Introducing AirLight Pro: L’Oréal Professionnel’s Next-Gen Hair Dryer

If you’ve been in the beauty industry for a while, you’ve probably watched your favorite hairstyling tools go from good to great—especially over the past few years. Exciting new technological advancements have allowed brands to raise the bar to new levels recently, with smart styling features and futuristic hair tools that offer more convenience, precision, and comfort.

Perhaps one of the most talked about next-generation tools hitting the market this year is L’Oréal Professionnel’s AirLight Pro. Powered by infrared-light technology, this highly anticipated styling tool is about to reshape the future of hair drying for beauty pros. Read on to learn more about this groundbreaking hair dryer and discover some of the reasons why hairstylists can’t wait to get their hands on it.

The AirLight Pro is L’Oréal Professionnel’s first-ever professional hair dryer that harnesses the power of infrared-light technology to dry hair at the speed of light. To bring this incredible hair dryer to the market, L’Oréal Professionnel teamed up with Zuvi (@zuvilife), a global leader in beauty tech and haircare innovation.

Zuvi is a beauty tech company that's widely known for their Halo hairstyling devices. The company was established in 2019 by drone engineers and leading scientists, and has amassed over 180 global patents. Zuvi's research-driven approach and expertise in light, airflow, and modern engineering made them the perfect partner to help L’Oréal Professionnel bring their vision for the AirLight Pro to life.

L’Oréal Professionnel and Zuvi designed the AirLight Pro to be a next-generation hair dryer for both hair professionals and consumers at home. Unlike conventional hair dryers, the AirLight Pro was created without heating coils, which can be harsh on hair and damaging to the environment. "With AirLight Pro, in partnership with Zuvi, we prove that technology can augment beauty performance, caring for multiple hair needs, and reduce its environmental impact," says L’Oréal Groupe CEO Nicolas Hieronimus.

The AirLight Pro was first revealed by Hieronimus during a keynote speech in January at the CES 2024 trade show in Las Vegas. It is available exclusively at SalonCentric and will retail at approximately $400. 

A Breakthrough Design in Beauty Tech 

This professional hair dryer is equipped with a 17-blade, high-speed motor and infrared technology powered by tungsten-halogen bulbs. It works using a combination of wind and infrared light to effectively dry water droplets on the hair’s surface with less reliance on direct heat.

The AirLight Pro’s infrared-light technology is the same type of light you may find at your local infrared spa or gym. However, there’s a bit more to know when it comes to infrared technology’s application in haircare tools. Read on to learn some of the basics. 

How does infrared-light technology work? 

Infrared light utilizes longer wavelengths to generate heat that’s similar to the sun’s natural heat. When infrared heat and airflow are applied to wet hair, it mimics the process of natural evaporation—directly targeting water molecules on the hair’s surface.   

To visualize this process, try picturing a wet sidewalk after a heavy rainstorm: The raindrops will evaporate quickest when exposed to both sunshine and wind, versus either element on its own. Using infrared light to dry hair is said to be a gentler, faster, and more efficient approach to hair drying that offers optimized heat flow and reduced moisture loss. 

What are the benefits of infrared-light technology? 

The infrared-light technology featured in L’Oréal Professionnel’s AirLight Pro hair dryer provides beauty pros and consumers with impressive benefits, including: 

• 14% faster drying [1] 
• 11% less energy used [1] 
• Hydration locked in

The use of infrared technology can also help keep the hair and scalp from overheating, which in turn, can help dry the hair without damage [2]. With the AirLight Pro, you can expect smooth, shiny, and healthy-looking results. 

Our #ItTakesAPro team will be the first to tell you that this futuristic hair dryer can transform your styling experience. Stylist and #ItTakesAPro artist Philip Foresto (@philipforesto) describes the AirLight Pro as the “future of blow dryers” because it causes zero damage.

“As a colorist, the health of the hair is always most important,” says Foresto. “Over the years, I have found that hot tools (dryers specifically) are responsible for the majority of hair damage. That’s why the AirLight Pro is a necessity for every stylist and every home.” Foresto loves that the AirLight Pro uses infrared-light technology to produce drying with record timing, intense power, and no damage.

Here are just a few more standout features that have many of the industry’s top artists counting down the days until the AirLight Pro’s official release. 

The AirLight Pro app 

The AirLight Pro is designed to offer customization at every turn—it adapts to the needs of each user with personalized temperature and airflow settings that can be programmed using L’Oréal Professionnel’s new AirLight Pro app [3]. 
 
You can use the app to display your name on the AirLight Pro’s digital screen, for example, so your dryer never goes missing on busy days at the salon. There are also options to create signature settings for multiple users and styling needs, depending on your hair type and desired look. These settings can be adjusted at increments of 5% for airflow and 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit for temperature.

The AirLight Pro app is available for download in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. 

Designed for professional use 

This innovative hair dryer was co-developed by professionals specifically for salon use. It’s lightweight (1.7 lbs), quiet (76 decibels), powerful (130 mph wind speed), and tested to last for up to 10 years in a professional environment [4]. It also includes three standard temperature and airflow settings on the handle, an extended cord with no power brick, and a cool-shot button to lock in styles and shapes. 

Smart attachments 

The AirLight Pro comes with two auto-detect magnetic attachments that feature radio frequency identification (RFID). Stylists can choose between a concentrator attachment (for styling precision and high-definition smoothing) and a diffuser (to preserve and define natural curl patterns). 
 
When you use either of these attachments, the dryer will automatically recognize it and adjust the heat and speed settings accordingly. There’s also a scalp mode, which is designed to help stylists get close to the root without overheating or damaging their clients’ hair. 

Tested on all hair types 

L’Oréal Professionnel tested the AirLight Pro on more than 500 people to ensure it delivers incredible results across a wide spectrum of hair types. Its non-damaging infrared-light technology makes it an especially great option for clients with fragile hair, curls, coils, and color-treated hair. 
 
Enter for your chance to win a L’Oréal Professionnel AirLight Pro by visiting our sweepstakes page or heading to a SalonCentric store near you. 
 

1. Airlight Pro vs. leading premium ($200+) hair dryer USA 2023.​
2. Instrumental test, AirLight Pro vs. naturally dried hair.
3. AirLight Pro app and Internet connection required. Available for App Store and Google Play. 
4. Corresponding to 2 cumulative hours of use per day. 5 days a week.