Hair Dryer Components
A basic hair dryer contains a heating element, a fan that pushes air outside the dryer and the surrounding plastic or other material around the dryer. For the most basic heating elements, metal or plastic is used. However, these can provide uneven heating or intense bouts of heat that can burn the hair. Conversely, a ceramic hair dryer uses a heating element made of ceramic. Ceramic is an inorganic solid that is first created using heat then cooled to take form. For this reason, ceramic also is used in pottery or for dental work.
Heating the Ceramic
The ceramic heating element used in hair dryers produces radiant or infrared heat that heats more evenly than other metals. When applied to the hair, the heat also penetrates the hair shaft from the inside out, as compared to a metal or plastic heating element, which heats from the outside in. This is considered to be safer for the hair, as it prevents damage. Also, because the ceramic heater heats hair more evenly, it prevents the hair from being unevenly dried as it can be from a metal heater. More even drying of the hair allows you to dry your hair in less time, which reduces the overall amount of heat damage your hair experiences each time the hair is dried. While you are drying your hair, the ceramic heating element also releases negatively charged ions. These ions latch onto the hair and allow the cuticle of the hair shaft to stay flat (unlike a metal or plastic heating element, which releases positive ions). The negative ions also help to keep moisture inside the hair.
Safety and Longevity
Ceramic heaters are considered safer because they do not catch on fire like some metal or plastic heating elements inside a hair dryer can. As hair dryers also can become extremely hot during their use, a ceramic hair dryer often is easier to hold and use for a safer duration. When you are finished using a hair dryer, the natural properties of the ceramic material have been shown to reduce bacteria formation on the hair dryer. This extends the longevity of the dryer itself and prevents bacteria or germs from being blown onto the hair during use.
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