Conair hair dryers' shattering, smoking, sparking leads to recall

Conair Corp. is recalling 291,000 of its Babyliss Pro compact hair dryers after a variety of problems were reported including the outer casing shattering after the fan blades breaks inside, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The CPSC said that Conair logged reports from 16 consumers who said the plastic shell shattered after the spinning blade came apart. Seven people reported being cut. On top of that, Conair also said consumers had complained that the Chinese-made hair dryers were smoking or sparking.

The following models are subject to this recall: Babyliss Pro Mighty Mini, Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium, Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic, BabylissPro TT Tourmaline and BabylissPro TT Tourmaline Titanium. The name can be found on the outer plastic casing.

They were sold at salons and online retailers since January 2006 for $20-$30.

If you have one of the hair dryers you are urged to stop using it and contact the company to get a replacement.

For more information, call Conair weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time at 800-687-691 or visit the company's website.