magic button helps "set" the style. Cool air seals the cuticle, locking in your style and boosting shine. 4. Heat and power controls. This is a valuable feature especially for girls who have damaged hair like mine. Use the higher setting to remove most of the moisture from the hair. The lower setting then can be used to style once with hair is about 90% dry. 5. Lightweight. Less strain while you dry, making for an easy blowout. Obviously, the Panasonic EH-NA98 had ticked boxes for these and more, so for that reason and let’s not forget its adorable color, I caved in, got the hair dryer and now, here we are. :) But in case you’re interested to know -- other reasons I had to justify buying this hair dryer are (1) my hair has been taking a lot of abuse and it is about time I gave it the love it deserves; (2) this product is exclusively sold Japan (110V only), and; (3) I wanted to try something new (something I would not have done if I were not as impulsive. haha.).
PANASONIC EH-NA98
Nanoe™ hair dryer adds volume, minimizes frizz and reduces damage to hair from brushing
Infuses 1000x more moisture into hair than typical ion hair dryers
The unique quick dry nozzle provides dual airflow for faster drying
To put it to the test, let’s see how this fares compared to my old hair dryer, which is a fraction of the price.
So, am I happy with it? Honestly, I think I really am (even my rational self finds this unbelievable, haha!) Even though I still have to wake up early to dry my hair and go through my dreaded commute every day, using the EH-NA98 every morning gives me something to look forward to. Using this gives me more options and the chance to experiment on how I dry my hair, in manners that can be different from time to time. Drying my hair with this has become more of an experience, rather than just an arduous task, if this makes sense, and that is exactly what I like about it. Functionality: Based on my use experience, I think it does what it claims. I really notice that my hair is smoother, softer and more manageable after using this drying it with this. Experience-wise: I think it’s totally worth it! The different heat settings makes drying my hair fun and quite relaxing. Practically speaking: I think there may be hair dryers that are equally as good but not as expensive though I have not really taken the time to do my research. And I don’t feel like I need to because I’m already happy with this one. This is for you if… 1. You need to blow dry daily and want to ensure that your hair is well taken care of. 2. You lack the skills to blow dry your hair properly, because this one makes it super easy to achieve the salon-dried hair that professionals give. 3. You have money to spare and are open to try new things/experiences. Thanks for stopping by!
P.S. If you live outside Japan, are interested to be a proud owner of a Panasonic Hair Dryer (#twinsies!:D) but are worried about the voltage, you can opt for an EH-NA58. It has the same nanoe nanocare technology, quick dry nozzle and cute color selection to choose from. It’s definitely the EH-NA98’s younger sister!
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Screencaps from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Z_UrFZMbg
Product Photos from:
http://panasonic.jp/hair/products/EH-NA98_NA58_NA28/
https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%91%E3%83%8A%E3%82%BD%E3%83%8B%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E3%83%98%E3%82%A2%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A4%E3%83%BC-%E3%83%8A%E3%83%8E%E3%82%B1%E3%82%A2-%E7%99%BD-EH-NA98-W/dp/B01I1B8ARE?th=1
