Abstract: A hair dryer includes a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet and blower means within the housing for drawing a stream of air into the inlet, through the dryer housing and forcing the air out the air outlet. A thermostatically controlled electric heating element is disposed within the housing for heating the stream of air as it passes through the housing. A truncated safety guard member, which may be pyramidal or frusto-conical in shape, is secured to the dryer housing over and in spaced relation to the air outlet and in communication therewith so that air from the outlet flows through the guard member to an air exit at the forward end thereof.