This policy explains what Hair Dryer Lab collects, why, and what you can do about it. We keep the list short because the site genuinely collects very little: there are no accounts, no checkout, no payment processing and no login. What remains is what you send us by email, standard hosting logs, and analytics.
What we collect
Information you give us
If you email us, we receive what you send. That typically means your email address, your name if you include it, and the content of your message.
We use it for one purpose: to read and respond to you. That includes handling a correction, answering a data request, or replying to feedback. We do not add you to a mailing list, and we do not use your address for marketing.
Information collected automatically
Our hosting provider records standard technical information when a page is served — typically IP address, browser and device type, the page requested, and a timestamp. This is normal web server logging, and we use it for security, abuse prevention and keeping the site running.
Analytics and session recording
We use two third-party tools, and they do different things. One of them records how you interact with the page, which is a more invasive category than ordinary analytics and we describe it plainly below.
| Tool | Cookies | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Yes — sets cookies | Page views, traffic sources, approximate location, device type |
| Microsoft Clarity | Yes — sets cookies | Session replay and heatmaps — records how visitors move through, click and scroll a page |
What session replay means, stated plainly. Clarity can reconstruct a recording of a browsing session — cursor movement, clicks, scrolling and page navigation. This is not anonymous in the way aggregate page-view counts are: it captures behaviour rather than a count.
What we do with it. We use Clarity to see where readers get stuck — which sections are skipped, where a comparison table is abandoned, what gets copied. That tells us what to rewrite.
What we do not do with it. We do not use it to identify individuals, we do not match sessions to names or email addresses, and we do not sell or share the recordings. We have not enabled any feature that captures text typed into form fields.
Both tools are loaded on every page of this site.
What we do not collect
- No accounts. There is no sign-up and no login
- No payment information. We do not sell anything, so there is no checkout
- No order data. Purchases happen on retailer sites, not here
- No precise location data. Analytics provides approximate region at most
- No sensitive categories of personal information
- No keystroke or form-field content. We do not capture what you type
Cookies and similar technologies
Both Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity set cookies in your browser — for session continuity, for distinguishing visits, and for Clarity’s recording function.
Your choices:
- You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking them does not prevent you from reading the site
- You can use private or incognito browsing, which discards cookies when you close the window
- Browser extensions that block analytics and session-recording scripts are effective on this site, because nothing here depends on them to function
- Microsoft publishes an opt-out for Clarity, and Google publishes one for Analytics; browser-level blocking covers both
When you click through to a retailer, that retailer may set its own cookies once you arrive. Those cookies are governed by the retailer’s privacy policy, not ours. We do not control them and we cannot see them.
On consent mechanisms. We do not currently present a cookie-consent banner. We are evaluating whether one is required for the markets we serve — session recording in particular is treated as a non-essential cookie in several jurisdictions, and Quebec’s privacy legislation sets its own requirements. We would rather state that plainly than promise a mechanism that is not yet in place.
Affiliate links and third parties
Some outbound links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the retailer may pay us a commission. The mechanics are explained in our affiliate disclosure.
What the retailer learns. When you follow an affiliate link, the retailer records that the visit came from us. From that point, your interaction is with the retailer and is governed by its privacy policy. We do not receive your order details, your payment information, or your identity from the retailer.
Service providers we rely on. Our hosting provider, our analytics providers and our email provider process data on our behalf so the site can operate. We choose providers that publish their own privacy commitments. We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it with hair dryer brands or retailers for their own marketing.
Why we use information
| Purpose | Basis |
|---|---|
| Responding to your emails and corrections | Your request — we cannot reply otherwise |
| Keeping the site secure and available | Legitimate operational need |
| Understanding which guides are useful | Legitimate interest in improving the site |
| Meeting legal obligations | Compliance where required |
We do not use your information for: advertising profiles, selling to third parties, marketing emails you did not ask for, or automated decision-making about you.
Retention
- Emails are kept as long as needed to handle your enquiry, plus any follow-up if a correction changes a page. If you ask us to delete an email exchange, we will, unless we need it to evidence a correction
- Analytics data is retained according to the retention settings of the analytics provider
- Hosting logs are retained for the short period our provider keeps them for security and operations
We do not keep information indefinitely for no reason. If there is no purpose, we delete it.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information we hold. That includes encrypted connections to this site (HTTPS) and limiting access to the email inbox to the editorial team.
No system is perfectly secure, and we will not claim otherwise. If a breach occurs that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant regulator as required by applicable Canadian law.
Your rights and choices
Under Canadian federal privacy law (PIPEDA), you may:
- Request access to personal information we hold about you
- Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
- Withdraw consent to our handling of your information, subject to legal and contractual limits
- Ask a question or raise a concern about how we handle your information
To exercise any of these, email editorial@hairdryerlab.ca. Tell us what you want and enough detail for us to find the relevant records. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting, because we will not hand personal information to someone else. See contact for what we can and cannot help with.
If you are in Quebec or another province with its own privacy legislation, additional rights may apply to you. Tell us you are making a request under provincial law and we will respond to it on that basis.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or your provincial privacy regulator.
Children
This site is a buying guide for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
When we change this policy, we change the last-updated date at the bottom of the page. If a change materially affects how we handle personal information, we will say so on the page rather than only updating the date.
Because the site collects so little, material changes are unlikely — but if we add a newsletter, a comment system or a user account, this policy will change before those features go live, not after.
Contact
| Operator | Hair Dryer Lab |
| editorial@hairdryerlab.ca | |
| Website | hairdryerlab.ca |
| Market served | Canada |
For anything relating to this policy — access, correction, deletion, or a question about how we handle information — use that address. See contact for what we can and cannot help with.
Note: this policy is an operational baseline written to describe what this site actually does. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for review by qualified legal counsel.
Frequently asked questions
What personal information does Hair Dryer Lab collect? Three things: what you send us if you email us, standard technical information recorded by our hosting provider such as IP address and browser type, and analytics data about how pages are used. We do not run user accounts, we do not process payments, and we do not collect checkout information.
Does Hair Dryer Lab sell my data? No. We do not sell, rent or trade personal information. We do not share it with hair dryer brands or retailers for their own marketing. Analytics providers process data on our behalf under their own terms.
Does Hair Dryer Lab use cookies? Yes. Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity both set cookies. Clarity also records session replays, which is a more invasive category and is described in full in the analytics section above. If you click through to a retailer such as Amazon.ca, that retailer may set its own cookies, governed by its privacy policy rather than ours.
How do I exercise my privacy rights in Canada? Email editorial@hairdryerlab.ca. Under Canadian federal privacy law you may request access to personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct it. If you are in Quebec or another province with additional requirements, tell us and we will respond to your request.
How long do you keep information? Emails are kept as long as needed to handle your enquiry and any follow-up correction. Analytics data is retained according to the retention settings of the analytics provider. Hosting logs are retained for the short period our provider keeps them for security and operations.
Is this site for children? No. Hair Dryer Lab is a buying guide for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.