What's better: Paper Towels or Hand Dryers?

This probably sounds like a dumb question, but hear (read) me out…

What’s ‘better’ for our environment: Paper Towels or Hand Dryers?
Paper towels require energy and resources- from planting the seed of the tree, to cutting it down and making paper, to shipping the paper towels. Then of course, they go into the trash (or potentially the recycling) and must be transported and/or processed again.

Similarly, hand dryers use energy and resources (the material and energy resources needed to build the dryer itself). They also must be shipped around and periodically repaired/serviced. They often contain products made with petroleum derivatives and their likelihood to be recycled in part or in whole is dubious. Finally, they consume electricity which is generated by coal, gas, nuclear etc. power in many (most?) instances.

In short, can anyone tell me which is really ‘better’? I suppose carbon footprints would be the best measurement here.

Thanks!