What Is Tourmaline for Hair?
Tourmaline (pronounced tur-muh-LEEN) is a natural crystal silicate mineral used in many of today's hair tools, such as blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons. Tourmaline is crushed and compounded into the ceramic plates of hair tools to smooth hair and seal the hair's cuticle. According to Folica.com, the infrared heat from tourmaline hair tools dries hair quickly and gently. Does this Spark an idea?
-
More Effective Styling
-
Tourmaline tools generate up to six times more negative ions than traditional ceramic hair tools, PhiBeauty.com reports, sealing your hair's cuticle. A strand of hair with a flattened cuticle will absorb less water, reduce frizz and static, and allow your hair to keep its style.
Reduced Drying Time
-
Unlike hair straighteners and curling irons, hair dryers do not have plates that touch the hair, but the extra ions in tourmaline dry hair faster and leave it shiny. According to a test by "Good Housekeeping" magazine, tourmaline hair dryers dry hair 40 percent faster than standard ionic hair dryers. This reduced drying time also protects the health of the hair, as it's subjected to heat for a shorter time.
-
Improved Hair Health
-
Tourmaline hair tools improve hair health. Damaged hair holds a positive charge that keeps hair follicles open, making hair dry and brittle. The large amount of negative ions from tourmaline neutralize the damaged hair's positive charge, closing follicles and smoothing the hair shaft. This keeps the hair from drying out and, according to Misikko.com, protects it from further damage. Tools with tourmaline technology and ceramic design also reduce "hot spots" and uneven heat distribution, which can damage hair.
Holding Hair Color
-
In the same way it protects hair's style and health, tourmaline helps color-treated hair keep its hue brighter, longer. According to Redbook, a roughed-up cuticle can dull hair color--but when tourmaline smooths the cuticle, it keeps hair dye from fading.
"Ionic" vs. Tourmaline
-
Many hair tools are marketed as "ionic," but this does not mean that they use tourmaline, reports Misikko.com. Ceramic flat irons and curlers use ceramic heaters, which do produce negative ions when heated; however, tourmaline produces many more ions.
-
References
- Photo Credit long curly hair image by Frenk_Danielle Kaufmann from Fotolia.com long hair image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
