Hair Dryers
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Personal Care & Safety Products · CPSC Code 1602
Down 34% over 5 years
The verdict
Hair Dryers carry a danger score of 36/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,764 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 34% over the last five years.
- 36/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,764
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 10.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1602 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for hair dryers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,764 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)10.1%
- Fatality rate0.24%
- 5-year trend-34%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Hair Dryers (CPSC product code 1602, in the Personal Care & Safety Products category) generate an estimated 1,764 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 35,288 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 36/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 34% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2019 (2,839 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2014 (1,205 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for hair dryers is other to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 2,717 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the neck (2,117 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 5,516 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 10.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.24%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 531 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how hair dryers fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 765 | 447 | |
| 5-14 | 612 | 2,077 | |
| 15-24 | 1,116 | 4,263 | |
| 25-34 | 543 | 4,973 | |
| 35-44 | 440 | 4,529 | |
| 45-54 | 303 | 4,705 | |
| 55-64 | 272 | 3,115 | |
| 65-74 | 414 | 1,877 | |
| 75+ | 553 | 4,285 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Not Stated/unk | Other | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Neck | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
39 YOF INJURED THORACIC BACK WHILE BLOW DRYING HER AIR, BENT OVER AND THEN WENT TO STAND UP, PAIN. DX-ACUTE THORACIC PAIN
23 YOF PRESENTS WITH L FOOT INJURY. REPORTS SHE SUSTAINED A PUNCTURE WOUND TO HER L PLANTAR FOOT 3 DAYS PRIOR WHEN SHE STEPPED ON THE PLUG TO A HAIRDRYER AT HOME. DX: PUNCTURE WOUND OF L FOOT.
18YOF STEPPED ON THE BLOW DRYER CORD WHILE CLEANING HER ROOM, DX PUNCTURE TO FOOT
65 YOM CHEST PAIN BLOW DRYING HAIR DX; CHEST PAIN
44YOF PRESENTS FOR EVALUATION OF BLISTERING TO HER RIGHT POSTERIOR FOOT X 3 DAYS. HAD FOOT SURGERY WITH A CAST AND ACCIDENTALLY GOT IT WET. SHE USED A HAIR DRYER AND WAS TRYING TO DRY THE CAST ON A COOL SETTING BUT IT CAUSED BLISTERING/BURNING TO THE FOOT. EXAM BLISTERING TO THE PAD OF 2ND-5TH TOES. OPEN BLISTER POSTERIOR 5TH TOE. DX:WOUND FOOT OPEN INITIAL RIGHT
27YOF IS PREGNANT AND WAS BLOW DRYING HER HAIR WHEN SHE HAD A SYNCOPAL EVENT AND FELL DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, SYNCOPE
22YOF, WAS BLOW DRYING HER HAIR WITH HER RIGHT ARM WHEN DEVELOPED PAIN RADIATING TO RIGHT SHOULDER AND INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER JAW AND CHEST, DX: CHEST PAIN
66YOF, SUFFERED FROM A SEIZURE WHILE BLOW DRYING HER HAIR AND FELL TO THE GROUND STRIKING HEAD UNKNOWN LOSS OF CONSCIOUS AND HAS ABRASIONS TO THE HEAD, DX: SEIZURE; FEVER UNSPECIFIED
30 YOM WAS USING A HAIR DRYER AS A HEATER AND BURNED HER LEG. DX: RIGHT LOWER LEG BURN
43YOF WAS BLOW DRYING HER HAIR AND PASSED OUT TO FLOOR. DX: SYNCOPE
65YOF COMPLAINING OF SUDDEN ONSET OF PALPITATIONS WHILE DRYING HER HAIR DX: ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
23YOF, SCHIZOPHRENIC REPORTS THAT SHE EXPERIENCED ELECTRIC SHOCK WHILE DRYING HER HAIR WITH HAIR DRYER NOW WITH HEADACHE DX: ACUTE NONINTRACTABLE HEADACHE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This morning i was drying my hair when sparks flew out of cord connected at handle of dryer. Burning my wrist.
My Conair blow dryer sparked and flamed in my hand. I noticed a smell and turned it to look at the control buttons and fortunately the spark and flame were directed away from my hand. This is a Conair 1875, foldable dryer, model # 157XR. I am not injured.
Caller was blow drying her hair for about two minutes when she noticed a small spark and flame coming from the handle of the product. Caller dropped the product immediately and threw a towel over the product that put the flame out. Caller believes this product is a fire hazard.
While drying my hair my Amika hair dryer sparked. It was still on as I was trying to figure out what caused it and it began sparking and popping they the switches in the hAndle. I immediately turned it off and unplugged it. See other complaints for the same issues
Using a "Remington All That !" hair dryer it began making a rattling sound and loud exploding sounds. It smoked and had an electrical wire burning smell. Had to turn off the hair dryer as the GFI and the plug did not activate. There are part rattling around inside. There were no injuries, put the product seem very dangerous.
My hair dryer caught fire just below the plug.
My wife was using her Remington Turbo 1600 hair drier a few inches from her head when sparks appeared where the cable enters the handle and a flame issued from the the nozzle. She instinctively dropped it on to the floor where it landed near the bed clothes and continued to flame until she could get to the mains socket to switch it off. Type D2420. [No sign of any serial number].
The Helen of Troy Professional Ceramic hair dryer comb falls of while blow-drying mine and my daughters hair. The comb gets really hot and when it lands on your neck, chest, etc., it burns you. I have gotten burned by this comb several times on the back of my neck, chest, and arms, while using this blow-dryer and so have my daughter.
Showing 8 of 531 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to hair dryers on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are hair dryers?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, hair dryers have a danger score of 36/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,764 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from hair dryers?
The most common injury is other to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 2,717 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from hair dryers increasing or decreasing?
Down 34% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for hair dryers injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 5,516 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by hair dryers?
Of all ER visits involving hair dryers, approximately 10.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (89.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with hair dryers?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Personal Care & Safety Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 36/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 25-34 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
