What's the Difference Between an Ionic Hairdryer, a Ceramic Hair Dryer and a Tourmaline Hairdryer?

Advancements in hair-drying technology have made choosing a hairdryer overwhelming for some people.

However, the jargon is well worth understanding. Investing in a specialised, salon quality hairdryer pays you back with big benefits: the perfect blowout with minimal hair damage.

Revolutionary ionic, ceramic and tourmaline hairdryers dry hair to a frizz-free, sleek finish in less time. Find out which hairdryer technology is right for your own marvellous mane.

We've also included a few of our best selling hair dryers, to make choosing easy.

What Is an Ionic Hairdryer?

Ionic hairdryers produce millions of negatively charged ions, which break down the positively charged water molecules.

Negative ions don’t open up the hair shafts, so the hair remains smooth and sleek.

Benefits of Ionic Hairdryers

Here are the benefits of ionic dryers:

• You can use a lower temperature to dry your hair.

• The definition of curly hair is preserved.

• Your hair dries faster.

• You'll see far less frizz.

What Are the Drawbacks of Ionic Hairdryers?

It's easier to over-dry your hair with ionic hairdryers, which is particularly damaging to fine hair.

• Fine, thin hair may be left limp and tired-looking.

• Ionic hairdryers can cost more than traditional and ceramic models.

Best Ionic Hairdryers:

Here's our roundup of the best Ionic hairdryers.

What Is a Ceramic Hairdryer?

A ceramic hairdryer is beneficial to nearly all hair types.

The inside of a ceramic hairdryer is specially coated to help distribute the heat evenly. In a traditional hairdryer, the airflow can be uneven.

Benefits of Ceramic Hairdryers:

Here are the benefits of ceramic dryers:

• Ceramic hairdryers can regulate heat by automatically sensing the room temperature and adjusting accordingly.

• At the beginning of a blow-dry, the air flowing out of your dryer is hotter. The air then cools gradually. Your hair will dry faster and incur less damage in the process.

What Are the Drawbacks of Ceramic Hairdryers?

Ceramic hairdryers are slightly more expensive than traditional hairdryers, but the added benefits make them worthwhile.

• Ceramic models do release some negative ions to help control frizz. However, if frizz control is your main hair concern, it would be worth investing in an ionic hairdryer over a ceramic one.

If you'd like the benefits of both ionic and ceramic technology, combination dryers are available.

These contain the ceramic coating whilst also distributing only negative ions for quicker drying. Parlux makes a large variety of combination dryers, depending on your other criteria.

Best Ceramic Hairdryers:

What Is a Tourmaline Hairdryer?

Tourmaline is a semi-precious mineral known for its ability to emit negative ions.

Negative ions break down positively charged water molecules in a similar way to ionic hairdryers. In fact, some Tourmaline hairdryers use both technologies for even faster drying.

Benefits of Tourmaline Hairdryers:

Here are the benefits of Tourmaline dryers:

• Tourmaline is said to reduce drying time by up to 40%, which makes it the hairdryer technology of choice in many salons.

• Tourmaline breaks down water molecules with negative ions, so a Tourmaline hairdryer is less dependent on heat to dry the hair. As heat is known to damage the hair, this is seen as a preferable option.

• Tourmaline dryers are known for leaving hair looking glossy and frizz-free

What Are the Drawbacks of Tourmaline Hairdryers?

Tourmaline dryers are more expensive because Tourmaline is a rare gemstone. It’s worth researching whether it's benefits are worth the extra cost.

• If you have oily or limp hair, the smoothing effect may leave your hair flat and encourage oils to travel down the strands, so tourmaline should be avoided.

Best Tourmaline Hairdryers: