I keep seeing hair dryers and flat irons being described as ionic. What’s an ionic hair dryer? It sounds fancy and nice, but what does ionic mean on my hair dryer exactly and do I need a flat iron that has ionic capabilities? What is a ionic hair dryer good for? – Amy

Good question. An ion is defined as “an atom (or molecule) that has gained one or more extra negatively charged electrons.” When ionic is used to describe hair tools, that simply means that the blow dryer or flat iron or whatever heating tool you’re using is generating negative ions. Negative ions are naturally generated by evaporating water, ocean surf, waterfalls and ionic minerals such as Tourmaline.

WHAT IS IONIC HAIR DRYER TECHNOLOGY?

Everyone’s hair has a positive charge when wet and moisturized and when it’s blown dry with an ionic blow dryer, those positive charges are neutralized by the negative ions balancing out your hair and giving it a sleek finish. Read more about how to understand blow dryer terms in Blow Dryers Pt. 1: Choosing The Best Hair Dryer For Your Hair Texture

THE BEST IONIC HAIR DRYER

There are a few on the market, and you don’t need a specific one for your hair type as we prefer reviewing wattage for deciding which blow dryer is best, but three of our favorite, quality ionic hair dryers are the Elchim 3900 Black and Silver Healthy Ionic Hair Dryer, Babyliss Pro Carrera 2 Porcelain Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer and the Bio Ionic 10x Ultralight Speed Hair Dryer, a super fast and lightweight hair dryer that can dry your hair in 10 minutes or less.

For more of the best ionic hair dryers, check out our picks in The 28 Best Hair Dryers For Every Hair Type and Choosing The Best Hair Dryer For Your Hair Texture.

IS AN IONIC HAIR BETTER FOR HEAT DAMAGE?

You don’t need an ionic flat iron or blow dryer, but your hair can definitely benefit from the technology since it delivers sleeker looking hair that also dries faster thereby cutting down on the chances of heat damage. That’s what we love the most about the the technology. Faster drying times means healthier hair.