Hair dryers in Malta are concerned they will lose their jobs if heatwaves start coming to the country more regularly.
Hot air from the Sahara being pulled by high pressure from central and eastern Europe has meant that people who want to dry their hair quickly or add volume simply need to step outside, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of hair dryers all over the island.
“I’m very worried I’ll lose my job if temperatures continue to rise,” said Lisa Mamo, a 2-year-old TRESemme 5542DU 2200W Power Dryer, adding that Malta is already a difficult place for hair dryers to earn a living, since they are constantly working overtime against humidity.
“I usually work every day but my owner has barely looked at me these past few days. Instead, she’s just been stepping out onto the balcony for a few minutes after coming out of the shower,” said Kevin Sammut, a Nicky Clarke NHD181.
“What’s the point of having a 13-blade axial flow impeller that can reach speeds of 110,000 revs per minute, while air temperature is regulated by a microprocessor, when the air outside is literally on fire?” said Diane Azzopardi, a state of the art Dyson Supersonic.
Lisa Caruana, a BaByliss Power Smooth 2400, said she was considering leaving the hair drying profession and learning a new skill.
“I don’t know, maybe I could be used to quickly heat takeaway food that’s taken ages to arrive, or to warm people’s feet in winter,” she said.
On the other hand, Albert Magro, a veteran Remington D1390, remains confident that hairdryers would still be needed even if heatwaves become the new norm.
“There’s no way a warm southerly breeze can provide the professional silky smooth finish that I can,” he said.
