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. The space between the dryer housing and guard member at the air outlet has a cross sectional area at least 50%, and preferably 90% to 100%, of the cross sectional area of the air outlet to allow sufficient air from the air outlet to exit between the guard member and dryer housing in the event the air exit of the guard member is completely blocked without overheating the dryer housing heating element or guard member. A protective grill having air outlet openings with a total area greater than the cross sectional area of the air outlet is provided over the air exit of the guard member. The protective grill is spaced from the air outlet a distance greater than one-half the inside width of the air outlet. Preferably the distance is equal to such width. In normal operation ambient air enters the guard through the space between the guard and dryer housing and mixes with the heated air from the air outlet thereby lowering the temperature of the heated air from the air outlet and increasing the volume of air.