If you are out there for a brand new hair dryer, you have likely seen an ad for ionic ones. Some claim to supply thousands and thousands of negative ions – with or without the assistance of additional minerals like tourmaline.
The broader claim is usually that these ions Break the water molecules into micro droplets.which in turn helps to dry faster and reduce frizz to provide you super smooth, shiny looking hair.
Are ionic hair dryers actually capable of do what they claim? To understand this we’d like to briefly review some basics.
Wait, what’s an ion?
All matter consists of invisible constructing blocks called atoms. But they are not the little things we find out about. Atoms consist of subatomic particles – protons, neutrons and electrons.
Every atom has a nucleus, a really dense center made up of protons and neutrons. The variety of protons determines which chemical element an atom is. Hydrogen has one proton, carbon has six, oxygen has eight, etc. Molecules are groups of two or more atoms that make up a chemical element. An oxygen molecule consists of two oxygen atoms, for instance.
How does this all relate to ions? This is where the electrical charge comes from. All subatomic particles have an electrical charge. Protons have a positive charge (+), electrons have a negative charge (-) and neutrons, because the name suggests, are neutral.
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The nucleus has an overall positive charge, because of all of the protons. Negatively charged electrons surround the nucleus because opposite charges attract one another. This is named the electrostatic force, and it is the force that really keeps the electrons from moving away from the nucleus.
But the electrostatic force is kind of weak. When the fabric Touch or rub together.we get the triboelectric effect – electron. Can move from one level to another.. It produces ions: positively or negatively charged atoms or molecules. For example, a negative oxygen ion is oxygen that has gained an additional electron.
What do ions must do with hair?
For essentially the most part, hair is made up of enormous complex molecules called keratin proteins. In turn, keratin molecules contain different chemical groups, comparable to carboxyl groups, amino groups and disulfide groups. It can gain or lose electrons.
Therefore, when hair is dried with hot air or subjected to friction, Keratin fibers lose electrons. through the triboelectric effect – They become positively charged.
Remember the electrostatic force? When hair strands are positively charged, they draw back from one another, and also you get frizz and flyaways.
This is why hair dryer manufacturers have provide you with the concept of neutralizing the positive charge with negative ions from the hair dryer. In theory, this could neutralize the fees in your hair and due to this fact reduce frizz.
How do hair dryers produce negative ions?
This part is just physics. Although different manufacturers may use barely different methods, most ionic hair dryers use a high voltage that’s applied to a positive wire contained in the hair dryer.
This creates a really strong electric field near the outlet where the new air is blowing. It sends electrons into the encircling air, producing negatively charged ions – mostly oxygen and nitrogen. Air flow then carries these ions out with the new air.
To increase the variety of negative ions produced through the process, some add an ionic hair dryer. A mineral called tourmaline. Which naturally emits negative ions.
Although theory supports the claim that negative ions can neutralize the electrostatic charge of positively charged hair, in practice the quantity of ionization produced by an ionic hair dryer could be very small because They are limited by the applied voltage (typically 1,600V).
Sure, you’ll be able to generate a considerable amount of negative ions with enough electricity, but that is beyond the scope of on a regular basis beauty equipment.
The effect will likely be subtle
Overall, which means the consequences of an ionic hair dryer will likely be subtle.
Other aspects will play an even bigger role in smoothness – comparable to your hair type, the standard of the hair (whether it’s chemically bleached or damaged by dyes) and what products are used on the hair before drying.
There can also be no scientific evidence that ionic hair dryers dry hair faster by breaking up water droplets more effectively, although some studies do. What is the demonstration? that ions increase the speed of water evaporation.
Ultimately, before investing in a really expensive hair dryer, you generally wish to improve the health of your hair. Negative ions – while comprehensible in theory – can only take you to this point.