These days hairdryers don’t just aim to dry your hair faster. Some claim to make your hair look and feel better.
Ionic hairdryers produce negatively charged ions which, the manufacturers say, reduce static and frizz, leaving hair shiny and smooth. Two consumer organisations have put these claims to the test.
Look and feel
Australian Choice conducted a user trial to see whether ionic technology made a difference to the look and feel of blow-dried hair. Fifteen hairdryers, with and without ionic technology, were each used by 10 triallists at least once a day at home. Overall, ionic hairdryers appeared to make little difference to the way their hair looked and felt.
Hair damage
The British consumer magazine Which? compared hair dried 100 times on maximum heat and speed, with and without negatively charged ions, under an electron microscope. It found that the ionic function reduced such microscopic signs of damage as hair-shaft blistering and lifting of the cuticle – but Which? also found that drying hair on low power and speed had the same effect.
So an ionic hairdryer might be a little kinder to your hair if you're always in a hurry.
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