Heat damage is having a moment in haircare marketing, and air stylers have been sold as the safe answer. Dr Julie Chung, who co-founded haircare brand T3, is taking a different line in a recent TechRadar interview. Her reasoning is more pointed than the usual "heat is bad" slogan and challenges both the demonisation of hot tools and the halo around their cooler-running rivals.
Below, we look at what she actually said, where the arguments land, and what a buyer should weigh before spending on the next big styling tool.
At a glance
- TechRadar interviewed Dr Julie Chung, a T3 co-founder, about styling and heat.
- Chung argues wet hair is more fragile than hair treated with controlled heat.
- She is skeptical that air stylers are categorically healthier than curling irons.
- T3's Aire 360 uses a proprietary ceramic coating the brand says delivers even heat.
- Chung argues high-velocity dryer settings are overkill for everyday consumer use.
What she actually claims
Chung's core point is that the wet state is the real danger zone. Wet strands have reduced tensile strength and snap more easily, she told TechRadar, which is part of why air-drying can leave hair looking frizzier than people expect. Heat applied to dry hair with the right tool, in her telling, is not the automatic villain it has been framed as.
She is also cool on the air styler boom. Air curling can be easier for some users, she said, but the health of the result depends on how many passes the tool makes and how skilled the user is. A well-made curling iron is not inherently worse, on her reading.
On dryers, Chung pushed back on the industry race for higher wattage and stronger motors. High velocity is useful in a salon for a fast blowout, she said, but the average user does not need it every day, and rough-drying on full blast can strip moisture and lift static.
Why this matters
Most styling advice collapses into one rule: less heat, more air. Chung's framing splits that rule. If wet hair is genuinely the fragile state, then long towel sessions are not the protective ritual they are sold as. That shifts the cost-benefit math when comparing a premium dryer against a budget towel setup.
It also reframes the air styler pitch. The category has been marketed on the idea that hot air is gentler than hot metal. Chung's argument is that gentleness comes down to the tool's heat delivery and the user's technique, not the heat source. Buyers comparing a Dyson-class device against a traditional iron are not comparing safety on a like-for-like basis, in her telling.
There is a marketing angle too. Nearly every brand selling a hot tool now promises "less damage." Chung is effectively arguing that the underlying premise of that promise is shakier than the ads admit, which puts pressure on rivals who have built narratives around air-powered salvation.
A worked example
Say you are weighing an air styler against a ceramic curling iron. Using Chung's logic, the relevant questions are not "air versus metal" but "how evenly does this tool heat, how many passes will I need, and can I keep the dryer on medium instead of max?" If your hair is coarse and needs multiple passes to hold a curl, an air styler may actually require more cumulative heat exposure. A controlled-heat ceramic iron with a steady pass might do the same job with less repetition. The deciding factor becomes the tool's heat profile and your routine, not the category label on the box.
What to watch next
Chung's position is contrarian, and contrarian claims from a brand founder are also marketing. Watch for independent trichology research comparing wet-state breakage against controlled-heat damage across common hair types. Until then, the practical move is simple: do not treat "heat-free" as a synonym for "safe," and do not treat a high-wattage dryer as a necessity. Match the tool to your hair, not to the trend.
Key takeaways
- Chung's core reframe is that wet hair, not heated hair, may be the more fragile state.
- She treats air stylers as a convenience play, not an automatic health upgrade over irons.
- High-velocity dryer settings are, in her view, a salon tool mis-sold for daily home use.
- Buyers should compare tools on heat profile and technique, not on the heat source alone.
Frequently asked questions
Did Dr Chung say heat styling is healthy?
No. She argued heat is not inherently damaging when delivered properly, and that wet hair is more fragile than hair treated with controlled heat.
What is T3's Aire 360?
It is a T3 styler that the brand says uses a proprietary ceramic coating to deliver even heat without hot spots.
Are air stylers worse for hair than curling irons?
Chung said the health of the result depends on the tool and technique, not the heat source, so air stylers are not automatically gentler.
Should I stop rough-drying on high heat?
Chung argued high-velocity dryer settings are meant for salon use, and daily consumer use on max can strip moisture and increase static.